2013 Changes to HH Reward Stays, new cat., more pts needed
Feb 22, 2013, 6:44 pm
#631
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Programs: DL DM, Bonvoy LTT, HH Diam, UA Silver, USAF million miler ;)
Posts: 1,596
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.
PREMIUM ROOM REWARD
All tier levels apply Premium Reward points per night Points ... Rate Details Not commissionable You will need to purchase 1,624,440 points for $47,933.20
All tier levels apply Premium Reward points per night Points ... Rate Details Not commissionable You will need to purchase 1,624,440 points for $47,933.20
Feb 22, 2013, 7:10 pm
#632
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Posts: 639
Given the turmoil, why chance it? I'm not understanding why people are taking this risk? I must be missing something.
I have the reservation confirmation numbers for my upcoming stay, but they do not have any certificate number on them. When did you get that AXON certificate number? Given the change (turmoil) in the program now, I want to be as prepared as possible and do not want any surprises.
Feb 22, 2013, 7:18 pm
#633
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 39
In August, I'm staying 8 nights at a Hilton with the 7th night free. If HHonors has the 5th night free as a benefit, do I get 2 nights free during this stay?
Feb 22, 2013, 7:20 pm
#634
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I guess I just don't see how they can rescind a reservation that's already booked, especially after I pay the upgrade fees. If there's a time to cancel my reservation, it would be now and they haven't done that. Also, I'm not sure why GLON would be any different. I just want to make sure others in the same boat are feeling secure about this.
Feb 22, 2013, 7:28 pm
#635
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Connecticut
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 342
Emailed Nassetta and Diskin yesterday, got a stock email response today from someone in "corporate escalations", but it was a real live person with a Linkedin profile, so theoretically that means someone is reading complaints...
I just keep telling myself "they can't be this stupid..."
I just keep telling myself "they can't be this stupid..."
Feb 22, 2013, 7:32 pm
#636
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Posts: 639
This is not an issue of rescinding the reservation, that is secure. It's the issue of the ceritificate. IF you get one, it won't be valid. What happens IF you get one after March 28? What happens if there's a fluke and they didn't send you one but were supposed to, what if their systems are not keeping up with the amount of reservations, etc etc. Any number of oddities that might or might not happen.
I would not feel secure at all.
I would not feel secure at all.
I guess I just don't see how they can rescind a reservation that's already booked, especially after I pay the upgrade fees. If there's a time to cancel my reservation, it would be now and they haven't done that. Also, I'm not sure why GLON would be any different. I just want to make sure others in the same boat are feeling secure about this.
Feb 22, 2013, 7:43 pm
#637
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH diamond
Posts: 2,646
I have the reservation confirmation numbers for my upcoming stay, but they do not have any certificate number on them. When did you get that AXON certificate number? Given the change (turmoil) in the program now, I want to be as prepared as possible and do not want any surprises.
You have booked the award reservation and it is guaranteed for the points price (145K) that you paid as long as you make NO CHANGES to your award AFTER March 27. As long as you make no changes, you CANNOT be charged more points.
If you make ANY CHANGES March 28 or later, you will be charged an additional 235K which is the difference between the cost of the old AXON (145K) and the new award (380K).
The AXON (and any other award "certificate") and the reservation are linked. If you cancel your reservation, your AXON "certificate" is also canceled. However, unlike the standard/GLON awards, you have to call to get your AXON points reinstated even though the certificate has been voided.
The first time I cancelled an AXON, I did not know this and did not check my acct for a couple months. I was surprised at the low point balance before I figured out what happened. It annoying because if you don't call to reinstate those points, those points stay in limbo and possibly lost.
Feb 22, 2013, 8:01 pm
#638
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
Sometimes, the certs are merely virtual. Sometimes, an actual certificate is issued, and the reservation agent manually must add the cert number to the reservation. If the reservation is cancelled online, the cert does not necessarily cancel.
In addition, in those circumstances in which the cert is manually issued and attached to the reservation, there are confirmed circumstances in which the cert has expired before the reservation, because the certs expire in a year, and the hotel thus was free to dishonor the reservation. This can be problematic for the subset of hotels that (1) require manual issuance of AXON certs and (2) allow reservations out more than 1 year. Usually the hotel makes it right or the issue can be fixed by the DD. But the future is uncertain after 3/28.
I'm going to stop posting in this thread on this issue because I've said the same thing now three times, but IMO these are the people at risk:
(1) You make an AXON reservation and receive an e-mail AXON cert in addition to your reservation e-mail. I posted a few pages back what one looks like. If you don't get one, don't worry. (2) The e-mail AXON cert has an expiration date that is before your check in date on the reservation to which it is associated.
Why is this a problem? Because after March 28, you may not be able to have the cert reissued if you need it. The risk is not losing your 145,000 points. The risk is having your reservation cancel out from under you when the certificate expires and not being able to do anything about it because (e.g.) your hotel now is a category 8 or AXON awards don't exist any more.
So, for those booking out past one year on AXON awards, check your e-mail and spam for an e-mail cert and check the expiry date.
GLON is different because, as far as I am aware, unlike AXON all GLON certs are now virtual, but this NOT the case with some AXON certs for some hotels.
With that, I'll let others have the last word.
