Increased Points Required for Reward Redemption as of January 2010; New Category 7
Oct 13, 2009, 2:53 pm
#61
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MIA
Programs: AA PLT 2mm SPG Gold HH Diamond
Posts: 740
Seems crazy that they will be making WA 50,000 in low season. This year I saw many WA hotels selling rooms for close to $100 a night. Even WA NYC was close to $200 when I stayed there a few times. I found it much better to pay the rates then use points on my stays this year. The best use was in Denver where you can get a room at HI for 10,000 points. To me I say points are worth around .066 cents each. The problem is 90% of hotels do not get you that value.
To me they should have a category for 15,000 points a night.
To me they should have a category for 15,000 points a night.
Oct 13, 2009, 3:09 pm
#62
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Capetown
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG and Hilton Diamond, LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 10,167
Sure, the amount has changed. The hotel room was 100 USD (or 20k points) five years back. Now it is 150 USD (and still 20k points). You got 3.000 points five years back and you get 4.500 points now.
Oct 13, 2009, 3:16 pm
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Capetown
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG and Hilton Diamond, LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 10,167
Flying Lawyer currently rests his tired head in the Berlin Hilton running at 90% occupancy today. The same was true for Munich City yesterday, London Canary Wharf last year. Most European Hiltons are in big centres and not in any remote location and they (a) do not fancy too much to give away rooms for smallish USD amounts and (b) do not suffer too much from the crisis.
Oct 13, 2009, 3:25 pm
#64
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,411
Flying Lawyer currently rests his tired head in the Berlin Hilton running at 90% occupancy today. The same was true for Munich City yesterday, London Canary Wharf last year. Most European Hiltons are in big centres and not in any remote location and they (a) do not fancy too much to give away rooms for smallish USD amounts and (b) do not suffer too much from the crisis.
The fair answer is to raise the hotels with high rates to higher categories, not to devalue the entire program. Of course, we do need to wait to see what happens when they actually announce the changes.
Oct 13, 2009, 3:55 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Suwanee,Ga ,usa
Posts: 3,617
Question: If I book in early 2010 for 1 year out (for 2011) at still 175,000 point price, do you think I will be able to shift that reservation around -- or will the certificate expire w/n 1 year?
No reason to not try it. At least there's no fees for cancellations. Unless that's coming next.
I don't like this, but nothing with HH surprises me. I didn't use any points this year and hate to see my 700K devalued, but the devaulation of percs (when using my points) bothers me more.
Oct 13, 2009, 4:02 pm
#66
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Orem, UT, USA
Programs: DL PM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 413
Ultimately whether this is a positive or negative depends on the properties involved. I like the sliding scale for points when you're using 4+ nights for elites (and would hope that if you have 2 rooms at 3 nights per in a hotel that it is 6 nights in price). I don't like not knowing what is what. Will all Cat 6s become Cat 7s? Will that trickle down? Let us know now Hilton, or you're going to end up with a lot of angry elites on this board who will cost a lot of money.
Oct 13, 2009, 4:38 pm
#67
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Philippines
Programs: CebGo 5J, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Alaska 100K
Posts: 4,696
With the exception of programs that have introduced Cash & Points award offers, the one certainty in loyalty programs is your points and miles will be worth less as time goes on.
I have been planning to write about the devaluation of airline miles based on reports I have seen showing the value of a mile has decreased 40% or so from 2.5 cents to under 1.5 cents per mile in the past decade as the world is flooded with miles.
Blame credit cards and the banks.
As the points keep churning out the hotels and airlines make cash off selling miles and points. Redemption rates keep rising and the expiration policies of miles and points keep getting shorter timelines to take away what you earned from your hotel stays and credit cards if you stary from spending.
The real kicker is the practice of then selling you back the miles and points you lose from inactivity or paying to transfer miles and points to another account. The airlines and hotels get paid money two or three times for the same miles and points.
Banks and loyalty programs are in bed together and the aim is to keep you spending to earn more points and miles and then to retain your points and miles. This is the marketing intent of the loyalty game.
The loyal guest who earns and burns most points through hotel activity is left behind in this points churning inflationary environment.
Bottom line: Burn as you earn to reduce your chance of getting burned on the value of your loyalty.
I have been planning to write about the devaluation of airline miles based on reports I have seen showing the value of a mile has decreased 40% or so from 2.5 cents to under 1.5 cents per mile in the past decade as the world is flooded with miles.
Blame credit cards and the banks.
As the points keep churning out the hotels and airlines make cash off selling miles and points. Redemption rates keep rising and the expiration policies of miles and points keep getting shorter timelines to take away what you earned from your hotel stays and credit cards if you stary from spending.
The real kicker is the practice of then selling you back the miles and points you lose from inactivity or paying to transfer miles and points to another account. The airlines and hotels get paid money two or three times for the same miles and points.
Banks and loyalty programs are in bed together and the aim is to keep you spending to earn more points and miles and then to retain your points and miles. This is the marketing intent of the loyalty game.
The loyal guest who earns and burns most points through hotel activity is left behind in this points churning inflationary environment.
Bottom line: Burn as you earn to reduce your chance of getting burned on the value of your loyalty.
Great Post.
Oct 14, 2009, 12:24 am
#68
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
And here is a new VIP award chart at this site. It has a cat 7 listed.
http://hhonors1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/..._9-25-2009.pdf
Oct 14, 2009, 12:26 am
#69
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: HKG
Programs: Marriott Ambassador (Titanium Lifetime), BA Gold, Ex-Hertz 5* PC, Ex-HH Diamond, Ex-BD*G
Posts: 3,059
It appears that Hilton have pulled all of the documents being referred to at the moment (and probably told off someone who posted them early!) - would someone be able to summarise the changes or re-upload the PDF? Sadly I came to this thread a day too late.
Good find though ericgartner - thanks, its good to know in advance. Makes the current 75k for 12 stays a little less attractive!
Good find though ericgartner - thanks, its good to know in advance. Makes the current 75k for 12 stays a little less attractive!
Oct 14, 2009, 5:31 am
#70
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BKK/NRT
Programs: BA*G, UA1K, SPG-P, HH-G, GP-D, IC-RA
Posts: 783
+1. Thanks for sharing the info too. I try to redeem as many points as possible by JAN 14. When I was almost ready to leave HH, they just made it easier for me to say ciao.
Oct 14, 2009, 5:43 am
#72
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BKK/NRT
Programs: BA*G, UA1K, SPG-P, HH-G, GP-D, IC-RA
Posts: 783
Oct 14, 2009, 6:01 am
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,992
Nope - its a document with only the one text object - which is empty. Last edited 10/13. To make sure, both font text color and background are the same.
Oct 14, 2009, 7:05 am
#74
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: TXL
Programs: US, LH, HH
Posts: 724
As far as I recall the pdf had two tables, you can see a screenshot of the first table (vip award rates starting 2010) at http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyalt...gory-7-hotels/ - I've actually forgotten what the other was about.
Oct 14, 2009, 7:09 am
#75
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,656