2013 Changes to HH Reward Stays, new cat., more pts needed
Feb 22, 2013, 10:18 am
#601
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Posts: 10,003
Great to hear. For some reason, that Spring Hill Link did nothing in my IE 9 browser. So I thought it was a circular link back to the page that I was already on.
EDITED TO ADD:
Doh, you have to scroll down.
Last edited by amanuensis; Feb 22, 2013 at 10:25 am
Feb 22, 2013, 11:04 am
#602
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I have said it before and think that this event further validates what I stayed before: Hilton HHonors is to the hotel "loyalty" program customers what Delta SkyMiles is to the airline "loyalty" program customers. Pretty much worst in class.
Feb 22, 2013, 11:13 am
#603
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canadia
Programs: A loyal Amerisuites customer... oh wait
Posts: 2,033
I have sorted the 77-page PDF by category.
PREVIOUSLY WORDED AS: Not sure how to post it.
Also, not sure if it's already been done. (Sorry; I haven't read all 41 pages.)
If you want the list, and you know how I can post it, let me know. Thanks.
LINK: Hilton HHonors HotelCategoryChart as a Word doc
LINK: Hilton HHonors HotelCategoryChart as an Excel xls
PREVIOUSLY WORDED AS: Not sure how to post it.
Also, not sure if it's already been done. (Sorry; I haven't read all 41 pages.)
If you want the list, and you know how I can post it, let me know. Thanks.
LINK: Hilton HHonors HotelCategoryChart as a Word doc
LINK: Hilton HHonors HotelCategoryChart as an Excel xls
Last edited by jerry305; Feb 28, 2013 at 8:28 am Reason: Links included
Feb 22, 2013, 11:24 am
#604
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,489
Seeing the Conrad HK at 80,000 pts/night and the Conrad Koh Samui at 95,000 pts/night made me think immediately of Delta offering "high" J award to Europe priced at 325,000 miles.
Although the Delta award is probably worse. Then again, we haven't seen what the new Premium Room awards are going to be with HHonors! We'll probably see Premium Room rewards for the Conrad HK at about 130,000 pts/night (given that these days I frequently see them at 80,000, which is 1.6X the standard room award)
Feb 22, 2013, 11:35 am
#605
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
Amen. In the US it seems like HHonors nowadays isn't a hotel loyalty program anymore but only a subsidiary of different credit card companies. Outside of the US (I live in Europe) the only way to get HHonors points is to actually stay at the hotels and pay some money to them. Which in my opinion is how it should be!
They already did that too. It is not more than two years ago when upgrade possibility to Exec floor was a stated Gold benefit. Now it is only to the next room category upwards.
But I am sure they will find out other ways to devaluate the elite levels. Because how could they otherwise cope with all the credit card Golds and Diamonds out there...?
And from a business point of view I of course understand this. Hilton wouldn't make this kind of change if they hadn't calculated that in the long run it will be the profitable thing to do.
I don't know the details on how much revenue the credit card companies bring to Hilton through he co-branded credit cards. But it has to be significant given the insane amount of co-branded credit cards from different companies which have emerged over the recent years. So actually we should be blaming the credit card companies for totally skewing the loyalty program scene..!!!
Still all we as customers can do is to make our voice heard through pulling our reservations from Hilton. Someone should actually put up a site where people could add to a database how many reservations they have pulled back from Hilton or how many new reservations they have made to other properties after this announcement that would otherwise have gone to Hilton. If there would be some way to sum this up by property and notify the GM of these properties on how much revenue they have missed and will be missing due to this new policy it would make for some really disturbing reading for these GM:s...
They already did that too. It is not more than two years ago when upgrade possibility to Exec floor was a stated Gold benefit. Now it is only to the next room category upwards.
But I am sure they will find out other ways to devaluate the elite levels. Because how could they otherwise cope with all the credit card Golds and Diamonds out there...?
And from a business point of view I of course understand this. Hilton wouldn't make this kind of change if they hadn't calculated that in the long run it will be the profitable thing to do.
I don't know the details on how much revenue the credit card companies bring to Hilton through he co-branded credit cards. But it has to be significant given the insane amount of co-branded credit cards from different companies which have emerged over the recent years. So actually we should be blaming the credit card companies for totally skewing the loyalty program scene..!!!
