Feb 12, 2023, 11:58 pm
Last edit by: ZenFlyer
Welcome to the Rocketmiles/AAdvantage Hotels (née BookAAHotels) Official Thread & Wiki!
reflecting July 2023 program changes
AAdvantage Hotels Customer Support phone # (844) 801-6778 and email is [email protected]
Posting times per the AA Hotels Platform FAQ: "Rewards typically post between 3-4 weeks after your stay is completed with the transaction date reflecting your check-in date. If booked through one of our suppliers that provide “Pay Later” rates (pay upon check-in), the rewards typically post within 4 – 6 weeks after your stay is completed."
Posting times per FT user experience: Varies greatly, and cyclically through the year, between several days to 6 weeks after checkout. Within 2 weeks after checkout is arguably "average" but YMMV greatly. Notwithstanding whatever wait you might have, the points will eventually post.
0. Why should I use RocketMiles over AAdvantage Hotels?
You shouldn't. There are no advantages to doing so unless you truly have no superior booking option. AAdvantage Hotels, now being on the same platform, is strictly better if your goal is AA LPs or AA RDM. (Note: RocketMiles, the engine for AAdvantage Hotels, is owned by Booking Holdings: https://about.rocketmiles.com/how-it-works who also owns Priceline, Agoda, Kayak, etc.)
1. Do base miles earned on AAdvantage Hotels count towards Loyalty Point earnings/status?
Yes - but any boost miles (miles purchased during checkout) only count as redeemable miles.
2. How can I maximize my AA earnings?
a. via AAHotels Customers who have AAdvantage elite status, and/or have any AA co-branded credit card earn significantly more LPs/RDMs per reservation. Customers who have either AA status OR an AA credit card will earn up to 5x more LPs/RDMs than the normal rate, while customers who have both AA status AND an AA credit card will earn up to 10x LPs/RDMs more than the normal rate (up to 15,000 LP max). The extra LP/RDM earnings for being an AA card holder apply whether or not you charge the reservation to your AA credit card. The total LPs/RDMs to be earned through AAHotels are reflected on your reservation and post to AA.com after your hotel stay, see questions 6 and 7 below.
b. via AA Loyalty Point Rewards Purchases made via AAHotels (and other "select partners") benefit from "Loyalty Point Reward" bonuses given to AAdvantage Members who reach certain LP thresholds (20% bonus for 6 months after achieving 60k LP; 30% for 6 months after achieving 100k LP). Further information on LP Reward bonuses here and on this FT thread. LP Reward bonuses do not generate additional RDMs. LP Reward bonuses will be added automatically to your total LP earnings when your hotel stay posts to AA.com, see questions 6 and 7 below.
c. via AA co-branded credit card You will also earn 1 LP and (generally) 1 RDM for every dollar charged to an AA credit card, as you would for any purchase. AA Hotels stays are not considered “eligible AA purchases” for purposes of increased miles earnings on AA credit cards. However, holders of the Citi AA Executive Mastercard will earn an additional 9x RDM per dollar spent on AAHotels (for a total of 10 RDM per dollar). LPs and RDMs earned by credit card spend, including the 9x bonus RDMs earned by Executive cardolders, will post to AA.com after statement closing.
2a. If I'm approved for an AA credit card, how long will it take for my "AA Cardholder" status to be updated on the Book AA Hotels website? YMMV. Reports here have varied from 1 day to several weeks. Citi appears to be faster than Barclay's.
3. What is the max LPs for a booking?
You can earn up to 15,000 LPs max per booking. During the checkout process you will be offered an opportunity purchase additional miles (aka "boost"), but boost miles only add RDM to your earnings, not LPs.
4. What hotels earn miles?
Since July 2023, all hotels on AAdvantage Hotels earn miles. The total will be listed on the search page and you can sort results to find the highest earning hotel for your particular journey parameters.
5. Can I earn miles booking for someone else?
Since July 2023, the booking name must match the name of the AAdvantage account attached to the AAdvantage Hotel account to earn miles. This is further specified in the T&C.
6. Are points awarded based on check-in or check-out date?
Check-in date.
7. How quickly do points post?
Expect points to post approximately 2 weeks after check-out. If points have not posted within a month, contact AAdvantage Hotels customer support.
8. I'm having an issue with my booking. Who should I contact?
If it is an issue regarding the property directly, contact the hotel you've booked with. If the issue is with points or booking, contact AAdvantage Hotels/Booking.com. If a bonus earning has not been properly applied, contact AAdvantage Customer Service. If an issue requires escalation, contact Booking.com through the following channel: [email protected].
9. Will I earn hotel points or get hotel elite benefits in my hotel loyalty program if I book thru Rocketmiles/AAdvantage Hotels?
Unlikely, but occasionally people have posted they got elite benefits or a mistaken hotel credit. Since a hotel room booked thru RM/AA hotels is a 3rd party booking, most hotel stay programs exclude giving any credits or benefit for stays booked thru methods like this. Expect to earn nothing and get no benefits. Anything extra is a nice surprise. You can ask the hotel to add your hotel membership number to your reservation at some point such as before your stay or in person once you arrive, but be prepared for a firm "No."
