Lifetime status
 

Hi,

with all of the changes coming next year, it looks that le club is getting less customer oriented. How about giving us something in exchange?

Amy, could you enquiry HQ about life status? It works pretty well at Marriott loyalty program. I think it is about time to change something with Le Club

Cheers,

Jacek

I certainly wouldn't say that the coming changes means "less customer oriented". It means just give status to customers who really bring money to the company. If you have status only thanks to promo points, do you think you really merit the status and the associated perks ? I understand it is nice to have but you have to consider things on the company perspective. And with the lower thresholds, I believe all the "real" gold and plat will be able to requalify as per the new scheme if their travel pattern remain the same with Accor.
As I said in the dedicated thread, I think this change is completely logical and was expected sooner or later.
This being said, I'm among the ones who also vote for a lifetime platinum membership. :)

Goldorak, I think the point the OP tried to make is since it will be "harder" to quality as Gold and Platinum, what additional benefit Accor is giving? I guess there is no real tangible benefit been thrown to Gold and Platinum with the new program right?

My wish list is still guarantee free breakfast in the lounge or in restaurant when there is no lounge present. I doubt this will cost a lot to the hotel as they have to run breakfast buffet in the restaurant anyway.

I don't see anything customer oriented. Customer losses. I am a customer and I am looking from the customer perspective, not from the hotel chain perspective, why would I? Sorry.

Accor is getting better and better with their program but still there is a long way to convince people to stay with them.

I have stayed like 50 nights in the year while platinum. I will simply stop staying at accor if I dont get platinum renewal and drop to gold.

If you stay 50 nights a year you most likely will stay Platinum based on your expenses only. Unless you are staying in Ibis or alike which means platinum has no real advantages anyways.

Personally, and I have said that before, a lifetime status would be more than appropriate. 2018 sees the 10th anniversary of Le Club so those who maintained 10 years Platinum status would certainly deserve some acknowledgement for their loyalty.

And the years with Sofitel privilege gold status should count as well (like when AF/KL introduced Flying Blue : the years at the top status of the previous AF and KL programs counted for the lifetime platinum status in FB ;) )

Well, Accor isn't ging to give us something based on whether they (or we) think we deserve it. For it to make sense to both Accor and us, lifetime status would have to be sufficiently attainable and desirable to motivate us to choose Accor properties on occasions where our travel plans might make it easier not to do so. Implemented properly, it would also give people a reason to carry on choosing Accor in the later part of the year: even though they've already stayed enough to renew their annual status, they could now carry on accumulating nights towards lifetime status.

I'd expect Accor to implement this at some point, probably in a similar way to Starwood (250 nights and five years earned Gold status, not necessarily consecutive, for lifetime Gold; 500 nights and 10 years earned Platinum for lifetime Platinum). The sooner the better!

Lifetime status has to be the worst business for any hotel chain or airline - anybody savvy enough to earn it will immediately focus on earning a status with another chain once getting it, while still reaping the benefits every now and then.

I do see the benefit to the chain for having us re-qualify every year, and I'd rather they gave us the little help with that that they did. I also totally do not appreciate all the complicating factors to formerly the most straightforward programme out there, both in terms of different point scales and the need to qualify in a calendar year (what sense does it make rather than drive Nov/Dec bookings???)

I disagree with that. Experience with airlines FFP proposing such a status doesn't show that and in any case, the cost for the hotel chain (or the airline) is minimal so no risk.

In such cases, I think that person might have just switched to another program earlier, losing revenue for the group. And to be honest, I don't mind letting someone earn lifetime status. If they keep coming back, they would probably earn status in their own rights. If they don't come back often, then the cost of providing the lifetime status is minimal since they aren't here to use the benefits. Either way, I will definitely thank them for spending so much money with me that they wouldn't have spent if they switched to another program earlier.

Agree, I would say that lifetime status is something that has paid for itself in the preceding x number of years and is not something that is counted as cost for the following years.

As I see it, the changes are less customer orientated. I am a customer and use Accor whenever I can. However, now that bonus points do not count towards status, it will be much harder for me to keep Platinum. I do not see any enhancements for me in the changes, just Accor saving money by making it harder for customers to gain higher status and the benefits which come from this. Consequently, I will likely give more business to Hilton. So changes to the Accor loyalty program will make me less loyal.

CT

As a Plat, I still see the top tier too "crowded". With higher end properties coming in, the $ spent will increase. Only by thinning out the top now, will they be able to offer better benefits to Plats.
I foresee that by Jan 2017 a new program will be launched that offers better benefits at gold/Plat levels - and to "get a feel" everyone will get to keep their status till end 2017.
But if you can't achieve those points without having the $ spent, then top tier may not be achievable. But who knows, the current Plat may become a tweaked gold and the Plat benefits may build on what they have now.
I'm looking forward to the changes and will stay loyal.

I found the number of Club Accorhotels members on http://www.accorhotels-group.com

in 2013:
Club Accorhotels members (2013) : 14 million
Classic 86%
Silver 10 %
Gold 2,5 %
Platinium : 1,5 % (= 210 000)

in 2014 :
Club Accorhotels members (2014) : 20 million
Classic 78 %
Silver 16 %
Gold 4 %
Platinium : 2 % (= 400 000)

twice more platinium in one year !

