Best Western Rewards 2016 Program Changes
 

As posted to FFB:
http://www.bestwestern.com.au/hotel-...stern-rewards/

Best Western Rewards 2016 Program Changes - Moving to dynamic award night pricing, changes to elite levels and no more expiration


Best Western is rolling out the news of the changes to their Rewards program that will take place on January 1, 2016. The major new points are the elimination of the points expiry rule of 13 months of no activity, the addition of a fourth elite status level called Diamond Select and gone is the same price award night levels as the program moves to dynamic pricing based on the season and availability of rooms at each hotel. This will mean that during slow periods award nights may cost less than they do now however during peak seasons those award nights may cost more than they do now. Overall this should mean more award night rooms are available but of course in most cases it will mean that it will cost you more points than the current iteration of the program

Diamond Select will require 50+ nights or 40+ stays or 50,000 base points from stays to achieve. This new level will receive 50% elite bonus points on each stay once achieved.

I'm not sure that this applies to all Best Western programs globally. The link you have give is for Australia. In the North American program, there already was no expiration, so no expiration wouldn't be a change.

It therefore begs the question of whether any (and if so, which) of these changes apply to the "North American" program (which covers a big chunk of the world, despite the name, but far from all of the world).

If you're based near YYC, you're in the North American program, not the Australian program.

The rules for the North American program have long said:

I'm considering booking a number of nights in Phuket for end of Jan./16. Waiting on some points to post, so I can use them to book.

Wonder if Phuket hotels will be affected (go to dynamic points), and if I should book for the nights I can now.

Yes the expiration does not affect those outside of Europe and Australia. That is new for them but the rest of the changes are coming for North America as well:
http://www.bestwestern.com/rewards/b...s/terms-us.pdf

Of note
"The number of Points required for one (1) free night stay at a Licensed Hotel is based on the expected average daily rate on the date requested for the stay, varies throughout the year, and is subject to change at BWI’s discretion"

This may have been in effect before, at least to some degree. A hotel I was looking at in South America about a year ago needed few points on the days it had cheap rates, needed more points on the days it had higher rates.

Dynamic award pricing? Sounds like something I shouldn't welcome -- especially if it means different room types at a property come with different award night prices based on specific room selected. Most of my award stays are booked within hours or days of check-in, so this kind of thing is unlikely to work well for me.

I'm currently a Diamond Select. (due to status match with another program). Which status would I get under the new program? Diamond Elite or plain Diamond?

My guess would be that since IHG a few months ago created a new elite level (Spire) that isn't automatically given with a credit card (like their previous top elite level Platinum was), BW is similarly creating a new elite level that can't be status matched (so easily). BW may have realized they made a mistake in advertising a status match all the way up to the top status, and to fix that, they may have simple added an extra status about the one can status match to (so easily).

But how much does it matter? The difference is only a handful of extra points on paid stays. The chart shows no benefits for the new elite tier other than a bit more bonus points (50% vs 30%) on paid stays.

Thanks. It does matter really. I was just curious.

+1 Sdsearch #5. Even now many BWs, such as downtown Wilmington NC, have different points-prices in various months--but the same price day-by-day within a calendar month!

It used to be 250 points or snack/drink for North America
now it says "Recognition Gift", and I Believe it's the same for all regions?
Any idea what the"Recognition Gift" is ?

http://www.bestwestern.com/rewards/benefits/levels.asp

I don't know but I noticed something else. You can apparently qualify by stays now, which I don't remember ever being available before. Since most my Best Western stays tend to be 1-night stays (to max out stay-based promos), this may make achieving higher status (whatever that's worth :rolleyes:) easier for me now.

I just checked looks like they already start dynamic points now :mad:

for instance :

BEST WESTERN PLUS Pioneer Square Hotel Seattle is 24K points for Jan and 36K points for July :mad:

so even a 40K CC sign up bonus only give me 1 night stay, no thanks :D

Did you read my post #5? They were doing dynamic points over a year ago already at least in some places! Now, whether they were doing it in Seattle a year ago or not, that I don't know, because I didn't check points redemption in Seattle a year ago.

The good news (for now): BW categories are maxed at 36,000 points. So a hotel that charges many hundreds of dollars a night for a particular night will still be no more than 36,000 points (if it has award rooms available, that is).

Do you realize that BW Pioneer Square used to be 32,000 points year-round??? Is 36,000 that big a difference from 32,000??? :confused: So a 40K sign up bonus always gave just a 1 night stay at this hotel, now it gives a 2-night stay in February, but still only a 1 night stay in July. If you're going in July, I don't see what's changed that much.

(Now, if they ever get rid of the 36,000 point cap, that's when things will explode. But as long as people like you react to 36,000 points with horror for a hotel that used to always be 32,000 points, they don't need to raise it any higher, I guess.)

I am happy with the new Diamond Select level. I feel I'm finally being rewarded at a level (50% more points) for choosing a Best Western. I think it was an excellent idea to separate out Diamond and Diamond Select with a distinguishable amount of points for showing loyalty to Best Western as well as recognizing travelers that spend quite a bit of time in their hotels.
The use of dynamic awards night points has that great 'get a deal' feel to it that other programs offer with reduced points award offers for off-season rooms.
I'm sensing that Best Western is now offering what it's regular guests have wanted for quite some time.