WARNING: ALL INFORMATION FROM THIS POINT FORWARD REFLECTS THE PROGRAM AS IT EXISTED AS OF 7/13/23. THIS INFORMATION IS HERE PURELY FOR THOSE WITH EXISTING BOOKINGS. IF YOU HAVE QUERIES ABOUT THE CURRENT PROGRAM, PLEASE SCROLL UP.
This Wiki will be built out over time. To begin, we are going to cover a list of the most frequently asked questions in this thread. Over time, we expect to add to this guide with official information from Booking and/or AA, as well as guides on how to best optimise your earning on these wonderful platforms.
1a. Do the points earned on RM/BAAH count towards my annual qualification as Loyalty Points (LPs)?
Yes - the points earned for your booking, as well as the paid multiplier points, are both referred to (and post as) "base miles". This means they count towards your annual status progression.
1b. Which hotels on RM/BAAH earn Loyalty Points?
For RocketMiles, this is easy: once you have selected AA as your frequent flyer program, all hotels that show up in the search results will earn LPs.
The BookAAHotels interface is more complicated -- some hotels that show up in the search results will not earn LPs. LP-earning hotels will have a banner in the search results saying "Earn XX,XXX Base Miles"; no banner means no LPs. Also, before checking out make sure that the "Price Summary" states how many Base Miles (LPs) will be earned after your stay. If no base mile earnings are indicated, you may have accidentally toggled over to the regular Booking.com site, where you will not earn LPs.
2. Do points post quickly after check out?
Forum Experience: For pre-paid stays, reported posting times have varied between several days after checkout and several weeks. Post-paid stays can take up to 8 weeks to post, as their posting is dependent on communication between the hotel and Booking.com/RM/BAAH.
What BAAH and RM say: For BAAH -- "3-4 weeks". For RM -- "typically within 2 weeks after your stay is completed"" or 6-8 weeks if made through Booking.com
3. For what date will the points for a hotel stay count? If I need points by Feb 28, when should I stay at a hotel?
Forum Experience: As of February 2023, RocketMiles.com appears to post stays on AA as the date of check-out. BookAAHotels, however, appears to post stays as of the date of check-in. So if one is looking to lock in miles for February to count for the qualification period, ensure that your check-out is before the 28th of February and that your stay is pre-paid. This way you are assured of your points posting, regardless of platform, and counting towards qualification before your status drops after March ends.
Per AA.com: "Purchases made with your AAdvantage® credit card will count based on the date the activity posts to your AAdvantage® account. All other flight and partner transactions will count based on the activity date of the flight or other transaction." (emphasis added). See Aadvantage FAQs linked here
4. I cannot check-out on RocketMiles - help!
First of all, this isn't a question. Second of all, don't fret. There are at least two class of processing problems known on the RM platform. To solve the majority of them, follow these diagnostic pathways:
0. Clear your cache, disable ....... and JS-script blocking software, and turn off your VPN.
1. Try again with the desired credit card but don’t fill out any of the optional information on the address section, only what’s required. There is a known system with how they handle this info.
1a. Do as above but use your full zip code (this means the 5 required digits and the trailing 4 digits). You can look up your full ZIP here.
2. Push it all the way to the dev team by contacting support via phone. The agent will put you on hold while they reset part of their system.
3. Use another card and keep trying the first card on subsequent purchases until it works again.
If none of the above work, your problem may be related to your account/card being blocked by Booking.com. To alleviate this, contact [email protected]
While this may not work to correct checkout issues on both sites, you should at least now be able to use RM.
5. My stays haven't posted and it has been well past one week (for pre-paids) or eight weeks (for post-paids)!
Call the phone number for RM/BAAH and ask for a manager who can change the status on your stays to “approved”. Every legitimate stay should then be caught in the next cycle. You may receive duplicate emails about previous stays which already posted; sadly, you will not get double miles but this is a positive sign that your oustanding stays have been successfully processed.
6. How many cents per mile is a good rate?
Ultimately this is up to you. However, at the moment, it appears that RM/BAAH have a floor on their miles at around 2.15 cents per mile. The general consensus on FT seems to be that if you can secure a hotel at 2.5 cents per mile, you have done well.
7. Do I need to stay at a hotel to get points?
As long as it is a pre-paid stay, you will receive the points regardless of your presence at the hotel.
8. Will I have to pay the check-in resort fee if I "no show" the stay?
We only have one report of this happening; however, it is not standard practice for RTI (Booking.com) to pass pre-paid credit card details to the stays, so as-of-now the forum is skeptical of this report without further information.
9. Do I get more miles for selecting a better room?
Unfortunately not. The miles are set on a per-location basis; the only way to get more points is to pay for the multiplier/bonus points. Any more expensive rooms will simply mean you're paying more per-mile on your stay.
