Originally Posted by
leo-chan
"STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST (SPG)
Friends and family members who participate in SPG and are paying for a StarFRND rate will not earn Starpoints or airline miles for the StarFRND rate itself, but may earn points on their eligible incidentals. Friends and family members can earn Starpoints when paying any other qualifying rate."
StarFRND, like StarHOT and StarPRO, are not qualifying rates, hence does not entitle you to Plat benefits whatsoever.
I think you are confused about these 2. It's the booking channels that decide if the elite benefits would be offer, not the rate itself. So only 4B.4.(a) is not eligible for benefits but (b),(c),(d),(e) should be even though you don't earn points as benefits are still offered in award stays.
4C.6. Platinum Members are not eligible for any in-hotel benefits when booking
pre-paid or other third-party rates through third party channels, such as, but not limited to the
channels listed in the definition of Eligible Rate;
4B.4. An “Eligible Rate” is the rate you pay for your room, but excludes:
(a) rooms where the booking is made by a agent or third party and you pay for that booking either at the hotel or directly to such third party, such as tour operators, and third party channels, including, but not limited to priceline.com, expedia.com, hotels.com, hrn.com, hotwire.com, lastminute.com, site59.com, orbitz.com, travelocity.com, cheaptickets.com, quickbook.com, travelweb.com, lodging.com, yahootravel.com, and travel.msn.com;
(b) room rates for group commercial or group leisure bookings where rooms are booked as part of a conference or organized tour that is either master billed or paid at tour operator rates or where the bookings for six or more rooms are linked;
(c) room rates that are master billed or paid at tour operator rates, wholesaler rates, including STARnet, STARPRO rates, and crew room rates;
(d) employee rates and friends and family rates;
(e) complimentary rooms (including, but not limited to, any Free Night Awards earned through the Program or otherwise) and other rooms reserved using Starpoints, including, rooms through the Program’s Cash and Points Award room rate.