blenz

Except that rock solid programs like Hyatt (in my opinion at least) also offer very generous quarterly promos, and their points are worth much more in the long run. Devaluation of Hilton points has kept me away this year, unless I absolutely have to stay.

gumflyer

Is there a link for registration?

pmaddock

Probably not until early July. The other commonality is that they don't open registration officially until right as the promo period starts. Keep an eye on this thread though. Usually an enterprising poster will find a 'leaked link' where they have the promo set up on one of the brand sites but aren't letting the public know about it yet.

Ispolkom

Not just the room charge. Dinner and bar bills charged to the room are also doubled.

TravelinWilly

While I'd love to see 6k per stay, I suspect that a double mile promo in July would only be 4k per stay (the triple offer standing, plus 1,000 to "double" the base 1,000). I hope you're right and I'm wrong, though!

divemistressofthedark

It appears that MyWay prefs and hotel hopping make a big difference. You can't move WN>HH, as you likely know...but you can redeem 10K HH for 1 RR. I'm going to translate into fractions for RR awards - even though that's not practical in real life - because of the fractional way you gain points toward the 10K HH>WN transfer. (It really wouldn't make any sense to use WN Visa to earn rewards at Hilton since you can't convert RR back to HH.)

Assumptions are a room costing $169 per night and Gold VIP status. I'll run some different assumptions later - Diamond VIP bonus, cheaper rooms, etc. This should get us started, though.

* Three nights would yield 13,435 HH points if you're a Gold member paying with Surpass and your MyWay is points and points. ([169 x [10 base points + 5 MyWay points + 9 Surpass points] x 3 [12168] + 25% VIP Bonus on base [1267]) This equals 1.3 RR.

* If your MyWay is set to points and miles, you get .5 RR for a 3-night stay and your HH adds up to 10,900 [$169 x [10 base points + 9 Surpass] x 3 [9633] + 25% VIP bonus [1267]] This is the equivalent of another 1 RR and change - for a total of 1.59 or so RR.

The huge caveat here appears to be whether you're doing a lot of hotel hopping - with three separate stays and the above MyWay P+M and Gold status your total HH points would reach 2.59 RR ([.5 per night x 3] + [169 x [10 base points + 9 Surpass] x 3 [9633] + 25% VIP bonus [1267]] = 1.5 RR & 10,900 HH.)

* With WN Visa on three nights set to P + P (@ $169) you're getting $1014 in spend ($169 x 3 = $507 = 1014 credits at 2:1 WN Visa partner bonus) for .8 RR and 8872 HH ([169 x [10 base points + 5 MyWay points] x 3 [7605] + 25% VIP Bonus on base [1267]), for a total of about 1.6 RR.

* If your MyWay is Points & Miles, using WN Visa you're getting .5 for the stay, $1014 in spend credit (.8 RR), plus 6337 HH ([169 x [10 base points] x 3] [5070] + 25% VIP bonus [1267]) (.6 RR) for a total of 1.9 RR.

WN Visa doing hotel hopping for three nights & set to Points & Miles: 1.5 RR for the stays, 6337 HH ([169 x [10 base points] x 3] [5070] + 25% VIP bonus [1267]) = .6 RR, AND $1014 in spend credit (.8 RR) for a total of 2.9 RR.

To recap:

3 nights set to Points and Points using Surpass: 1.3 RR
3 nights set to Points and Miles using Surpass: 1.7 RR
3 nights set to Points and Miles using Surpass, hotel hopping: 2.59 RR

3 nights set to P & P using WN Visa: 1.6 RR
3 nights set to P & M using WN Visa: 1.9 RR
3 nights set to P & M using WN Visa, hotel hopping: 2.9 RR

(All are welcome to check my math on this, have looked at this so long I'm sort of not 'seeing' it any more and may well have overlooked something! Thanks!)

[Edit, much later for my own edification, since I have this post bookmarked:

You're even better off using WN Visa for earn on WN when the 500-point Amex online bookings are factored in. In the example of the 3 night hotel hop on Surpass as outlined above:

2.59 RR ([.5 per night x 3] + [169 x [10 base points + 9 Surpass] x 3 [9633] + 25% VIP bonus [1267]] = 1.5 RR & 10,900 HH)

With 1500 points (500/stay Amex booking x 3) factored in, you get:

2.74 RR ([.5 per night x 3] + [169 x [10 base points + 9 Surpass] x 3 [9633] + 25% VIP bonus [1267] + 1500 (Amex bonus)] = 1.5 RR & 12,400 HH)

This (still) does not beat the 2.9 you'd make on WN Visa. I figured this out after I did a few mattress runs for Q3, then got motivated to work up how I'd have made out using Surpass...long story short is I'm still going to enjoy that Standard Award a little sooner. )

Arthurrs

Woo hoo! Glad I moved our summer vacation to August! And one more night before June 30th to requalify myself for Diamond Status! Life is good!

divemistressofthedark

Note: I'm now working on a big long spreadsheet on whether you should select Double Base Points or Miles, and whether you should pay with WN Visa or Surpass if earn on WN is your goal. (I'm assuming our VIP bonuses won't be based on the doubled base points, but only the usual amount. If we get doubled bonuses, this may all change.)