10. What is the best way to contact the two sites?
E-mail is always the first line of defense. If you fail to get a response within 48 hours (unless this is extremely time sensitive - then call first) then proceed to the phone line. Do note that many of the agents are extremely new or unfamiliar with certain aspects of the program, so be judicious in utilizing your two best friends: the manager and HUACA (hang up and call again).
11. Why can't I contact AA if I have issues?
They don't run the sites. Booking.com does. If you are having a REAL issue (that is, not that your miles didn’t post 15 minutes after checkout, but a technical problem, etc.) a recommended point of contact is [email protected].
12. How do I view only the hotels that award miles on BAAH?
You can't.
13. How do I sort hotels by most points awarded on BAAH?
You can't.
14. How can I see the total stay cost on BAAH on the search screen (as on RM)?
You can't.
15. So then why should I use BAAH?
You shouldn't.
OK, this is a bit of a lie. It is often the occasion that BAAH will offer a slightly higher mileage reward or a hotel that isn't present on RM. Most users will find their target hotel on RM and then do a final sanity check on BAAH to make sure they aren't ignoring a better deal. We certainly recommend this until the UI/UX experience on BAAH is improved.
Also (new in 2023) BAAH is a "select partner" that benefits from LP bonuses (20% for 6 months after achieving 60k LP; 30% for 6 months after achieving 100k LP). RM is not a "select partner" so no bonus LP will be awarded. Note that the bonus is LP only (no bonus RDM are awarded). Although there as some data points with members receiving LP bonuses for the actual stay that put them over the bonus level, AA's official response has been that you'll only receive the bonus LPs for stays completed after you achieve the new bonus level.
16. Can I book a room for someone else but still get the miles in my account?
Yes, if you book through RM. No, if you book through BAAH.
Also, both RM and BAAH will let you book multiple rooms under a single reservation, but the rooms will all be non-refundable. (Booking a single room shows refundable options.)
17. Which year will my LPs count for if I check in a hotel in February but check out in March?
RM stays have their posting date effective the check OUT date.
BAAH stays have their posting date effective the check IN date.
Given the LP program is new for 2022, we assume AA will treat hotel bookings from BAAH and RM the same as a flight taken on Feb 28: LPs will count effective for the date of the posting from RM or BAAH, not the date your account actually gets miles added. Will be updated in March once we have reports
18. Will I earn points in my hotel loyalty program if I book thru RM or BAAH?
Unlikely, but occasionally people have posted they got elite benefits or a mistaken hotel credit, but it's a 3rd party booking, so most hotel stay programs exclude earning for stays booked thru methods like this. Expect to earn nothing and get no benefits. Anything extra is a nice surprise.
reflecting July 2023 program changes
AAdvantage Hotels Customer Support phone # (844) 801-6778 and email is [email protected]
Posting times per the AA Hotels Platform FAQ: "Rewards typically post between 3-4 weeks after your stay is completed with the transaction date reflecting your check-in date. If booked through one of our suppliers that provide “Pay Later” rates (pay upon check-in), the rewards typically post within 4 – 6 weeks after your stay is completed."
Posting times per FT user experience: Varies greatly, and cyclically through the year, between several days to 6 weeks after checkout. Within 2 weeks after checkout is arguably "average" but YMMV greatly. Notwithstanding whatever wait you might have, the points will eventually post.
0. Why should I use RocketMiles over AAdvantage Hotels?
You shouldn't. There are no advantages to doing so unless you truly have no superior booking option. AAdvantage Hotels, now being on the same platform, is strictly better if your goal is AA LPs or AA RDM. (Note: RocketMiles, the engine for AAdvantage Hotels, is owned by Booking Holdings: https://about.rocketmiles.com/how-it-works who also owns Priceline, Agoda, Kayak, etc.)
1. Do base miles earned on AAdvantage Hotels count towards Loyalty Point earnings/status?
Yes - but any boost miles (miles purchased during checkout) only count as redeemable miles.
2. How can I maximize my AA earnings?
a. via AAHotels Customers who have AAdvantage elite status, and/or have any AA co-branded credit card earn significantly more LPs/RDMs per reservation. Customers who have either AA status OR an AA credit card will earn up to 5x more LPs/RDMs than the normal rate, while customers who have both AA status AND an AA credit card will earn up to 10x LPs/RDMs more than the normal rate (up to 15,000 LP max). The extra LP/RDM earnings for being an AA card holder apply whether or not you charge the reservation to your AA credit card. The total LPs/RDMs to be earned through AAHotels are reflected on your reservation and post to AA.com after your hotel stay, see questions 6 and 7 below.
b. via AA Loyalty Point Rewards Purchases made via AAHotels (and other "select partners") benefit from "Loyalty Point Reward" bonuses given to AAdvantage Members who reach certain LP thresholds (20% bonus for 6 months after achieving 60k LP; 30% for 6 months after achieving 100k LP). Further information on LP Reward bonuses here and on this FT thread. LP Reward bonuses do not generate additional RDMs. LP Reward bonuses will be added automatically to your total LP earnings when your hotel stay posts to AA.com, see questions 6 and 7 below.
c. via AA co-branded credit card You will also earn 1 LP and (generally) 1 RDM for every dollar charged to an AA credit card, as you would for any purchase. AA Hotels stays are not considered “eligible AA purchases” for purposes of increased miles earnings on AA credit cards. However, holders of the Citi AA Executive Mastercard will earn an additional 9x RDM per dollar spent on AAHotels (for a total of 10 RDM per dollar). LPs and RDMs earned by credit card spend, including the 9x bonus RDMs earned by Executive cardolders, will post to AA.com after statement closing.
