nako

I'll concur with this. In our last ten stays on my HH#, I think my wife has paid for four of them on her CC. Out of these four, I believe three posted normally, and one has not.

Since it's a scenario where you're actually *there*, staying in the room, I can't see that it really matters who pays, as long as the room is actually paid for.

Mike

Explore

I think most folks got the e-mail advising: no, nothing, nada for HHonors members if the booking is made through a third party website, effective August 1.

Any favorable post-8/1 experience getting stay credits? Using what booking channel?

boilermaker

See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/006502.html

tekelberry

We got a credit for a Hilton property with a booking via a third party special rate. The Hilton property wouldn't take the HHonors #, but we requested it through their website stating that their terms only mention blind booking sources, this site not being one.

Edit: Took out all mention of specific hotel and travel site brands.

[This message has been edited by tekelberry (edited 08-26-2003).]

Explore

Curious if anyone has had success with Priceline or Hotwire post-8/1. The only benefit I really care about is the stay credit. I can easily sacrifice the points, the amenity, the newspaper, the breakfast, and the potential room upgrade with Priceline stays.

SkiAdcock

Of course if you do & you mention a specific property, that could get said property in doo-doo w/ Hilton.

------------------
Sharon

Explore

Good point. Best not to refer to specific properties.

pdhenry

Raises an interesting point - where on the current HHonors site do they mention the "third-party site" prohibition on points? I can find the same rates at Trvalocity as on the Hilton site.

tekelberry

I think Travelocity is safe, it's just things like Expedia Special Rates and Orbitz Hotel Savers that raises questions.

Their terms are very confusing on this...I've learned to make all future reservations via a Hilton site.

[This message has been edited by tekelberry (edited 08-26-2003).]

Steph58

HHonors states emphatically that I cannot receive points for incidentals from a stay booked via a third party. I know most Hilton brand hotels now refuse to even look at your HHonors card on a third party booking. But I've been able to fax in my folio after the stay and get points for incidentals. From now on I guess the simple solution is to not bother spending any money during my stay. Doesn't seem to make good business sense on Hilton's part, but if that's how they want to play the game. Has this been the experience of others?

NJUPINTHEAIR

I thought this development serious enough to start a post on this topic, because, I think that Hilton, alone among the chains will not even credit you points for incidentals incurred on these types of stays.

Many thanks to Alonzo who alerted us to this development in his post that I thought some of you may not read as it could have been one of those posts where there was no activity in an account and the points in there were lost.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=17411

Not so, indeed, Alonzo' s story is all the more compelling for having first awarded points on incidentals on his earlier stay, another stay was booked wherein at least $1,100.00 in incidentals was charged -- and the points, like the earlier episode had posted!!!!

Only after a couple of months did he realize that all the points from those stays were removed and he was told there was no recourse, at all.

Talk about a bait and switch!!!!!

Although Hilton has language to the effect that points may not be earned on incidental charges for PLN stays, and the like, I was under the belief that people did, indeed, receive points for incidentals for such stays.

Of course, Alonzo's case demands justice and Hilton should immediately restore those points, but this incident just displays the continuing crappy customer service that Hilton dispenses, as well as the contempt it holds its PLN customers in.

Moreover, it is just plain stupid to enforce such a rule, not only because none of your competitors are doing likewise, but also because it discourages spending at a property where you already have the customer semi-captive and such charges are usually inflated and therfore, helps the bottom line of that particular property.

HHonors key decisionmakers never cease to amaze me.

fromYXU

Sorry about the way you feel regarding HH. Obviously, others do not seem to think so:
Hilton Hotels Corporation Tops Industry in American Customer Satisfaction Index
Hilton Hotels Declares Dividend
Income Statement

pdhenry

So the problem here is that HH is enforcing their policy?

I didn't see anything in Alonzo's posts where the offending stay is Priceline. In fact "She booked her travel through one of the largest travel company in Hong Kong. She's a director of the company that owns the travel company...". Either this wasn't a web-based booking (in which case I'd argue that the points should not have been deducted) or Alonzo is being selective in what information is being released about just how the booking was made.

Hotel bookings made by a Travel Agent should earn points unless there's some special rate (industry or negotiated) or unless the booking is made through a third-party website.

GUWonder

This is irrational behavior on the part of Hilton and the hotels.

Hilton hotel restaurants are not so compelling that eating there makes any sense -- unless you can get get the hotel points.

alonzo

Nope, why would I have information to hide? I'm trying to get as much insights as I can hence selectively posting information would not do me any good. To review, here are the sequence of events:

1. I enroll my mom in HHonors.
2. She books her first stay for Feb through the travel company.
3. Stays and receives points for the stay within a couple of days (no or little incidentals for that stay). She also got bonus points for 1st stay through a promo I signed her up for and of course the miles (Asiamiles).
4. She's happy with the first stay and happy that she gets points & miles unlike other chains, and decides to book another stay in April. (Both in Japan, but different cities.)
5. Stays and receives points (and miles) for the stay within a couple of days. Also got points for the incidentals.
6. Again, she's happy. Her balance was still okay the last time I checked for her last month.
7. Checked again this week and balance is zero. No advance notice whatsoever.
8. I call HHonors and they say tough luck.
9. Checked her Asiamiles activity today and both miles postings were also reversed.