HeavenlyJane

I also just received a call back from Chase after escalating my concerns about getting our certificates, even though we cancelled our Sapphire CC. CSA confirmed that both accounts are eligible and we just have to wait for the waves of certificate loading to reach our account. He said it could be up to 2 weeks but to feel assured that we are on the list.

Please no more waffling about whether those of us who cancelled our Sapphire were naďve or made a mistake. Thanks.

Ramonmv

As clear as mud.
The Fairmont rep referred to the letter to assure me that no matter how much I spent, all certs would expire on 2/28, unless your anniversary date fell between the letter and Aug 14.

The letter is very much left up to interpretation. They sent the letter, so I had to rely on their interpretation.

Ramonmv

Yes, the letter clearly states that the certificates will expire on 2/28/18, just like the Fairmont rep told me.

Anyone who doesn't see that has a reading comprehension issue.

Ramonmv

Yes, it clearly said that you can't earn a 2nd cert, but, as a courtesy, they will issue another that expires on 2/28/18, if you spend $6k by Aug 14th. NOWHERE does it say that you can earn a second cert that is good for one year.

Ramonmv

From Nikki, the Visa Coordinator at Fairmont (8/3/17):

Since the program will be ending prior to the next 12 month cycle we are offering a courtesy complimentary night. If $6000 or more (up to any amount) in net purchases are made prior to August 14th you will be issued 1 complimentary night. The certificate is being issued in October 2017 and will be valid through February 28th, 2018.

Then I asked:

"Thanks, but that doesn't clarify what I get if I spend $12k. Chase says a cert good for one year. Accurate?"

Although, actually, her email did say, "up to any amount."

She replied on 8/4/17 with this:

Thank you for email.

That is not accurate. You are only eligible to receive the certificate that will be valid from the date it is issued in October through February 28th, 2018. I can confirm that the certificate will not be valid for one year.

This information is also provided in writing in the end of program notification letter mailed out in June. "If you don’t have a full 12 months to reach $12,000, we’ll give you the Complimentary Night certificate if you’ve spent at least $6,000 on your Fairmont card by August 14. This will be a one-time courtesy. We’ll deposit that certificate into your profile on Fairmont.com within 8 to 10 weeks, but it will only be valid until February 28, 2018"

To reiterate, any spend above $6000 will not impact the certificate issued or the length of time for which it will be valid.

Warm regards,

Nikki

Nirvana91

I tried calling this afternoon to use my new certificate (expiring 2/28/18) at the Plaza in NYC in February, but the representative said that due to certificate capacity controls (unique to the Fairmonts in NYC and London) the earliest that a certificate can be used there is May. D'oh! At least the rep was super nice. I'll probably be able to use the cert somewhere else but figured I'd let you all know that it seems that these new cc certs won't be able to be used at the Plaza.

Ramonmv

That stinks. I'll probably use mine locally (Sonoma or SF, maybe even the Claremont), unless I make an as-yet unplanned trip to Maui before the end of Feb. Or maybe San Diego...

trubador

I am going to downgrade now that I have my certs. Chase Freedom, here I come.

HeavenlyJane

Even in the heyday of Free Night Certs, the Plaza was difficult to secure using certs. Basically you had to book 12 months out and be very flexible.

I booked our free-night rooms back in June. Fairmont let me book my stay without having a certificate number. I was told I simply needed to call back when I had my certificates in hand and add the numbers to the reservation.

TTT103

You can't earn a second certificate regardless of if you spend $6K or $12K. You can only earn one certificate by meeting the August 14th spending requirement. The only difference is the $6K comes with a February expiration and the $12K comes with an October expiration, which is what the letter stated.

If you already earned a certificate earlier in the year, that's irrelevant to the August 14th certificate.

Ramonmv

The Visa coordinator at Fairmont thought it was very relevant.

As she pointed out, the letter did not state that if you spent $12k between the time you received it and the Aug 14 date, you would receive a certificate good for one year.

TTT103

The Visa coordinator at Fairmont was incorrect, as were the several Chase Customer Service Reps that FTers called. The letter was the only thing that was correct.

I believe the area of confusion is just as you mentioned. People who may have earned a free night in March, June, etc. though that might be the only one they could earn. However, the August 14th free night was to compensate individuals for paying their annual fee in March, June, etc., but not having the opportunity for a free night during the subsequent membership year.

Ramonmv

That now appears to be the case, but the letter certainly did not make that clear. The lady at Fairmont even referred to the letter to back up her point

I wasn't about to put about another 5 or 6k spend on this card, if it wasn't going to net me anything. Chase told me it would, but I expected Fairmont to have better info than Chase. As it turns out, I think they were both guessing, because no one really knew.

I would have been happy with both my certs expiring the same month (June).
But since all my other freebies expire in Feb, I'll probably just spend a weekend somewhere in California before then, and get both free nights, the upgrades, and the food/drink credits.
Probably not going back to Maui before fall anyway, and thanks to the card conversion, I have enough points for a week at the Andaz when I do go.

Ramonmv

"People who may have earned a free night in March, June, etc. though that might be the only one they could earn. However, the August 14th free night was to compensate individuals for paying their annual fee in March, June, etc., but not having the opportunity for a free night during the subsequent membership year. "

Right. I earned mine in May, awarded in June. I also spoke with her on the phone, and from what she said both on phone and by email, I was led to believe that since I had already earned a certificate, all I could earn was one that ended in Feb, no matter how much I spent. She implied that the only people who could get certs with a later date were those who spent 12k by their usual anniversary date if that was prior to Aug 14. That the "courtesy" certificates were only for people who had paid an annual fee for a time period in which they had not yet earned a certificate, and would have less than 12 months to do so. Those certificates, as stated in the letter, would expire on 2/28/18.

moretimeoffguy

I'll only be able to use 1 out of 2 free night certificates; the courtesy 6K ones that expire 2/28 (wife and I both have one). But I have friends who might be able to use the second cert either as a same-night staycation (Fairmont Copley Square) with us. Or that property on another night, without us; or some other property without us.

Any idea what Fairmont will allow?