mileageplanhotels.com
May 29, 2018, 2:57 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,381
mileageplanhotels.com
https://www.mileageplanhotels.com/
https://runningwithmiles.boardingare...es-for-hotels/
Here's a comparison between hotels.com and mileageplanhotels.com for the same room. (The resort fee is the same at both properties- it's the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas
I see what you did there, Rocketmiles...
https://runningwithmiles.boardingare...es-for-hotels/
Here's a comparison between hotels.com and mileageplanhotels.com for the same room. (The resort fee is the same at both properties- it's the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas
I see what you did there, Rocketmiles...
May 29, 2018, 5:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: AS 75K, DL Diamond, former UA Plat, former AA Plat
Posts: 15
I just did a couple of quick searches and the juice (miles) isn't worth the squeeze (giving up elite benefits).
Example: I'm a Hilton Diamond. Random date in ATL (26-28 Jun). Pick random hotel near a customer site (Doubletree in Dunwoody).
Mileageplan, select King w/ Breakfast: $240 / night.
Hilton direct (Diamond gets free breakfast), select King: $228 / night.
Extra $24 ($12 / night) for 3,000 miles is an effective $0.008 / mile. I can buy 3,000 miles for an effective $0.0275. Using mileageplanhotels makes miles 3.5x more expensive.
Also, the mileageplanhotels site is BRUTALLY slow.
When taken together, non-competitive price plus slow site results in mileageplanhotels as a giant NOPE for me.
Example: I'm a Hilton Diamond. Random date in ATL (26-28 Jun). Pick random hotel near a customer site (Doubletree in Dunwoody).
Mileageplan, select King w/ Breakfast: $240 / night.
Hilton direct (Diamond gets free breakfast), select King: $228 / night.
Extra $24 ($12 / night) for 3,000 miles is an effective $0.008 / mile. I can buy 3,000 miles for an effective $0.0275. Using mileageplanhotels makes miles 3.5x more expensive.
Also, the mileageplanhotels site is BRUTALLY slow.
When taken together, non-competitive price plus slow site results in mileageplanhotels as a giant NOPE for me.
May 29, 2018, 5:23 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Renton, WA
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan MVP
Posts: 58
I think you missed noticing a zero there; 0.8 cents is definitely cheaper than 2.75 cents. Buying 3,000 miles at that rate would be $82.50.
May 29, 2018, 5:56 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,822
Also presumably no Honors points and benefits to be factored into the math.
I have used RocketMiles maybe once or twice when they offered a "first time" bonus on top of the regular miles and the hotel was an HIX or Best Western or something where the benefits really didn't add into the equation.
Here's another example:
Best Western Astoria, OR 6/16-18
AAA Rate on BW site: $435.60 all in (24 hr cancellation policy)
Alaska rate: $496.32 all in (pre-paid, non-changeable) with a 2000 mile bonus
Expensive miles.
I have used RocketMiles maybe once or twice when they offered a "first time" bonus on top of the regular miles and the hotel was an HIX or Best Western or something where the benefits really didn't add into the equation.
Here's another example:
Best Western Astoria, OR 6/16-18
AAA Rate on BW site: $435.60 all in (24 hr cancellation policy)
Alaska rate: $496.32 all in (pre-paid, non-changeable) with a 2000 mile bonus
Expensive miles.
May 29, 2018, 6:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP , Delta Gold Medallion, "Credit Card" status for various hotels
Posts: 672
While I appreciate a different option for using my miles, I wish AS would prioritize adding mileage redemption for their newest three airline partners instead of this.
May 29, 2018, 6:51 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 917
You're assuming that it's an "either/or" situation. In my IT job, we have multiple teams working on multiple projects. There is no way that Alaska doesn't do something similar.
May 29, 2018, 7:14 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP , Delta Gold Medallion, "Credit Card" status for various hotels
Posts: 672
Fair enough. To amend my statement - I wish Alaska would prioritize adding redemptions on its three newest airline partners in addition to this new hotel option and whatever other multiple IT projects are happening simultaneously. It’s been five months since their own initial timeline (Fall 2017) for expecting AY redemptions.
May 30, 2018, 7:20 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Concierge Key, AA Lifetime Plat, SPG Ambassador, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Platinum, United Plat
Posts: 233
I find these kinds of hotel sites very useful for business travel (employer footing bill) and also to try out new/cool hotels that are not part of a major chain.
May 30, 2018, 9:03 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,381
My employer would freak out if I was using corporate funds as a way to pad my mileage balances (as opposed to getting good prices).
It’s pretty obvious that Rocketmiles is sticking some vigorish for themselves in those “taxes and fees”. Which funds the miles.
It’s pretty obvious that Rocketmiles is sticking some vigorish for themselves in those “taxes and fees”. Which funds the miles.
May 30, 2018, 10:48 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,822
And while my current employer simply prevents any such "gaming" (theft) by mandating a corporate travel booking system for *all* travel, if one of my employees submitted an expense report that included a hotel stay (or other expense) that obviously has an inflated cost for the benefit of the employee, they would be in deep trouble. It seems stupid to risk one's job for a few thousand miles, and I don't want stupid (and unethical/borderline-criminal) employees on my team.
May 31, 2018, 9:58 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
https://www.mileageplanhotels.com/
https://runningwithmiles.boardingare...es-for-hotels/
Here's a comparison between hotels.com and mileageplanhotels.com for the same room. (The resort fee is the same at both properties- it's the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas
I see what you did there, Rocketmiles...
https://runningwithmiles.boardingare...es-for-hotels/
Here's a comparison between hotels.com and mileageplanhotels.com for the same room. (The resort fee is the same at both properties- it's the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas
I see what you did there, Rocketmiles...
I agree, not something for people who are charging the trip to an employer, but it looks good for others
May 31, 2018, 11:07 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,381
You lose the hotels.com net 10% rebate (1 night free after 10) if you book through the AS branded rocketmiles channel, so it's more like $40.
Also, that fee isn't fixed. Vegas is probably a best case scenario for Rocketmiles because loyalty programs are least powerful there (the chains don't have a lot of pull, something like 80+% hotel rooms are non-chain properties). I've seen it worse.
As an alternative for Expedia/Priceline for properties where you don't mind punting chain benefits and the bite isn't terrible, yeah, I can see it working out.
Also, that fee isn't fixed. Vegas is probably a best case scenario for Rocketmiles because loyalty programs are least powerful there (the chains don't have a lot of pull, something like 80+% hotel rooms are non-chain properties). I've seen it worse.
As an alternative for Expedia/Priceline for properties where you don't mind punting chain benefits and the bite isn't terrible, yeah, I can see it working out.