toomanybooks

Got an email to register for this, but just in time remembered that Club Carlson will convert all your points to airline miles at a cr@p rate if you even once choose miles. So I am worried about that.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/carls...e-balance.html

Firewind

Thank you. Thank goodness for FlyerTalk and your OP, toomanybooks. I almost bit, but checked here first, just on general principles as I'd forgotten about the trap ... Whew.

kevino

The promotion t+c don't say that we need to change our online preference to miles. Do you think think it's just assumed that we will do it? Also, there is no list of participating Radisson hotels.

sktnyc

I signed up for the promotion before I saw this thread. I checked my account, the point balance is the same and the earning preference is still set to Points. Should I be concerned?

Mommy Points

For what it's worth, Club Carlson just tweeted me back that all Radisson Hotels are participating.


Also since you don't need to change earning to miles I can't imagine it would convert any points to miles. Always pays to be cautious of course though.

WAS

Normally, outside of the double-dip world of HHonors, one would assume that you need to change your earning preference to miles.
But Marriott also had a promo recently (with United) that awarded extra bonus miles even when one's earning preference remained on points. They somehow tracked the activity outside of the normal channels. Just FYI.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't think you need to switch your earning to miles to get this bonus, although admittedly it's not 100% clear.

Firewind

Could the trigger be when the stays or miles post?

kevino

Thanks Mommy!

iggyray

Would booking an award for the remaining balance for a distant future insure us from this switch? I registered for the promo without knowing this trap. The balance is still the same and it is set to "points".

So I was wondering if I can protect my balance by moving it temporarily to a reservation, and if Carlson switches this to "miles", switch it back and cancel the reservation.

What do you think?

Firewind

Each program is different. Carlson has been unique in this way. I think I remember that Choice switched you over from points to miles from the point you did a miles promo forward, but it wasn't retroactive. But you could and had to switch back to their points or be defaulted to miles if you didn't think to act again. It's been a few years, but I think I remember correctly.

Firewind

Now, having noted and subscribed to the, at least, yellow light above ... If one were to do this promo, it looks as though points+cash stays would count. The t&c say:

"...An “Eligible Stay” for purposes of this Offer is a stay of one or more consecutive nights at a Participating Property, at a rate eligible for Gold Points®..."

Yes? Or do watchers have experience with suchlike being too much for their system? Thank you.

[I also note, for the good of the order here, that the t&c say that the offer is capped at one time per AAdvantage member number.]

NJUPINTHEAIR

Too Many Books --

It is good that you are cautious, but I think that you are reading too much into that provision in the profile page.

First, as noted in this bonus' promotion -- these are BONUS miles; consequently, the way to look at this promotion is in addition to the points you earn for a qualifying stay.

Now, Marriott had this special promotion where you earned 1,000 UA miles in addition to Marriott points you earned -- albeit it was clearer that you still were earning Marriot points.

Second, I signed up for the promotion and my earnings preference had not changed in my profile and nothing in the Terms of this promotion indicates that I was making such a switch.

Third, I think the warning language that you are referring to is like the warning language you see when you convert AMEX points to some form of other "currency," like FF miles or hotel points, etc. This being that your electing to make such a "conversion" the change will be effectively instantaneous and you can't reverse it or change your mind.

I don't see anything in the promotion that indicates that your entire points balance will be converted by just signing up for the promotion, rather, it seems that you are giving them your FF number so that you can actually earn the BONUS AA miles from this promotion.

Consequently, although, I do think that your reading is a bit too "conspiratorial," it would have been better if CC had better spelled out that you would still earn CC points in the promotion. However, once you have tried to tease out the terms of an IHG promotion, this omit on their part is small potatoes!

FightOnFlyer

Is this promo only for stays at Radissons or are other CC properties included, such as Country Inns and Park Inns?

toomanybooks

As always, these things are written ambiguously, and I am never sure whether it's incompetence or malevolence.

So I will let someone else be the guinea pig on this one.

TrojanHorse

Can I do this promo but credit the AA miles to my son's account (different first name but same last name) and same address too