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...ptureelite.jpg

Well, 2014 was still the end of the free Plat year. Would be good to see the 2015 numbers. Nevertheless, assuming we have 150,000, that's mostly heavy travellers. With Asia having lots of lounges, I see crowding here.
I was in a remote Pullman last week. I asked the Hotel GM on their occupancy: 6 executive rooms booked, 4 Plat guests (who may have booked exec rooms). That tells me it's crowded.

But surely if they ,Accor did not want someone to qualify as a Platinum via this method they wouldn't offer it :confused:

Just like some hotel GMs who upgrade classic and silver members, I think it has something to do with "experiencing" it. They give you a taste for what its like, but then the next round you need to earn it.

I take myself as an example, I don't hide the fact that I signed up with Accor several years ago with one of the Plat links. I got to feel what it was like and transferred from then on all my stays (99% of them) to Accor properties. I make Plat now just for the nights alone. So the "taste" of Platinum status made me switch completely to Accor.
(Sure, I have the best of the program as 80% of my stays are in Asia where they have lounges and upgrades are normally easy to come by). But these actions by Accor are in my opinion real calculated decisions.

Exactly.

Unfortunately some people aren't so well off (or in a fortunate position as by where work "pays" for their stays throughout the year) as to make the status by nights stays alone so this feature of points assists them greatly in achieving this :p

Yes, for self-paying leisure travelers who are loyal to Accor bonus points has helped a bit. I've been very loyal to Accor and find this "enhancing" a kick to my butt.

The thing is although many things can make sense when done properly in my experience that's a rather large "if".

I know people personally who start shifting stays away from chains once they've hit the metric for status, and I know people who have very negative views of some chains status schemes that required uninterrupted periods because they travelled less for a year due to an illness or job change.

You're right to add that note of caution. We're talking about Accor here, after all.

I imagine that's something every chain (and airline) tries to factor into their calculations. Every year, some people become 'less loyal' once they've got their status renewal in the bag. In some cases it makes sense, as people try to earn or retain status in a second programme. In other cases it's harder to understand, as staying elsewhere simply means not enjoying the status benefits they've earned.

The more valuable the staus benefits and -- crucially -- the more consistently they are delivered, the more people will be inclined to carry on staying at Accor properties.

Extra recognition for their very best customers would also make sense. Guaranteed suite upgrades, for example, for the relatively few customers who clock up 50,000 points or 75 nights a year.

Yes -- that kind of requirement is plain silly (as well as probably constituting illegal discrimination in some jurisdictions). If I got 70% of the way to lifetime status and then lost that progress because of parental leave, sickness or a career break I'd be extremely disinclined to start again.

Basing lifetime status on total nights is probably the simplest method. It would give people something very clear to shoot for. Total points might appeal more to Accor, once they've ensured that bonus points no longer count.

Those who shift their stays away after meeting the requirements for life status would've most likely shifted earlier if there was no "goal" to reach. Chains would love these people, as they would have contributed a few extra tens/hundreds of night stays, and there are hardly any benefits to be provided to them since they aren't around anymore.

For me, the key part of Accor bonus and non-stay points is being able to earn base room stays for leisure purposes with little to no out of pocket expense. If I can get status in the process, it's more entertainment than expectation of much from eliteness.

I know t makes me a bad FTer but I'm actually perfectly fine with the changes to the system- let me rack up a bunch of points from surveys and not have to worry about points expiring from a lack of actual hotel stays, and I'm just as happy with my card saying club as gold. I'd just prefer they don't stick me with the dumpster view room when I book with points, but hey, that should be where they put the folks who booked through Priceline or Expedia or other OTA.

Some independent hotels have been doing that for quite some time now. There was one place I stayed at where it clearly lists out which are the only room they can allocate to those who booked with discount OTAs. They also have a separate list of what appears to be for nicer corporate contracts, where most of the rooms from the other list cannot be assigned to those on these contracts.

10 years Platinum
 

By end of the year I should get for the 10th time Platinum status. As it’s also approaching Le Club’s 10th anniversary I was wondering if anything has been communicated or any insight news that Accor will implement a lifetime status soon?

Nothing at all, although it has been suggested several times to Accor HQ. It would seem a fitting gesture to say thank you to those who were loyal for a whopping 10 years.

would be nice if accor can have lifetime status.

Personally I think LCAH do have fairer way to attain elite status by using "status points"
People who tends to book higher priced rooms got higher status points.
(couple of nights at hotel's most expensive suite could earn you a platinum level)

While at other loyalty program (my other program is SPG) it tends to steer people to book 50 nights at the cheapest rooms as there are no extra benefit to stay at one of their suites (in terms of elite status earning)

This is my 4th year as platinum. I also think status points have been a good way to go to make sure elite membership is given to those who spend up.

LCAH (A-Club at that time) has been launched in sept 2008 so almost 10 years ago. I have always been Platinum in LCAH and was Sofitel Privilege gold in the former programme (no higher status) for 2 or 3 years. So I think a lifetime status would be well deserved ;)

You will get lifetime status if you post at least 5 AH reviews on FT with a minimum of 25 pictures each :D

Accor will grant "Lifetime Platinum Supérieur Ultramagnifique" status if you have demonstrated your loyalty by holding Fairmont President's Club "Premier" status for at least six weeks. This will be the only route to lifetime Le Club status.

Damm, I have never felt safer if that's the case! Hahaha:D

would 25 AH reviews with 5 pictures each works ?
:D

Subject to availability / approval :p

can we check Accor apps for availability? :D

An update for the Lifetime Platinum Card will be given soon.