You can earn up to 15,000 LPs max per booking. During the checkout process you will be offered an opportunity purchase additional miles (aka "boost"), but boost miles only add RDM to your earnings, not LPs.
4. What hotels earn miles?
Since July 2023, all hotels on AAdvantage Hotels earn miles. The total will be listed on the search page and you can sort results to find the highest earning hotel for your particular journey parameters.
5. Can I earn miles booking for someone else?
Since July 2023, the booking name must match the name of the AAdvantage account attached to the AAdvantage Hotel account to earn miles. This is further specified in the T&C.
6. Are points awarded based on check-in or check-out date?
Check-in date.
7. How quickly do points post?
Expect points to post approximately 2 weeks after check-out. If points have not posted within a month, contact AAdvantage Hotels customer support.
8. I'm having an issue with my booking. Who should I contact?
If it is an issue regarding the property directly, contact the hotel you've booked with. If the issue is with points or booking, contact AAdvantage Hotels/Booking.com. If a bonus earning has not been properly applied, contact AAdvantage Customer Service. If an issue requires escalation, contact Booking.com through the following channel: [email protected].
9. Will I earn hotel points or get hotel elite benefits in my hotel loyalty program if I book thru Rocketmiles/AAdvantage Hotels?
Unlikely, but occasionally people have posted they got elite benefits or a mistaken hotel credit. Since a hotel room booked thru RM/AA hotels is a 3rd party booking, most hotel stay programs exclude giving any credits or benefit for stays booked thru methods like this. Expect to earn nothing and get no benefits. Anything extra is a nice surprise. You can ask the hotel to add your hotel membership number to your reservation at some point such as before your stay or in person once you arrive, but be prepared for a firm "No."
WARNING: ALL INFORMATION FROM THIS POINT FORWARD REFLECTS THE PROGRAM AS IT EXISTED AS OF 7/13/23. THIS INFORMATION IS HERE PURELY FOR THOSE WITH EXISTING BOOKINGS. IF YOU HAVE QUERIES ABOUT THE CURRENT PROGRAM, PLEASE SCROLL UP.
This Wiki will be built out over time. To begin, we are going to cover a list of the most frequently asked questions in this thread. Over time, we expect to add to this guide with official information from Booking and/or AA, as well as guides on how to best optimise your earning on these wonderful platforms.
1a. Do the points earned on RM/BAAH count towards my annual qualification as Loyalty Points (LPs)?
Yes - the points earned for your booking, as well as the paid multiplier points, are both referred to (and post as) "base miles". This means they count towards your annual status progression.
1b. Which hotels on RM/BAAH earn Loyalty Points?
For RocketMiles, this is easy: once you have selected AA as your frequent flyer program, all hotels that show up in the search results will earn LPs.
The BookAAHotels interface is more complicated -- some hotels that show up in the search results will not earn LPs. LP-earning hotels will have a banner in the search results saying "Earn XX,XXX Base Miles"; no banner means no LPs. Also, before checking out make sure that the "Price Summary" states how many Base Miles (LPs) will be earned after your stay. If no base mile earnings are indicated, you may have accidentally toggled over to the regular Booking.com site, where you will not earn LPs.
2. Do points post quickly after check out?
Forum Experience: For pre-paid stays, reported posting times have varied between several days after checkout and several weeks. Post-paid stays can take up to 8 weeks to post, as their posting is dependent on communication between the hotel and Booking.com/RM/BAAH.
What BAAH and RM say: For BAAH -- "3-4 weeks". For RM -- "typically within 2 weeks after your stay is completed"" or 6-8 weeks if made through Booking.com
3. For what date will the points for a hotel stay count? If I need points by Feb 28, when should I stay at a hotel?
Forum Experience: As of February 2023, RocketMiles.com appears to post stays on AA as the date of check-out. BookAAHotels, however, appears to post stays as of the date of check-in. So if one is looking to lock in miles for February to count for the qualification period, ensure that your check-out is before the 28th of February and that your stay is pre-paid. This way you are assured of your points posting, regardless of platform, and counting towards qualification before your status drops after March ends.
Per AA.com: "Purchases made with your AAdvantage® credit card will count based on the date the activity posts to your AAdvantage® account. All other flight and partner transactions will count based on the activity date of the flight or other transaction." (emphasis added). See Aadvantage FAQs linked here
4. I cannot check-out on RocketMiles - help!
First of all, this isn't a question. Second of all, don't fret. There are at least two class of processing problems known on the RM platform. To solve the majority of them, follow these diagnostic pathways:
0. Clear your cache, disable ....... and JS-script blocking software, and turn off your VPN.
1. Try again with the desired credit card but don’t fill out any of the optional information on the address section, only what’s required. There is a known system with how they handle this info.
