RAPC

Actually yes there is. You are assuming that it is fully funded by Wyndham, but deals like this can often be co-funded with miles sold at break even, or even as a loss leader.

David-A

No, I said 'on the deal' - see below.

I still see no reason for BMI to do any processing on the file - beyond a check again for any WR accounts credting to the same BMI account number.

Now, the deal. BMI would only sell miles at deep discount for certain reasons:

[Firstly obviously for a lump sum cash payment up front from WR in exchange for a super bulk load of miles.
While a lump of cash in the bank is not to be sniffed at, it is highly unlikely to form part of this agreement!]

BMI will also still sell miles at deep discount to WR hoping the cash in bank between the time of crediting to DC and their redemption time turns them a profit.

Yes, they might offer the 5k bonuses as a complete loss leader to them, to help kickstart the scheme and entice DC members to make a sudden hotel stay surge credit to bmi (more cash at bank).

However, the 24k limit be a very odd limit for BMI to have picked to protect their pockets (as it is above so many redemption levels). Unless they are sure they would have covered their costs sufficient with the money they will still get for the 24k from WR.

So, that is why I doubt they will be at a loss on the deal.

If they were to be on such a loss, 1000 innocent T&C abiding people could still cause them it - therefore basic evaluation of the promotion would catch such a fault before launch (with thanks to Martin Lewis for this evolutionary step).

Keep in mind BMI will get the same money from WR regardless of how much the people spent on their hotel stays.

So I see no case for BMI to do extra checks for multiple accounts because of this. Just the checks they should be doing normally.

onlysuites

I think we are all missing the point here... We should get the miles in the next few days!!!!

mapitout

really great news for the long awaited points.

however as a Chinese mainly living in mainland China, i have to beg all you guys' pardon to confront some of the comment on "Chinese mattress runners" "chinese mafia" or "fraudulently booked rooms"

i've scanned through the orginal post and located where all these grudge comes from, some guy claims that in China "Many netizens reported their records with the majority easily passed 300,000miles. Many super 8 hotels in China are now selling those fake "stays" at around 5USD per day."

5USD per day? this is too much of a stretch. though Super8 in China is somehow dirt cheap, the lowest eligible rate we can get still sits around USD20. Plus for public security reasons, hotels in beijing or shanghai are under strict scrutiny of police force, which means without producing eligible ID card and get it scanned for record, nobody can directly pay for any rooms. Under this circumstance, to benefit from this promotion, average chinese people have to utilize all his family memebers (parents, siblings if any) to have some hotel stay. as a frequent flyer, among all my sphere to friends who participated in this promotion, the biggest one is normally 5 family members X 22k miles = 110k miles which is very very RARE. I don't know on what ground that "majority easily passed 300,000miles" comes from.

of course we can never rule out the possibilities of some "sneaky one" taking advantage of some "loopholes" and did abuse the T&C. but average Chinese people will never be able to do that, considering the fact that hotel will explicitly ask for elegibile ID card being presented by the guests himself at c/i. also let's do some maths, provided USD5 fake stay offer does exist, will hotel front dest manager take the risk for the benefit? at that rate, even 100 rooms can only generate revenue equivalent of about normal 20 rooms. however hotel will have to produce staying record of those rooms for the promotion points to be credited to relevant account. any front manager won't put their job and hotel fate at stake for this level of short term benefit in the face of possible identity checks by the police.

last thing i have to agree with some of the previous post about "chinese punter" will definitely have some fun experience with the ICC. Indeed Chinese native possesses that level of English is really rare. for the people who didn't have this language proficiency, why go through all the pains to amass the points in the 1st place? for the people who did have all these proficiency and knowledge, they normally have very decent job and it would be really some disgrace and pain to gain some dishonest profit from "selling the amassed points to the travel agency"

most of Chinese who participates in this promotion will be standing at the same ground with most of you guys. and we welcome WH or BD checks in any forms.

RAPC

First of all, welcome to FT mapitout

You are absolutely right that this shouldn't be aimed in the direction of any one country or group of people. The issue was down to a few properties deciding they were willing to sell fake stays to a limited number of people who wanted to buy stays in bulk. These properties were certainly not limited to China and I believe that a few properties in the US were doing the same as well and who knows where else may have been involved?

Again, any potential issue wouldn't be with a hotel selling an individual an extra stay or two without staying. I believe there were potentially some organised people (from where or who I have no idea) who were buying large multiples of stays and trying to allocate them to multiple accounts set up into family accounts, presumably with the aim of then profiting from selling flights using the miles or mileage trading.

olimaspecto

Has anyone actually received the Wyndham points to BMI miles yet? I stayed in February but after many calls to Wyndham and e-mails/calls to BMI have not had them post. Any help is much appreciated!

bpoe19

When the points finally start posting to bmi, this thread will be exploding with people acknowledging that fact--not yet for anyone though.

GoldCircle

Very soon - bmi finally has the first file from WR, so we can expect them shortly.

Hilton usually posts around the first Tuesday of the month, so I'm speculating it may happen around then also, making allowance for the May Day bank holiday.

olimaspecto

Great, thanks!

centuk

Now that BMI have received the file......how much longer to wait? Another 2-3 months?!

Brendan

I just checked. Still no miles from my Feb. Wyndham stay!

xFlagger

You and Gold Circle should not get Fters all excited when you simply dont know.

RAPC

Actually, their comments are based on my update which came directly from bmi. (A trusted person in bmi at that, not the ICC)

soitgoes

I stayed at a Hilton over the weekend, departing Monday, and my 3K miles are already there. I certainly hope that BMI improves the Wyndham process to bring it up to par with Hilton!

GoldCircle

Did I get ya all steamy with my speculation?

I'll now speculate that the miles will post next week.

I've noticed over the last 4 months that HH seems to export their file to bmi on or around the 2nd or 3rd of the month and Diamond Club uploads it 2-3 days later. It's pretty efficient at last, after the warzone that was last year.