Well I booked the SGS in Bangkok for 7000 AA miles. I think that is quite a deal for anyone that knows this property. I will say that you need to look some hotels I thought the number of miles to be high and others seemed like a great deal.

I booked my vacation through AAVacation using AA miles, but then the flight was cancelled due to snow. AA couldn't refund me the miles for the hotel stay, but they did give me a voucher for the missed day. I would rather have the miles because the voucher expires in a year and means I would need to use it toward a paid for ticket and I have a lot of miles so I don't plan on paying for any tickets.

What exactly is the voucher? Is it the same type as a canceled ticket residual value voucher? If so, there are plenty of ways to "extend" its life beyond one year. In fact I just extended one of our two residual vouchers that is from July 2007.

The flights you buy using voucher should earn you miles.

Its an evoucher and pin.

I see doing a search here that it looks like I can extend a voucher by purchasing a fully refundable ticket and then cancelling it. It sounds like sometimes they will even refund the whole amount to the credit card. So good to know it can be extended. Thanks.

It was onlya 1.2c/mile redemption for the miles, so I would have preferred to have the miles back, but at least this is something, and like you said a good thing is I can get a few miles by using the ticket. These were free miles from the citi cards, so really can't complain.

Found this thread through search engine.

I booked a Hawaii hotel but now the reviews have taken A BIG turn for the worse.

I doubt I will get back the miles, but will they pay the difference to a new place? What are my chances? I have been thinking about this for a week and I REALLY regret my decision to book the one place.

I do think it is a great use of AA miles. I agree with other posters that the CAR rates are horrible.

But it is like a free hotel night

Anyone had any luck changing their reservation. The fine print is no cancels no changes nuttin.

I am SO close to deciding to just loose those miles and book the way better place and eat the 16K miles I spent on the first one.

tdfxman, I'd say consider whatever other options you have for still staying there. First, not knowing what hotel it is, I'd note that when reviews suddenly take a turn for the worse, I wonder if it's a campaign, for a reason not given -- firing, one person's bad experience/treatment (creating multiple handles to do reviews), labor action. I'm not saying spend time delving into that. But I think I'd contact the hotel directly, try to escalate to a manager, and make your concerns known. Refer them to the bad reviews that they can see for themselves. I do know from several instances that hotel managers have become highly sensitive to TripAdvisor reviews, for example, many asking for customers to do a good one if they sense you're happy with your stay. If you do contact them, you will definitely stand out, you may be the first to alert them to this, and you'll heighten your leverage in getting good treatment.

I am totally on our side of the counter. I'm not saying, "You gotta understand their side of it..." as many sympathizers and shills say on these boards. I guess I'm saying you can turn what you know to your advantage -- since you are kinda stuck.

Now, if it's ugly construction going on next door, or the place itself is all torn up, nevvver mind. . .

Thanks Firewind, that ending gave me a chuckle.

Yeah I did talk to the manager of the property and I am ok with sticking it out. But if I COULD get out of it, I would LOVE to.

Basically, it is a top 15 Tripadvisor property on Oahu. Sadly, they are starting to have more reviews with a bug problem. I am kinda like Indian Jones with snakes, but not exactly. "Bugs, why did it have to be bugs?".

So the manager said they try but it is Hawaii and it might happen. I can not guarantee you don't see them, just that we will try to make you happy with a different room. We are only staying one night before we head to our timeshare week, so it is no biggie to grind out one night.

But I did jump the gun. I am going to call now and see what happens with AA. I expect nothing.

I would not sweat it. I lived in Hawai'i for several years. Bugs are EVERYWHERE - there's only so much you can do.

I remember a friend visiting us from the mainland - we showed him to his room and bath and he emerged a few minutes later with a very serious request to show us something. He promptly trudged into the bath and pointed out a trail of teeny tiny ants. All we could do was laugh and vacuum them up.

Yeah either way will be good. Requested the Embassy Suites instead.

Talked to someone and then I was told to write a letter. We'll see.

Well they were willing to move me.

I asked to be moved for 13,300 miles, the difference between the 2 properties.

They said they would do it for $125.16.

I told them I would think about it. We will stay put I think, it is not worth it. The free breakfast and better place don't add up to that. They do add up if I did it right the first time. The miles are really free to me.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Any ideas on if I wanted to sell it where I would do that? Craiglist?

I looked around and did not find any web sites that deal with rooms ya can't use that are pre-paid.

(this topic might belong to the AA forum)

Just wondering if anyone found any decent deals recently. I just looked at hotels in Chicago and Honolulu in September and am getting about 0.6 cpm. The website I used was http://useAAmiles.com. If that's the best to be found then I will definitely not be using this option.