Feb 22, 2013, 8:05 pm
#639
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Posts: 639
Very concise and easy to follow, if you ask me. You know what they say about horses and water 
As I've said now in a couple of different posts in different threads, this is just not the case. This is inaccurate information for some reservations.
Sometimes, the certs are merely virtual. Sometimes, an actual certificate is issued, and the reservation agent manually must add the cert number to the reservation. If the reservation is cancelled online, the cert does not necessarily cancel.
In addition, in those circumstances in which the cert is manually issued and attached to the reservation, there are confirmed circumstances in which the cert has expired before the reservation, because the certs expire in a year, and the hotel thus was free to dishonor the reservation. This can be problematic for the subset of hotels that (1) require manual issuance of AXON certs and (2) allow reservations out more than 1 year. Usually the hotel makes it right or the issue can be fixed by the DD. But the future is uncertain after 3/28.
I'm going to stop posting in this thread on this issue because I've said the same thing now three times, but IMO these are the people at risk:
(1) You make an AXON reservation and receive an e-mail AXON cert in addition to your reservation e-mail. I posted a few pages back what one looks like. If you don't get one, don't worry. (2) The e-mail AXON cert has an expiration date that is before your check in date on the reservation to which it is associated.
Why is this a problem? Because after March 28, you may not be able to have the cert reissued if you need it. The risk is not losing your 145,000 points. The risk is having your reservation cancel out from under you when the certificate expires and not being able to do anything about it because (e.g.) your hotel now is a category 8 or AXON awards don't exist any more.
So, for those booking out past one year on AXON awards, check your e-mail and spam for an e-mail cert and check the expiry date.
GLON is different because, as far as I am aware, unlike AXON all GLON certs are now virtual, but this NOT the case with some AXON certs for some hotels.
With that, I'll let others have the last word.
Sometimes, the certs are merely virtual. Sometimes, an actual certificate is issued, and the reservation agent manually must add the cert number to the reservation. If the reservation is cancelled online, the cert does not necessarily cancel.
In addition, in those circumstances in which the cert is manually issued and attached to the reservation, there are confirmed circumstances in which the cert has expired before the reservation, because the certs expire in a year, and the hotel thus was free to dishonor the reservation. This can be problematic for the subset of hotels that (1) require manual issuance of AXON certs and (2) allow reservations out more than 1 year. Usually the hotel makes it right or the issue can be fixed by the DD. But the future is uncertain after 3/28.
I'm going to stop posting in this thread on this issue because I've said the same thing now three times, but IMO these are the people at risk:
(1) You make an AXON reservation and receive an e-mail AXON cert in addition to your reservation e-mail. I posted a few pages back what one looks like. If you don't get one, don't worry. (2) The e-mail AXON cert has an expiration date that is before your check in date on the reservation to which it is associated.
Why is this a problem? Because after March 28, you may not be able to have the cert reissued if you need it. The risk is not losing your 145,000 points. The risk is having your reservation cancel out from under you when the certificate expires and not being able to do anything about it because (e.g.) your hotel now is a category 8 or AXON awards don't exist any more.
So, for those booking out past one year on AXON awards, check your e-mail and spam for an e-mail cert and check the expiry date.
GLON is different because, as far as I am aware, unlike AXON all GLON certs are now virtual, but this NOT the case with some AXON certs for some hotels.
With that, I'll let others have the last word.
Feb 23, 2013, 12:41 am
#640
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: HHonors Gold
Posts: 37
Points purchases disabled?
I know that it might seem strange to purchase soon to be devaluated points but if you need some extra for redemption use before march 28 it might of course still make sense. But for some reason it seems like the point purchase on the Hilton website is unwilling to co-operate. I have two cc:s attached to my profile and they are both valid and ok. For the last few days now when I try to buy points I get this error message for both of the cards.
We're sorry we could not process your request. Your credit card was declined. Please check with your credit card company and then re-submit your request at a later date.
There is no reason for the cc purchase to be declined and I have tried a few times during the last days always getting the same response. Has anyone of you other fellow FT:ers been able to purchase points after the devaluation announcement?
We're sorry we could not process your request. Your credit card was declined. Please check with your credit card company and then re-submit your request at a later date.
There is no reason for the cc purchase to be declined and I have tried a few times during the last days always getting the same response. Has anyone of you other fellow FT:ers been able to purchase points after the devaluation announcement?
Feb 23, 2013, 4:40 am
#641
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BA S, VS S, SQ G, HH D, IHG D/A, Marriott G, Radisson G, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,945
Feb 23, 2013, 4:48 am
#642
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP/4MM, DL GM/1MM, HH ♦, Bonvoy LT PLT, Hyatt Globalist, AMEX Bus Plt
Posts: 620
Haven't needed to purchase points, but I would say maybe try a different browser?
Feb 23, 2013, 6:25 am
#643
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
And they both have the same thing in common, pushing miles with CC so much that now they can not handle all the redemptions.
Feb 23, 2013, 7:20 am
#644
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DUB
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 117
Shocking news, will be moving my stays elsewhere sadly.
Feb 23, 2013, 7:35 am
#645
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Meh
Posts: 2,598
I complained strongly and got a cookie cutter response that was verging on the insulting given it's blandness. When you make your top tier members actively dislike your company and employees it is a disaster, and that is where I am right now. I am raging I have so many prepaid bookings I will end up spending 7k over the next 6 weeks.