Originally Posted by MichelinMan

I know I´m an agent, so my take will come across as defensive and biased, but Fan of MO sounds like a complete joke.

Most people I know don´t use an agent solely as a means to an end - ie, they don´t look at the agent solely as a vehicle for amenities. (That´s actually the complete opposite of why most clients go searching for an agent, to be honest, and the better way to look at an agent - in my mind - isn´t all about amenities, but having an advocate and leveraging relationships to the client´s benefit.)

MO will find every and any way possible to get around honoring these ´amenities´...not available, sold out, this one doesn´t apply to that hotel...front desk clerks will either not know what it is or downright ignore the ´better ones´. Upgrades via this method will be hard to come by, if not impossible. To a hotel, early check-in/late check-out are throwaway amenities, too.

MO is often stingy with benefits and needs pushing around from an agent. Booking via ´Fan of MO´ will be the new basic online booking. Agent bookings will still get priority and GMs will still favor those booking channels they have direct relationships with, regardless of the bottom line.

(I´m not just rambling here - I´ve spoken to a few MO GMs and sales people and nobody is excited about the prospect of John Doe showing up thinking he´s booked under some special VIP rate.)

My .02 cents.