Still all we as customers can do is to make our voice heard through pulling our reservations from Hilton. Someone should actually put up a site where people could add to a database how many reservations they have pulled back from Hilton or how many new reservations they have made to other properties after this announcement that would otherwise have gone to Hilton. If there would be some way to sum this up by property and notify the GM of these properties on how much revenue they have missed and will be missing due to this new policy it would make for some really disturbing reading for these GM:s...
Feb 22, 2013, 11:37 am
#606
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 2,324
Do you have an actual reservation/certificate?
This is what I did when trying to do a reservation 2 years out and once I checked my account something was wrong. If I remember correctly the certificate expired before the reservation started. I had to call CS and the agent said I had the reservation but the certificate wouldn't be any good at that point.
Yes, in theory you can do this online, but when it comes down to it, do you have an actual reservation with a certificate that hasn't expired?
Can you please advise if this is the case?
Thanks.
This is what I did when trying to do a reservation 2 years out and once I checked my account something was wrong. If I remember correctly the certificate expired before the reservation started. I had to call CS and the agent said I had the reservation but the certificate wouldn't be any good at that point.
Yes, in theory you can do this online, but when it comes down to it, do you have an actual reservation with a certificate that hasn't expired?
Can you please advise if this is the case?
Thanks.
I cant find anything in the HH t&C's that state reward certificates are only valid for 12 months.
I was going to book for July 2014 but you got me worried.
Is anyone 100% on this ??
Feb 22, 2013, 11:43 am
#607
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
The better option (after you've taken 10 deep breaths and calmed down) is to think about how this will really impact them. Keep the no annual fee cards like Citi and Amex, but payoff or transfer all your balances. Keep the minimum on those cards to keep them open or don't have any activity on them, the logic being that it costs them to service your account. If you're not a customer, then there's no spend on customer service. But for every account holder out there, there's a cost to keep an account open, generate statements, maintain your online profile, and offer the insurance that comes with the cards (e.g. travel or rental car coverage). It will just be a piece of plastic in your wallet, but it's going to be an overhead for the card company.
Feb 22, 2013, 12:28 pm
#608
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
Looks like that's the case with all NYC hotels (all of them are going up in category). Pity since the DT Times Square was a favorite of mine for taking the family there. Will be doing bookings for the summer asap .. can always cancel if I need to a couple days before. Seems like they're equating the rewards redemption points with the cash value of the rooms.
Feb 22, 2013, 12:46 pm
#609
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: HHonors Gold
Posts: 37
It's not really up to the GM's to do something about it. Was in fact at a Hilton this week and spoke to the GM whom I know from my stays there over the past couple of years. It seems they're also quite disturbed by this, as this being a corporate decision, they are vulnerable to a loss in business. Nothing they can do about it, and are in fact encouraging HH members affected to send messages to the HHonors desk and Jeff Diskin, the head of Marketing (who probably had a team of interns come up with a ""so-called" brilliant plan that he can then take to the board to show what a fine job he's doing). Social media is a very powerful tool, and the best way to have an impact is to make yourself heard and let your feet do the walking if you're not satisfied.
Feb 22, 2013, 12:46 pm
#610
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP/4MM, DL GM/1MM, HH ♦, Bonvoy LT PLT, Hyatt Globalist, AMEX Bus Plt
Posts: 620
Feb 22, 2013, 1:17 pm
#611
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
Yes, I understand that this cannot be a decision that has involved any others than the corporate HQ. I didn't mean that the hotels themselves and the GM's are to blame. But the hotels are paying (no doubt) quite big fees for the privilege of being part of the Hilton brand. When a dip in sales do occur for a specific property I guess it would be of at least some kind of value for a GM to see how much of the dip actually IS due to this insane new policy. Something to take up in the next discussion with corporate HQ...
Not good form Hilton!
Feb 22, 2013, 1:37 pm
#612
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
I don't receive award certificates for every reservation, but when I do they have an expiration date one year from the date of issue.
Feb 22, 2013, 1:59 pm
#615
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA,DL,SPG,Hyatt
Posts: 141
i signed up the amex hh card and started staying at hilton a few month ago.
i had just accumulated 200k points and only found that it is worth nothing.
i had just accumulated 200k points and only found that it is worth nothing.