globaltravelers

I received a letter from accor saying my status for 2018 is gold. (Downgraded: supposed to be accor platinum as i am fairmont platinum). Surprised, i called fairmont agent and asked about my status for 2018, and she said you are just premier (basic, first level), even if i made the required nights to keep platinum fairmont status (need 5 nights in 2017 for plat5 code to have fairmont platinum status through having canadian american express platinum card).

Fairmont agent (FA) said your plat5 code is not on file (even if we have amex plat for years and have fairmont platinum status for years throught plat5 code). Fairmont Agent (FA) said you have a different code from your private bank that give you free platinum fairmont status (Bank must called in and apply a special code, as i did not know the code), and that code expired dec 2017, hence no status for 2018! Fairmont

i asked then can the FA apply the amex code plat5, as i am also amex plat card holder, have been for years, and i have status on both code.

fairmont agent said NO. They cannot apply code as expired in 2017 december, and blame me for not calling in to check, and make sure that i have min of stay or nights and the make sure the code is properly applied !!

She said i must have received an email from american express on december 15 2017 that inform all canadian amex platinum holders that: amex will discontinue fairmont status, and cardholder have 2 weeks to call fairmont to make sure the code is applied properly! I informed the agent that i did NOT received any email about it, as all my email is easily searchable. Fairmont agent blame amex, saying amex must have sent it, so you deal or call amex.

Fairmont agent refused to do anything (even if we are both fairmont platimum, both amex plat cardholder, and because we relied on the special code, we spread out our stays between both of us, even if combined we have over 30 nights in 2017).

essentially fairmont agent blame american express: saying amex sent out letters to warn cardholders in dec 15, and cardholders have only 2 weeks to call in ans make sure the code is still in the account, otherwise it is not valid and you will lose status (Even if no such emails from amex was sent)

I called amex platinum: they did not confirm if any email was sent to cardholders about fairmont status. Instead, Amex said fairmont must have sent out letter to notify its member about it! (Amex Blaming fairmont, even if fairmont did not send such emails or letters to members).

So both are blaming each other!! And faimont refused to honor the code that allowed us to have fairmont status, even for another 6 months (accor changes).

As with most fairmont platinum on this forum, we go out of our ways to stay at fairmont when possible (due to recognition of status, even if other options are better or more convenient or cheaper, even we have top hotel status at almost every major brands).

In the past, I had always liked the agent at fairmont platinum, and most fairmont hotels are smart enough to fix any problem to keep you happy, to continue staying with the brand all over the world. However, with the recent change of tone and attitude from agents,(maybe due to new accor management, or new directives from accor), and we also do see attitude changes in the local fairmont hotels, we do seriously question our loyalty to fairmont or accor.

If that is how accor manage their customers, by blaming them, then it is truly sad. Loyalty and trust are very hard to earn, but very easy to lose...

margarita girl

I received the following email from Amex Canada on Dec 15/17, so this must be what they are referring to.

Admiral Ackbar

I am interested in this since I too got Fairmont plat from private bank for the last several years, I manually changed the code to PLAT5 in 2017 (in the summer i believe) thinking the agreement with the bank would expire perhaps. I stayed more than the 5 required nights in 2017 so should still get Platinum for this year, if the change was registered properly.

globaltravelers

amazingly i have not received the amex email even after the search. We are both amex plat and both fairmont plat so at least one of us would have received the "Email".

but regardless if the email was sent or not, even of it was, essentially amex tell cardholder that you have 2 weeks to make sure that plat5 code is on your account, or you will be downgraded and fairmont will refuse to honor it even you had the required stay for the past 2017.

I understand that fairmont will not apply it for any future application after jan 2018, but we had been on the fairmont plat5 code for past years. And as current and past amex plat cardholder for years, we are entitled to the amex plat benefits when we are in good standing and followed amex or fairmont rules for past 2017.

Otherwise why would we have gone out of ways in 2017 to make sure we have min nights at faitmont? Why would we have kept the amex plat card? Why would we have paid the amex plat card fees of $700 at the end of 2017, then a few weeks later amex / fairmont cancelled the benefits and now tell us to get lost?

globaltravelers

if you have not received the accor platinum welcome letter yet, then you may have also been downgraded by fairmont and accor.

Welcome to the NEW accor and fairmont and amex world where they will take your amex annual fees, pretend to send email notice, then give only 2 weeks notice, and then each company blame each other and also blame the customer, and accor/ fairmont /amex refuse to keep their past promises and refuse to honor commitments made to customers for 2017 (fairmont asking customers to stay with them then later switch or cancel benefits at last minute)... that is how accor properly limit and reduce and eliminate the top elites customers for the transition period? Instead of trying to retain them and integrate and entice customers to stay with accor hotels in the future

On one hand accor said they valued customers and bought fairmont for the "value and customer base", on the other hand, accor tell customers at fairmont to get lost.

