points purchased from daily getaway
Apr 3, 2018, 2:22 am
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Given the trend more recently has been for this program to “innovate” after a relatively long period of being pretty stable, I’ve taken this as an indication to not binge collect too many of these points for purely speculative booking purposes. But I’ll still be buying a lot more of these points for accounts.
Apr 5, 2018, 5:47 pm
#47
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Programs: Delta Silver thanks to Million Miles; Choice Plat., point scrounger everywhere
Posts: 1,595
The price last year was 4$ per 1000 pts
Now is close to 5$ per 1000 pts
And they are running all the time sales where you can buy points for 7.7$ per 1000 pts.
And keep in mind that they can decide at any given moment to increase the cost for a reward night,
so keeping a big amounts of choice points it is not advisable.
Now is close to 5$ per 1000 pts
And they are running all the time sales where you can buy points for 7.7$ per 1000 pts.
And keep in mind that they can decide at any given moment to increase the cost for a reward night,
so keeping a big amounts of choice points it is not advisable.
Apr 7, 2018, 4:25 pm
#48
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
Anyone know if availability for luxury preferred hotels and resorts are good? I'm looking at a 55k property, but avail only opens up 75 days in advace for plat members... in that case buying points from daily getaways is still the best option even at .48 cpm
Apr 8, 2018, 5:58 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: Delta Platinum, Etihad Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 139
When looking through the app for availability with points, is it normal that it says there is no availability for the room if I don't have enough points to book it? I am looking at the correct time frame (less than 75 days out as I matched to platinum). Or is this saying that even if I would have sufficient points there actually is no availability with points?
Apr 10, 2018, 1:52 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
It seemed easier to buy points this year than the past couple of years. Probably a combination of more inventory, slightly higher prices, fewer point transfer options, less publicity, fewer Choice award hotel "bargains" and a new and somewhat confusing Daily Getaways interface. Amazingly, the 28,000 point offer is still available as I write this! (Not surprised that the 14,000 offer is left, as that one was materially more expensive and somewhat marginal.)
Because of the ease of purchase, my wife and I bought more points than we usually do -- everything except the 14K offer. Given the risk of devaluation, we probably bought too many points, but we did use a ton of points last year with some VERY cheap redemptions. I think we averaged about 12,000 points/night with regular room rates averaging about $175. Most of the points were used in Europe, but I also had some very good Bluegreen stays. We actually had to throttle down our Choice stays as the year went on because we were running out of points!
I'm skeptical I'll get as good a value this year. The current redemption levels seem almost random. Where are folks finding the most value now? It's always a problem to track this stuff down, because the blogger community almost completely ignores Choice.
Because of the ease of purchase, my wife and I bought more points than we usually do -- everything except the 14K offer. Given the risk of devaluation, we probably bought too many points, but we did use a ton of points last year with some VERY cheap redemptions. I think we averaged about 12,000 points/night with regular room rates averaging about $175. Most of the points were used in Europe, but I also had some very good Bluegreen stays. We actually had to throttle down our Choice stays as the year went on because we were running out of points!
I'm skeptical I'll get as good a value this year. The current redemption levels seem almost random. Where are folks finding the most value now? It's always a problem to track this stuff down, because the blogger community almost completely ignores Choice.
Apr 10, 2018, 3:51 pm
#52
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It seemed easier to buy points this year than the past couple of years. Probably a combination of more inventory, slightly higher prices, fewer point transfer options, less publicity, fewer Choice award hotel "bargains" and a new and somewhat confusing Daily Getaways interface. Amazingly, the 28,000 point offer is still available as I write this! (Not surprised that the 14,000 offer is left, as that one was materially more expensive and somewhat marginal.)
Because of the ease of purchase, my wife and I bought more points than we usually do -- everything except the 14K offer. Given the risk of devaluation, we probably bought too many points, but we did use a ton of points last year with some VERY cheap redemptions. I think we averaged about 12,000 points/night with regular room rates averaging about $175. Most of the points were used in Europe, but I also had some very good Bluegreen stays. We actually had to throttle down our Choice stays as the year went on because we were running out of points!
I'm skeptical I'll get as good a value this year. The current redemption levels seem almost random. Where are folks finding the most value now? It's always a problem to track this stuff down, because the blogger community almost completely ignores Choice.
