Originally Posted by BigLar
I'm considering staying at one of the Choice properties in the area, since they are running a triple rewards promo for Southwest. I've never stayed at one before, and am unfamiliar with their program.
On looking at the website, it seems that:
1. They have no elite levels - everyone is the same. True?
2. I get 10 points/$ spent
3. If I use the Choice Visa, I get 15 pts/$
4. Does #2 and #3 imply I can get 25 pts/$ if I use their card?
5. Do the points I earn apply to their properties all over the world?
Currently Marriott Plat and Hilton Diamond. These guys might be useful for various purposes, and it's nice to have a chain to fall back on, since they seem to be just about everywhere.
Just keep in mind that WHILE you're using it for the triple rewards promo for Southwest, you must choose to earn Southwest credits directly (not points), so how many points you get matters not.
The other thing to keep in mind: Periodically (one just ended) they run a promo which is billed as stay 2 times and get a free night. This works by them award many thousands of bonus points on every second stay, which makes the amount of points you earn for the actual stay pretty insignficant (since the number of bonus points you earn is whatever is needed to get you to an award level after the points you earned for the two stays!).
In keeping with good freeloading values
, I would recommend staying with Choice mostly when they're running one of these two periodic promos, and using the times when they're not running those promos to focus on maintaining your status elsewhere.
Keep in mind that Choice is mostly midline (and often lower midline at that), and there's nothing to "upgrade" to (in terms of elite status) at many of their properties. So, again, elite will mostly get you more points, but nowhere near as many as the periodic bonuses will...