Based on the accor transition? I am very interested to see how marriott will manage the transition with spg platinums. (We are also spg platinum. Gold etc... lifetime Spg etc). Spg program is known among customers to be the best, and customers are extremely loyal to spg. Would marriott be smarter then accor?

globaltravelers

Outside of usa and canada, Fairmont locations is weak and very hard to book as there is much less hotels / locations. So accor bought fairmont to have access to North american customers but then they really do nothing more to entice current north american fairmont customers to stay with accor. (Accor benefits and elites can be easily obtained with credit cards benefits)

based on past treatment of accor hotels in europe, the accor elite program is a real joke compared to spg, hyatt, Hilton... most or all the benefits of accor hotels loyalty can be easily obtained with special travel agent bookings (premium credit cards travel agents or bank travel agents), so there is no real incentive for customers to stay loyal with the accor loyalty program.

In canada, accor think that customers will continue to book fairmont hotels regardless of the loyalty program, as they think fairmont have good locations and people will continue to pay more and go out of their ways to stay!

Outside of lake louise, and quebec (monopoly of prime locations) There is no other fairmont where location or hotel is so special enough for customers to go out of their ways. Fairmont hotels are well known among canadian travelers to be older, more expensive and smaller rooms compared to competition. Without the fairmont program as in the past, a lot of our friends will not prefer stay at fairmont rooms (even if they have status: they would continue to visit for example banff springs hotel, but rather would not stay there as there are much better and cheaper options).

in usa, fairmont hotels have even much less coveted locations than canadian fairmont location. It is even worse internationally. But what do customers know? accor management is always right, as they "have done their research" and "spoke" to customers: ok to lose 20% of your customers... it is only 20% and it is expected that some losss will happen.. (even if that 20% may bring them 80% of profits)

mapleg

MikeBOS

For what it's worth there is almost no difference between Platinum and Gold at Accor so it's probably not worth getting too worked up about this. The upgrade benefits are the same, early check in/late check out the same, welcome amenity the same. The only differences are no lounge access for Gold (there are almost no properties with lounges anyway; I have only ever encountered one at Sofitel Heathrow), and your guaranteed room availability is up to 3 days ahead rather than 2. For me the benefits I care about are the upgrades (not much value but occasionally you get one), late check out, and the welcome drink. All of that is the same.

mahasamatman

I'd have to say you have a very limited view of Fairmont, and I wonder why you even think it's important to have status since you apparently hate the chain and so rarely stay at one.

I think you mean well known among the tiny number of Canadian travelers you know. Yes, they are older, which is why so many of us love them, but we surely find the room prices and sizes to be extremely competitive for that class of hotel.

Eagle_traveler

Have you tried contacting a supervisor? Send an email to FPC saying you want the email transferred to a supervisor, explain your point of view... who knows? they might be able to solve this for you, you have nothing to lose

globaltravelers

i agree with accor assesment. But i want to keep my fairmont status for 2018, (even for 6 months) as i "worked" and "paid" the nights required. I do not care for accor status.

mahasamatman

But you didn't follow procedure. I've read this forum long enough to know that you need to call every year to make sure the PLATIN5 code is there. Assuming that it will all work out is the surest path to disappointment.

globaltravelers

??? I did not hate the chain. Clearly stated i go out of my way to stay with fairmont hotel before, even if other options are available (hilton, hyatt, spg marriott etc), even if i do have top tier status at other chains. Not sure where you have stayed, but we did stay at a lot of different fairmont properties, a lot in usa, all over canada and all over the world (decision made not on location or unique properties, but on fpc loyalty program). I understand some locations (lake louise and quebec) are exceptional and deserve to be booked even without status, but with others, we stayed because of the fpc program first and not because of the hotel.

i hate how accor manage the fairmont loyalty program. I loved the fairmont loyalty before accor touched it. Obviously fairmont agents tone have changed and became unhelpful and confrontational (but who can blamed them as they all are going to lose their job in call centre in moncton soon due to accor decision to close it)

globaltravelers

not when i was enrolled in plat5, we never have to call in as it is automatic (we have amex plat for a very long time). Where does it said on amex that cardholders have to call in each year? If it true, That would be ridiculous.

we had private bank code for free fpc platinum for a while, and even that we did not have to call in each year. It is automatic renewal.

Often1

OP claims that he did not receive an email which provided clear instructions as to how to maintain status. Why that happened is between him and Amex and has nothing to do with FPC or any other entity.

Check your spam filter and if you cannot find the email, call Amex and see what they will do for you. FPC has no reason to want to do anything here as the business arrangement with Amex is over.

If nothing, then OP is stuck. Stop doing business with Amex, Fairmont, or both if he wishes.