1a. Do as above but use your full zip code (this means the 5 required digits and the trailing 4 digits). You can look up your full ZIP here.
2. Push it all the way to the dev team by contacting support via phone. The agent will put you on hold while they reset part of their system.
3. Use another card and keep trying the first card on subsequent purchases until it works again.
If none of the above work, your problem may be related to your account/card being blocked by Booking.com. To alleviate this, contact [email protected]
While this may not work to correct checkout issues on both sites, you should at least now be able to use RM.
5. My stays haven't posted and it has been well past one week (for pre-paids) or eight weeks (for post-paids)!
Call the phone number for RM/BAAH and ask for a manager who can change the status on your stays to “approved”. Every legitimate stay should then be caught in the next cycle. You may receive duplicate emails about previous stays which already posted; sadly, you will not get double miles but this is a positive sign that your oustanding stays have been successfully processed.
6. How many cents per mile is a good rate?
Ultimately this is up to you. However, at the moment, it appears that RM/BAAH have a floor on their miles at around 2.15 cents per mile. The general consensus on FT seems to be that if you can secure a hotel at 2.5 cents per mile, you have done well.
7. Do I need to stay at a hotel to get points?
As long as it is a pre-paid stay, you will receive the points regardless of your presence at the hotel.
8. Will I have to pay the check-in resort fee if I "no show" the stay?
We only have one report of this happening; however, it is not standard practice for RTI (Booking.com) to pass pre-paid credit card details to the stays, so as-of-now the forum is skeptical of this report without further information.
9. Do I get more miles for selecting a better room?
Unfortunately not. The miles are set on a per-location basis; the only way to get more points is to pay for the multiplier/bonus points. Any more expensive rooms will simply mean you're paying more per-mile on your stay.
10. What is the best way to contact the two sites?
E-mail is always the first line of defense. If you fail to get a response within 48 hours (unless this is extremely time sensitive - then call first) then proceed to the phone line. Do note that many of the agents are extremely new or unfamiliar with certain aspects of the program, so be judicious in utilizing your two best friends: the manager and HUACA (hang up and call again).
11. Why can't I contact AA if I have issues?
They don't run the sites. Booking.com does. If you are having a REAL issue (that is, not that your miles didn’t post 15 minutes after checkout, but a technical problem, etc.) a recommended point of contact is [email protected].
12. How do I view only the hotels that award miles on BAAH?
You can't.
13. How do I sort hotels by most points awarded on BAAH?
You can't.
14. How can I see the total stay cost on BAAH on the search screen (as on RM)?
You can't.
15. So then why should I use BAAH?
You shouldn't.
OK, this is a bit of a lie. It is often the occasion that BAAH will offer a slightly higher mileage reward or a hotel that isn't present on RM. Most users will find their target hotel on RM and then do a final sanity check on BAAH to make sure they aren't ignoring a better deal. We certainly recommend this until the UI/UX experience on BAAH is improved.
Also (new in 2023) BAAH is a "select partner" that benefits from LP bonuses (20% for 6 months after achieving 60k LP; 30% for 6 months after achieving 100k LP). RM is not a "select partner" so no bonus LP will be awarded. Note that the bonus is LP only (no bonus RDM are awarded). Although there as some data points with members receiving LP bonuses for the actual stay that put them over the bonus level, AA's official response has been that you'll only receive the bonus LPs for stays completed after you achieve the new bonus level.
16. Can I book a room for someone else but still get the miles in my account?
Yes, if you book through RM. No, if you book through BAAH.
Also, both RM and BAAH will let you book multiple rooms under a single reservation, but the rooms will all be non-refundable. (Booking a single room shows refundable options.)
17. Which year will my LPs count for if I check in a hotel in February but check out in March?
RM stays have their posting date effective the check OUT date.
BAAH stays have their posting date effective the check IN date.
Given the LP program is new for 2022, we assume AA will treat hotel bookings from BAAH and RM the same as a flight taken on Feb 28: LPs will count effective for the date of the posting from RM or BAAH, not the date your account actually gets miles added. Will be updated in March once we have reports
18. Will I earn points in my hotel loyalty program if I book thru RM or BAAH?
Unlikely, but occasionally people have posted they got elite benefits or a mistaken hotel credit, but it's a 3rd party booking, so most hotel stay programs exclude earning for stays booked thru methods like this. Expect to earn nothing and get no benefits. Anything extra is a nice surprise.
Bookaahotels vs RocketMiles - useability, experiences, questions, data points
Sep 10, 2022, 10:27 am
#721
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 32 16N/110 57W
Programs: Asiana Club Diamond (*G), AA PPro (OWE), Korean Air Skypass MC (STE)
Posts: 157
Trying to get answers out of RM for issues is impossible apparently.
