Hilton Honors Stays Posting Problems: Stays Missing, Delayed or Not Posting
 

Just curious.

I am a new HHonors member. I stayed at the Windsor, Ontario Hilton in mid August. When the stay hadn't been credited to my account after 10 days, I sent an e-mail questioning why. I received a response asking me to mail a copy of the bill, which I did. Still no activity in my account three weeks later.

Is it normal to take this long (~6 weeks) to receive credit.

Thanks.

jfl

The simple answer is it is not unusual for a stay to take that long to be credited - although it is not supposed to!

I presume you are checking for the credit at the Hilton web site? Not waiting for a statement (which can be VERY slow in coming).

I would give HHonours a ring. I presume you are sure the stay was eligable? Ring them and fax a copy of the bill. That usually does the trick. If you still have no joy, fax it to the UK Hhonours Servcie Centre, they normally get them posted within 24 hours, they seem to be much quicker than the US.
MERRY FLYER

you can also try to send them the facts (bill nr etc) by email. this did work in 2 of 3 cases for me.

Sending in copies of my bill and my credit
card receipts also helped me get two past
stays credited from HILTON.

They now owe me for a third stay so it's back
to the fax machine! CATMAN

Easier process for missing stays
 

For those of you that suffer from the mysterious disappearing stay syndrome....I just had a number of my stays automatically credited to my account over the phone. I just had to have the receipts in front of me, and I dictated my stays over the phone. They also added all bonus miles and double dips as we spoke. The service center rep tells me this is common practice now, you don't have to fax in your stays. She told me it would take 24 hours before the points would post to my account due their verifying the stays with the hotel, but when I checked my account on the web, they were already there.
How's that for service?

Do they have a toll free number for this? Last time I checked, the toll free number (1-800-552-0852) could only be used for automatic account information.

While we're on the topic...

Are you supposed to get HHonors points for reward stays? I have in the past (500 at a resort hotel, double dipped, etc.), but I didn't get them this time. I don't know If I should complain or shut-up about the ones I got in the past. Thanks

Dave

From the 1998 Hilton Honors Handbook (page 68, rule 12):

Points and stay credits may not be earned when redeeming an HHonors Reward, frequent-flyer award, awards of travel Partners, or other promotional offerings using discount or free certificates.

I will have to call, because I have been waiting for two weeks for results to post from my fax. Very slow.

I think the missing point symdrome depends on the HOtel. When I stay at the BIG hiltons (Chicago, NYC, San Fran) the points and bonuses are posted right away. Even Vegas.

It's teh smaller Hilton's that you have to keep a close eye on. Especially the Millenium Hilton. I can tell them in English and MEOW
to make sure my HHonors number and FF number's in the computer and a few weeks later I'm on the phone with Hilton to ask for the poisnts.

As for your question NJ David: Reward stays are NOT supposed to earn you miles. The only way I could see is if you had room service,
Health club services, etc. My advise: take the points and RUN!!! CATMAN

Can't inquire about missing stay online?
 

Hello,

As a Marriott Rewards platinum member, I decided to give Hilton a try; after all they are 'preferred' by my company. As you'll see below, I think I'll stick with Marriott.

My first (and probably only) experience was at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rochester. Typical hotel, below-par service. I sat in front of several desk clerks while they babbled on the phone (one was a personal call) several times, for several minutes. Not impressed at all.

Try to access my account online several times. Most of the time I can't even get through. I get through today and find the stay, after over a month, has not posted to my account. I also had asked an agent to update my USAirways FF# over the phone two months ago... found out that it never updated.

Can't find any way to contact Hilton Honors online -- the 'help' button goes to some sort of powerpoint presentation online; I see an email link after wandering around through member benefits link, but decide to give the phone number a call.

I call the first number on my screen -- automated information. No way to reach a human through that number, as I find out after poking through the depths of that voicemail. I find the OTHER 800 number later on and call that next.

I am informed that my wait will be *SIXTEEN* minutes. I give up five minutes into the call.

I've never had problems with stays posting at Marriott, and I've had over a hundred with them. Never been on hold more than three minutes. I also signed up for a promotion which gave me Gold level with HHonors. Heck, I signed up twice. Neither agent apparently actually did it since my account does not reflect that status.

Now my question for you Hiltonites...

1) Is this typical operating procedure for Hilton? I've had better luck with Holiday Inn!
2) Is there any way for me to request credit for a missing stay online, other than just regular email?

Thanks for the help.

Only a 16 minute hold - I was told 55 minutes when I called a few weeks ago! I have the same problem with missing stays.

I too am a long time Marriott loyal member and had stopped using Hilton to concentrate on Marriott and decided to give Hilton a chance with the addition of the new acquisitions. I've stayed in 5 different properties in the last 2 months and have been pleasantly surprised that (after keeping an eye on FT Hilton boards) that all of the stays have posted, correctly and usually within 2 or 3 days of the stay. I have to admit that Marriott takes about 7-10 days (or longer) to get the stays on the online statement.

I have this love-hate relationship w/HHonors (mmm... come to think of it, w/AA too. But that's another forum). On the one hand, they are a truly innovative program:
1) their double-dipping system is truly wonderful*
2) they often offer fantastic promos**
3) w/Garden Inns and the new hotels they recently acquired, they have a great variety of properties to fit almost all budgets and geographical requirements***

* when it works
** if they remember to post the points/miles
*** except for Hawai'i, but that seems to be improving w/the addition of Embassy suites and Doubletree properties

One the other hand:
a) their customer service is, for the most part, absolutely horrendous (the long hold times are just a prelude to the cluelessness of many of its CS reps)
b) inevitably, many of the points/miles promised for promos don't post and require a phone call/email to CS (shudder!!)
c) the room upgrades promised to Gold (and Diamond) members often depend on the whim of the employee at the reception desk (regardless of occupancy levels). In other words, it's a once-in-a-blue-moon event. Enjoy it if it ever happens...

The inconsistency of quality in different properties is another negative point that I could add to the second list, but, to be fair, Hilton is not alone in that.

I have to say that Marriott, by comparison, has a less glitzy program, which perhaps makes it more straightforward and easier to manage. I like Hilton's greater points/miles opportunities, but only if I don't have to spend a huge amount of time and effort to get them. Life is too short for this kind of aggravation...

Thanks Honu for your comments.. I think Marriott's number one benefit is consistency -- and it sounds like Hilton is consistently inconsistent http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif