abcx

Is Amex stupid? 50k WR for 117 and 48k for 135?

MrEntrepreneur

Wyndham hotels are not so great. Just my experience.

sc flier

Shhhh!

sc flier

Marriott's big day is Wednesday, May 19. Marriott TravelCard gift cards at 20% off.

A MR forum thread for discussion specific to Marriott:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...0-10am-et.html

Total of $250,000 worth of GC's at 20% off = $200,000 total selling price.

iahphx

My first impression is that this is pretty boring -- just like most "deals" at Marriott. Twenty percent off? Zzzzzz. It would seem like you couldn't even use their usually-cheaper prepaid rates, as the card doesn't seem to be valid on their website, only at check-out.

Anybody see something I'm missing? I'm sure regular Marriott customers will have a use for it, but not terribly enticing to lure in new customers.

iahphx

Interesting that the BW "buy $100 card for $70" sold out this morning. I considered that deal pretty boring, but maybe the "average" customer found it easier to see the value in it (no need to understand redemption opportunities in obscure hotel loyalty programs).

If so, Marriott's gift card promo next week is likely to sell out fast, too, even if flyertalkers seem unenthusastic about the offer (so far, not a single reply to the Marriott board thread announcing the deal).

BTW, is the BW's "dog whisperer" package the worst deal ever offered on this site? Anyone think they'll ever find 3 people to buy it? Well, it's a big country with 300 million people, so hope springs eternal!

https://dailygetaways.discoverameric...1-0bf038c05022

bostonbali

Why did you find this deal pretty boring? I thought it was a good deal, and picked up 4 certs for $280. I consider myself somewhat savvy in loyalty program. While I'm not a frequent guest at BW (and not a member of their programs), I find their hotels OUTSIDE THE US to be mostly OK. Most importantly - they have plenty of locations in many countries that I travel to worldwide.

I found the combination of 30% off and NO EXPIRATION DATE to be a good one. Remember - many of us are jumping up and down with excitement (myself included) at Hyatt Certs, which, only when optimized, give you 20% off.

These cards give you guaranteed 30% off rates that are already pretty reasonable.

iahphx

Yeah, 30% off is decent, but like you I don't stay at many BW's. And when I do, it's usually on some crazy prepaid deal through one of the online agencies. I can't remember the last time I had a "regular" reservation at a BW that I paid direct to the hotel. And I don't think 30% would be enough to entice me to make one. At 50% off, it would be another story. I guess you could shop around for an "Entertainment Rate" or something.

And I, for one, found nothing exciting about the Hyatt deal, so I didn't buy. The SPG deal was another story. I look to get hotels below 50% off their regular sale prices, and that's what the SPG deal did for me (especially when used with their cash & points option).

marlin

Does anyone think/or are in the know that the SPG offer will come back? I'm bummed I missed that. Never take even one day off from reading Flyertalk!

iahphx

BTW, if anyone else is curious about that strange "dog whisperer" package which BW "values" at $5,000, you can buy essentially the same thing (without asking for any discount) for $3000 from the whisperer's website (some of the extras are different, but the event is the same).

http://www.cesarsway.com/adventure

Obviously, this doesn't reflect well on the folks at the official US Tourist Board running these promotions. I think anyone with any travel savvy would have suggested auctioning off this package instead of slapping a $2500 price tag on it. Couldn't BW have found something with broader appeal to offer for sale?

yuel

1 week of care free pounding the pedal of a corvette for $450, almost priceless

sc flier

Actually, I think that would yield 2 weeks non-peak! (Don't trust me on this.)

For at least as low as $345.88 total (including taxes) a Fun Collection car can be rented for a 3-day weekend in SAN with the AAA third-day free discount.

In FLL, at least as low as $286 all-in for a 3-day weekend. (Includes 100 miles per day. 33 cents per additional mile.)

In FLL, a week can be at least as low as $544 (base rate of $424 + fees/taxes) with 1400 miles included. (It's only 188 miles to Key West!)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz...-not-find.html

Jazzop

Is "priceless" the same as zero? Because that's how much I'd be willing to pay to drive a Corvette with an automatic transmission.

iahphx

Not surprised that today's Harrah's $20,000 high-roller package is unsold. They have sold their more "value" packages (rooms for about $100).

If you look at the unsold deals, with the exception of $30 Avis car rentals, they're all high-roller, limited value offerings catering to the "money is no object" crowd. Obviously, these aren't the type of people who spend their time looking for "daily getaways."

I also think the timing is wrong for these kinds of nonsense packages. The mood of the country is more sober: practicality is in. Almost everything that will truly save a traveller a buck has sold well. That should be the focus of their efforts. The tourist board is kidding themselves if they think they can market bad value, impractical "deals."

JumboJ

Agreed. A $20k Vegas weekend can almost never be considered a "deal" regardless of what's included, and someone who has $20k to blow on a Vegas weekend likely wants to just do whatever THEY want to do.. not what you've decided to include in your "package".