Because of the ease of purchase, my wife and I bought more points than we usually do -- everything except the 14K offer. Given the risk of devaluation, we probably bought too many points, but we did use a ton of points last year with some VERY cheap redemptions. I think we averaged about 12,000 points/night with regular room rates averaging about $175. Most of the points were used in Europe, but I also had some very good Bluegreen stays. We actually had to throttle down our Choice stays as the year went on because we were running out of points!
I'm skeptical I'll get as good a value this year. The current redemption levels seem almost random. Where are folks finding the most value now? It's always a problem to track this stuff down, because the blogger community almost completely ignores Choice.
The bloggers did cover this sale rather extensively.
Apr 11, 2018, 6:32 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
I also think MOST frequent travellers don't really understand the Choice program. And who can blame them? It's not covered very well in the blogosphere.
I also think most travellers should NOT be buying Choice points. Yes, there are sweet spots, but you generally have to be a VERY frequent traveller to find them. MOST Choice hotels are not particularly well priced on points, and aren't particularly good hotels!
Apr 11, 2018, 8:04 am
#54
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
There was some coverage, but we lacked the wall-to-wall blogger coverage we sometimes see.
I also think MOST frequent travellers don't really understand the Choice program. And who can blame them? It's not covered very well in the blogosphere.
I also think most travellers should NOT be buying Choice points. Yes, there are sweet spots, but you generally have to be a VERY frequent traveller to find them. MOST Choice hotels are not particularly well priced on points, and aren't particularly good hotels!
I also think MOST frequent travellers don't really understand the Choice program. And who can blame them? It's not covered very well in the blogosphere.
I also think most travellers should NOT be buying Choice points. Yes, there are sweet spots, but you generally have to be a VERY frequent traveller to find them. MOST Choice hotels are not particularly well priced on points, and aren't particularly good hotels!
Apr 11, 2018, 8:21 am
#55
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORF
Programs: Amex Plat, AA, BA Silver, Marriott Plat, Choice Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 3,749
It seemed easier to buy points this year than the past couple of years. Probably a combination of more inventory, slightly higher prices, fewer point transfer options, less publicity, fewer Choice award hotel "bargains" and a new and somewhat confusing Daily Getaways interface. Amazingly, the 28,000 point offer is still available as I write this! (Not surprised that the 14,000 offer is left, as that one was materially more expensive and somewhat marginal.)
Because of the ease of purchase, my wife and I bought more points than we usually do -- everything except the 14K offer. Given the risk of devaluation, we probably bought too many points, but we did use a ton of points last year with some VERY cheap redemptions. I think we averaged about 12,000 points/night with regular room rates averaging about $175. Most of the points were used in Europe, but I also had some very good Bluegreen stays. We actually had to throttle down our Choice stays as the year went on because we were running out of points!
I'm skeptical I'll get as good a value this year. The current redemption levels seem almost random. Where are folks finding the most value now? It's always a problem to track this stuff down, because the blogger community almost completely ignores Choice.
Because of the ease of purchase, my wife and I bought more points than we usually do -- everything except the 14K offer. Given the risk of devaluation, we probably bought too many points, but we did use a ton of points last year with some VERY cheap redemptions. I think we averaged about 12,000 points/night with regular room rates averaging about $175. Most of the points were used in Europe, but I also had some very good Bluegreen stays. We actually had to throttle down our Choice stays as the year went on because we were running out of points!
I'm skeptical I'll get as good a value this year. The current redemption levels seem almost random. Where are folks finding the most value now? It's always a problem to track this stuff down, because the blogger community almost completely ignores Choice.
I have a specific use for Choice points in the Orlando area where there's still the occasional 6-10K property. I bought one 55K package yesterday mostly for backup purposes and because I have a trip planned to Vienna, Austria in November that might also prove a good use of Choice points.
I don't complain too much about the changes in the Choice program because there are plenty of other changes occurring in all of the hotel loyalty programs--right now, IHG and Marriott/SPG especially--but I don't feel the need to buy a lot of Choice points anymore.
Apr 12, 2018, 2:19 pm
#56
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
we bought 300k worth of points between both accounts but this is our primary stay hotels in orlando and close to home for staycations, we always get more value on the points vs the nights cost. Last year I did two nights in dublin for dirt cheap and one other night near the Cliffs also dirt cheap.
Apr 15, 2018, 4:46 pm
#60
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 127
Nor have mine and I'm waiting for them to show up to book for a trip this week. Maybe it's not meant to be! I tried calling the number for Choice Support on the invoice but they didn't know anything about this other than buying points from Points.com which are supposed to show up in 24 hours.