I made a flurry of bookings last week, which apparently flagged my account (I saw their former CEO mention this somewhere else). Emailed the concierge to check bookings, emailed the check account address to make sure my account wasn’t blocked.
Nothing on either email. I have confirmations, and will call hotels to check the reservations.
Frustrating, as I plan to use them a lot more, I just don’t want to be in a position of needing to speak to someone and not be able to.
I made a flurry of bookings last week, which apparently flagged my account (I saw their former CEO mention this somewhere else). Emailed the concierge to check bookings, emailed the check account address to make sure my account wasn’t blocked.
Nothing on either email. I have confirmations, and will call hotels to check the reservations.
Frustrating, as I plan to use them a lot more, I just don’t want to be in a position of needing to speak to someone and not be able to.
Sep 10, 2022, 10:32 am
#722
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 230
Nor do I want to have to take time out of my day to confirm every booking, due to a combination of bad UI or poor CS.
Oh, I also can’t check any of my bookings online with bookaa, just tells me to call.
Disappointing, especially considering it’s booking.com as a base.
The former CEO was active on one of the FB groups, but he’s left now, so not sure if there is any desire on their part to be active on here / groups again.
Sep 10, 2022, 1:04 pm
#723
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,313
First experience with RocketMiles - the hotel says the payment was declined. Arg. Hoping RocketMiles gets it sorted out soon as I want to get in the room.
For context - you have to prepare the booking and it appears the supplier didn't pay...
Update: it took a few hours to fix. A subsupplier had a communication issue.
For context - you have to prepare the booking and it appears the supplier didn't pay...
Update: it took a few hours to fix. A subsupplier had a communication issue.
got nothting this time (just the original booking months ago).
Check in at the hotel was a DISASTER. "we have your reservation but the supplier didn't pay us, we can't allow you to check in" This is a major hotel chain in a major downtown top 5 US city.
I have to find some kind of contact info for bookaahotels from a PREVIOUS stay and pray a that a live human will answer the phone.
Meanwhile I'm standing in the lobby after a very long day of travel and I'd rather be showering and sleeping in my room for the beginning of a 4-night stay, but I can't check in
BookAA charged my card at purchase months ago, but paying the hotel direct in person on the spot will of course charge me a SECOND TIME, so I didn't want to do that.
Finally reach a person at bookAAhotels, they eventually call the hotel and convince them to let me check in, but STILL the hotel hasn't been paid.
lots of back and forth calls and I doubt I'll get the miles and LPs with out a huge ordeal. I ask the rep from bookAAhotels for some sort of accommodation for the HUGE hassle and inconvenience but they say there's nothing they can do as "it's a problem with our supplier"
They can't even explain what that means.
I'm not a happy guy about it. I have one more reservation with them booked awhile ago but I'm hitting the pause button. Some have said the CEO is gone. Is that the guy who was posting helpful comments on here?
Ashame if that's true. The wheels fell off the bus this time; I hope it's not on a downward trend.
Sep 10, 2022, 6:47 pm
#724
Join Date: Jun 2021
Programs: AA Advantage; Hilton Honors
Posts: 37
I had my first bad experience with RocketMiles this week. As noted earlier in this thread, a few days prior to my travel date, I contacted RocketMiles to confirm that my reservation was still valid. My inquiry was prompted when three of my reservations just "disappeared" from the reservation list in my profile. RocketMiles never did respond to my inquiry, however, the reservation reappeared in my profile, and I did get the usual email with instructions to check in.
Unfortunately, when I got to the hotel, the hotel had no record of the reservation. The hotel had a room, and fortunately did let me check in. The hotel stated that they would contact RocketMiles the next day.
I again emailed RocketMiles to make inquiry about this situation.
Having heard nothing by late the next afternoon, I contacted the hotel to see what the situation was, and they told me that it had been rectified.
I am troubled that the hotel did not have record of the reservation when I arrived.
I am also troubled that RocketMiles did not respond to either of my inquiries,
Unfortunately, when I got to the hotel, the hotel had no record of the reservation. The hotel had a room, and fortunately did let me check in. The hotel stated that they would contact RocketMiles the next day.
I again emailed RocketMiles to make inquiry about this situation.
Having heard nothing by late the next afternoon, I contacted the hotel to see what the situation was, and they told me that it had been rectified.
I am troubled that the hotel did not have record of the reservation when I arrived.
I am also troubled that RocketMiles did not respond to either of my inquiries,
Sep 12, 2022, 5:12 pm
#726
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: None
Posts: 4
Interesting (excruciating) set of experiences w/ bAAh and overseas hotels recently....
8/27 booked two separate hotel reservations in Kyoto and Kobe, Japan, both maxed out on extra points purchased for checking in 8/29 and 9/1 respectively. Credit cards properly charged. Received confirmations the day before with specific instructions to check in. Upon check-in, no problems. No problems experienced during both stays.