To keep things simple, I'm sticking with the same $169/3 night/Gold VIP assumptions. EDIT: I have now run these same numbers using a cheaper room with Diamond status, Silver status, etc. and have yet to find any circumstances where you should pay with Surpass on spend at Hilton for earn on WN.

But if you don't have a WN Visa, aren't planning on getting one and are paying with Surpass:

* No hotel hopping: Set MyWay to Points and Miles, and pick Double Points for Q3 promo: this will yield 2.1 RR. (Double Miles will earn 2.09 RR - there isn't that much difference between the two.)

* If you are going to hotel hop: Set MyWay to Points and Miles, and pick Double Miles for 4.09 RR. There's a big difference here - Points and Miles, Double Points only earns 3 RR.

If you have a WN Visa and want to maximize earn:

* No hotel hopping: Set MyWay to Points & Miles. Either Double Points or Double Miles will yield the equivalent of 2.4 RR.

* If you are going to hotel hop: Set MyWay to Points & Miles and pick Double Miles: 4.4 RR (Double Points will only earn 3.4 RR).

I can post all the math on this if folks would like to see it, but I have the feeling people's eyes are already glazing over

zachary

Very cool analysis.

I have to say that I'm too mathematically challenged for this system. I think I'm going to simplify it to this. I value a WN free ticket at $200. (Frankly, this may be low -- WN's fares are getting pretty high lately). The extra 0.5 RR credit I would get by choosing double miles is therefore worth $6.25. I have always valued an HH point at 0.5 cents, although the latest devaluation may have pushed that down closer to 0.4. At 0.5 cents, though, to pass up 0.5 RR credits, I need to get 1,250 HH points.

Conclusion: if I predict my average folio before taxes will be above $125, I should choose double points. If not, I should choose double miles.

I tend to have some el cheapo stays, and I always hotel hop, so I'm not sure yet which way to go. Given that my calculation probably undervalues RR credits and overvalues HH points, I think I'm inclined to go double miles. But I'm going to wait as long as I can and look at my expected stays before deciding.

Obviously, this analysis is only good for someone who values points and miles the way I do.

arthurg

I'm staying a few days in the Hilton Kensington in London just before the Q3 promotion (checking out on the 6th)

divemistressofthedark

Long story short, you're generally better off choosing double miles if you are trying to earn for WN, assuming our VIP bonuses will NOT be doubled (i.e. they'll continue to be based on 15%, 25% or whatever of our straight base, NOT doubled base.)

I have to say, I'm really considering changing MyWay to Points and Miles and picking Double Miles if this promo goes through as advertised. Paying with Surpass and using the long boring examples I listed above - if I set MyWay to Points and Points and pick Double Points, I get 18K HH - which is great, if I'm earning for HH awards. But if I set MyWay to Points and Miles and Double Miles, I still get nearly 11K HH AND I get 1 RR, which is the equivalent of 21,000 HH. ^

I do even better if I use WN Visa rather than Surpass. Points and Points, Double Points on WN Visa would earn 14K HH and .8 RR - the equivalent of 2.2 RR (the .8 RR comes from the spend I put on the Visa, and is granted through RR, not HH). This equals 22,000 HH if I were to redeem for RR.

MyWay at Points and Miles, Q3 selection Double Miles on WN Visa would yield 2.4 RR, or the equivalent of 24,000 HH. ^

If you're hotel hopping, be prepared for points-a-palooza if you're set to Points and Miles, you pick Double Miles, and you're using a WN Visa. A three night stay at three different properties (Gold VIP, $169 a night) would yield an eye popping 4.4 RR, or the equivalent of 44,000 HH. (You'd earn the equivalent of 40,900 HH using Surpass.)

I'm getting a little more confident that my conclusions are correct, since I've now run them using cheaper and more expensive rooms, varying VIP bonuses, etc. I may be able to run calculations for other airlines if folks are interested, although I'm much more fluent in RR than any other program.

THE HUGE CAVEAT: If we get doubled VIP bonuses, this may all change. Stay tuned!

Notenut

To my knowledge, that has never happened in any Hilton promo. It has always been double base points.

vrbaba

Double miles or double base points, neither is worth it to waste hours on analysis that has been done. Oh, forgot the promo is not even out yet

kryten22uk

..just a shame you have to then fly VS!

soonerfanatic

Helpful.

The analysis shared is extremely valuable and hopefully makes many think about what choice to make. An informed decision. If only we could force proving you are informed when making your political vote......