9/1 booked two separate hotels reservations in Singapore, both maxed out on extra points purchased for checking in 9/5 and 9/6, respectively. Credit cards properly charged. Received confirmations the day before with specific instructions for checking in. On 9/5, I show up at my hotel in Singapore, immediately informed that bAAh canceled my reservation and they have no rooms left. I called Topoffers (apparently the bAAh processing agent/company) and was told that my credit card company cancelled my payment and hence they (Topoffers) in turn canceled my reservation. I immediately called my CC company and was informed with 100% certainty they did no such thing and that the bAAh prepaid reservation charge for 9/5 reservation was fully approved and processed back on 9/1. Called bAAh back and told them was CC company told me, but bAAh responds that unfortunately they can't do anything about it and I have to find another hotel on my own for the evening! I then asked them to check my 9/6 reservation to see if that has been canceled as well. They researched it and said, all looks fine, so "perhaps, you should be able to check in 9/6". The next day, on 9/6, I show up at my next hotel the next day to discover that that bAAh reservation was also canceled! Called Topoffers/bAAh again and rep initially said my reservation looks fine, so don't understand why I can't check in. Put on hold for 5 minutes, comes back and said, "we have processed your cancelation as requested and despite there being penalty for cancelations, we are not enforcing it". I told them I didn't want to cancel it, and the rep responded that it's been canceled and my 9/6 reservation fee would be refunded to my CC! Made no sense whatsoever. Again, I had to find another hotel to stay at. I was so furious, I just gave up since it was late and I was overseas.
I am guessing from this experienced that AA is recently raising issues with bAAh and RM hotel bookings and LP offers and this lead to the auto-cancellation of my reservations w/o even informing the customer in advance? Do you guys think this is possible? Could it have just been with Singapore hotels or have any of you ran into your bAAh reservations in the last week or so?
8/27 booked two separate hotel reservations in Kyoto and Kobe, Japan, both maxed out on extra points purchased for checking in 8/29 and 9/1 respectively. Credit cards properly charged. Received confirmations the day before with specific instructions to check in. Upon check-in, no problems. No problems experienced during both stays.
9/1 booked two separate hotels reservations in Singapore, both maxed out on extra points purchased for checking in 9/5 and 9/6, respectively. Credit cards properly charged. Received confirmations the day before with specific instructions for checking in. On 9/5, I show up at my hotel in Singapore, immediately informed that bAAh canceled my reservation and they have no rooms left. I called Topoffers (apparently the bAAh processing agent/company) and was told that my credit card company cancelled my payment and hence they (Topoffers) in turn canceled my reservation. I immediately called my CC company and was informed with 100% certainty they did no such thing and that the bAAh prepaid reservation charge for 9/5 reservation was fully approved and processed back on 9/1. Called bAAh back and told them was CC company told me, but bAAh responds that unfortunately they can't do anything about it and I have to find another hotel on my own for the evening! I then asked them to check my 9/6 reservation to see if that has been canceled as well. They researched it and said, all looks fine, so "perhaps, you should be able to check in 9/6". The next day, on 9/6, I show up at my next hotel the next day to discover that that bAAh reservation was also canceled! Called Topoffers/bAAh again and rep initially said my reservation looks fine, so don't understand why I can't check in. Put on hold for 5 minutes, comes back and said, "we have processed your cancelation as requested and despite there being penalty for cancelations, we are not enforcing it". I told them I didn't want to cancel it, and the rep responded that it's been canceled and my 9/6 reservation fee would be refunded to my CC! Made no sense whatsoever. Again, I had to find another hotel to stay at. I was so furious, I just gave up since it was late and I was overseas.
I am guessing from this experienced that AA is recently raising issues with bAAh and RM hotel bookings and LP offers and this lead to the auto-cancellation of my reservations w/o even informing the customer in advance? Do you guys think this is possible? Could it have just been with Singapore hotels or have any of you ran into your bAAh reservations in the last week or so?
Sep 12, 2022, 5:24 pm
#727
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,248
I am guessing from this experienced that AA is recently raising issues with bAAh and RM hotel bookings and LP offers and this lead to the auto-cancellation of my reservations w/o even informing the customer in advance? Do you guys think this is possible? Could it have just been with Singapore hotels or have any of you ran into your bAAh reservations in the last week or so?
AA sold the miles already. Whether BAAH wants to give you 1000 miles for a 100 dollar stay or 15000 miles is of no consequence or concern to AA.
Sep 12, 2022, 5:39 pm
#728
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: None
Posts: 4
Sep 12, 2022, 10:43 pm
#729
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
I guess it's a glitch on the BAAH side. My stays have been at lower-end Marriotts, Radissons, and Hiltons (including Hampton Inn). I got breakfast at every one of them despite buying up to the no-breakfast rate. I don't think the hotels have the ability or desire to screen out guests based on their BAAH bookings.
Sep 13, 2022, 5:51 pm
#730
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 41
.... was told that my credit card company cancelled my payment and hence they (Topoffers) in turn canceled my reservation. I immediately called my CC company and was informed with 100% certainty they did no such thing and that the bAAh prepaid reservation charge for 9/5 reservation was fully approved and processed back on 9/1. Called bAAh back and told them was CC company told me, ....
Basically they are using a supplier who might be using a subsupplier who gives a virutal credit card #. If they hotel charges the wrong amount, it shows as declined - it's not your cc the hotel is referring too; these details usually get lost in the change of passing the info down.
I have had to get the name off the virtual card, and get the company (google the phone number) and hotel on the phone to coordinate the past few Asia bookings. FYI: refer to yourself as "a coordinator" or they send you back to who baah/rm who is contractually not allowed to talk to the hotel directly.
Sep 13, 2022, 11:26 pm
#731
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: None
Posts: 4
"Sorry. We're unable to complete this transaction. Please contact us at [email protected] or call (773) 661-4735 or internationally at (800) 944-0966."
When I call to find out why, I'm told that my account has been blocked and they are unable to block it and also unwilling to tell me what the problem is. Only solution they suggest is that I book directly with the hotels I intend to make reservations at.
Has anyone else experienced this recently? I thought I may have read in a post months ago of a forum member who was also told of the same thing.
Sep 13, 2022, 11:36 pm
#732
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: None
Posts: 4
It can be nightmare the way they fill the Asia requests.
Basically they are using a supplier who might be using a subsupplier who gives a virutal credit card #. If they hotel charges the wrong amount, it shows as declined - it's not your cc the hotel is referring too; these details usually get lost in the change of passing the info down.
I have had to get the name off the virtual card, and get the company (google the phone number) and hotel on the phone to coordinate the past few Asia bookings. FYI: refer to yourself as "a coordinator" or they send you back to who baah/rm who is contractually not allowed to talk to the hotel directly.
Basically they are using a supplier who might be using a subsupplier who gives a virutal credit card #. If they hotel charges the wrong amount, it shows as declined - it's not your cc the hotel is referring too; these details usually get lost in the change of passing the info down.
I have had to get the name off the virtual card, and get the company (google the phone number) and hotel on the phone to coordinate the past few Asia bookings. FYI: refer to yourself as "a coordinator" or they send you back to who baah/rm who is contractually not allowed to talk to the hotel directly.
Sep 14, 2022, 2:35 am
#733
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: ATL
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 113
Booked my first ever reservation through Rocketmiles back at the beginning on August. It's a 4 night stay coming up at the end of this month. After I booked, I reached out to Hilton to get the reservation added to my account so I could use the digital key and check-in through the app. After some back and forth, they were able to add the reservation to my account and all was good. I randomly logged into my Hilton account this morning and noticed the booking was gone. Went to Rocketmiles and it's still showing on my account as an upcoming reservation. Reached out to Hilton to get it re-added and they let me know that the reservation had been cancelled and I needed to speak with Rocketmiles to figure out what happened. After waiting on hold for a while, finally got someone at Rocketmiles and he said the reservation was still booked and wasn't sure why Hilton would say that it was cancelled. He said he would call the hotel to confirm. Once he came back he said the booking was still good at the hotel and gave me the hotel confirmation number. After this call, I called the hotel myself and they did indeed confirm that they are still showing my reservation as active and I got a confirmation number from them. Went back to Hilton and asked them to add the reservation to my booking using the confirmation number form the hotel. Again, after some back and forth I now have the reservation back on my Hilton account.
This makes me very nervous to go through RM again since I have no interest in always having to re-check my bookings to ensure they are not cancelled before I actually get to the hotel.
This makes me very nervous to go through RM again since I have no interest in always having to re-check my bookings to ensure they are not cancelled before I actually get to the hotel.
Sep 14, 2022, 9:14 am
#734
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
Booked my first ever reservation through Rocketmiles back at the beginning on August. It's a 4 night stay coming up at the end of this month. After I booked, I reached out to Hilton to get the reservation added to my account so I could use the digital key and check-in through the app. After some back and forth, they were able to add the reservation to my account and all was good. I randomly logged into my Hilton account this morning and noticed the booking was gone. Went to Rocketmiles and it's still showing on my account as an upcoming reservation. Reached out to Hilton to get it re-added and they let me know that the reservation had been cancelled and I needed to speak with Rocketmiles to figure out what happened. After waiting on hold for a while, finally got someone at Rocketmiles and he said the reservation was still booked and wasn't sure why Hilton would say that it was cancelled. He said he would call the hotel to confirm. Once he came back he said the booking was still good at the hotel and gave me the hotel confirmation number. After this call, I called the hotel myself and they did indeed confirm that they are still showing my reservation as active and I got a confirmation number from them. Went back to Hilton and asked them to add the reservation to my booking using the confirmation number form the hotel. Again, after some back and forth I now have the reservation back on my Hilton account.
This makes me very nervous to go through RM again since I have no interest in always having to re-check my bookings to ensure they are not cancelled before I actually get to the hotel.
This makes me very nervous to go through RM again since I have no interest in always having to re-check my bookings to ensure they are not cancelled before I actually get to the hotel.