Double points promo (15Nov-31Dec 17)
#61
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sarasota, FL (SRQ)
Programs: WN A-List, AA EXP, Hyatt Top Tier (definitely NOT a Globalist), National Exec Elite
Posts: 490
I respect your opinion and your posts. I spent 11 years in CMH and love the city. I can't fault your logic. They probably won't do what I propose, but if they did it would probably be enough to retain my loyalty.
#62
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Programs: Hyatt Global, Marriot Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,282
I'm not so sure they really know who their target customer is.
#63
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Programs: Hyatt Global, Marriot Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,282
As the old saying goes, you did not leave Hyatt. Hyatt left you.
#65
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Minnesota
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,097
If the complimentary suite upgrades continues next year, I'm thinking the points are more useful. I use all 4 of my TSU's every year, if I had more I might be able to use 1 or maybe 2 extra but at some point the 10K points is more useful I would think.
#66
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: IAD / DCA
Programs: AA EP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium.
Posts: 158
Def the points for us. Wife has had so many stays where the upgrades won't work. She could very easily leave three on the table. Wife looks likely to end at 78 nights and debating a mattress run to get the last two. Doesn't quite seem worth it though.
#67
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
I'm at 105 nights this year. After qualifying for Hyatt, I qualified in other programs and/or i'm enjoying the opportunity to choose based on price and convenience. The brilliant Hyatt strategist, who decided that all bonuses stop at 100 nights, cost their company at least 100 nights from this one traveler this one year.
Then, of course, they came up with a guaranteed plan to lure me back.
This double-points promo, along with another promo "spend $300 and get $50 back", is _almost_ enough to make me switch a stay to Hyatt. Almost, but not quite.
If I had to sum it up in just one word, the word I'd choose is 'I can't stand being lied to". Promised a suite, but you have to beg for it. Free breakfast, but they still charge you some or all of it. You have suite upgrades, but they can't actually be used. You earned a free night, but it expires quickly. You earned a free night, but if you use it, you lose benefits (suite upgrade, etc.) for your entire stay. To be totally honest, I actually prefer AirBNB. They promise you NOTHING, and they deliver exactly as promised. I'd much rather have a truthful stay (you get what was promised) than a Hyatt stay.
As of right now, I jump back into the pool in 2018. I could easily requalify by March, but that's like shooting yourself in the foot (because the sooner you qualify, the sooner your benefits expire). If Hyatt fixed that one thing, i.e. if they made benefits expire at the same time as the status, I'd gladly stay at Hyatt more often.
Executive summary: Double Points, $50 back, etc ... insufficient promo.
Then, of course, they came up with a guaranteed plan to lure me back.
This double-points promo, along with another promo "spend $300 and get $50 back", is _almost_ enough to make me switch a stay to Hyatt. Almost, but not quite.
If I had to sum it up in just one word, the word I'd choose is 'I can't stand being lied to". Promised a suite, but you have to beg for it. Free breakfast, but they still charge you some or all of it. You have suite upgrades, but they can't actually be used. You earned a free night, but it expires quickly. You earned a free night, but if you use it, you lose benefits (suite upgrade, etc.) for your entire stay. To be totally honest, I actually prefer AirBNB. They promise you NOTHING, and they deliver exactly as promised. I'd much rather have a truthful stay (you get what was promised) than a Hyatt stay.
As of right now, I jump back into the pool in 2018. I could easily requalify by March, but that's like shooting yourself in the foot (because the sooner you qualify, the sooner your benefits expire). If Hyatt fixed that one thing, i.e. if they made benefits expire at the same time as the status, I'd gladly stay at Hyatt more often.
Executive summary: Double Points, $50 back, etc ... insufficient promo.
#68
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Stilllwater OK (SWO)
Programs: AAdvantage ExecPlat, World of Hyatt Globalist, plain "member" of Marriott, IHG, enterprise, etc.
Posts: 1,837
I checked into a stay November 11, checked out November 17th. Registered for the promo on November 16th. Stay was for work, but I booked directly online at Hyatt.com. On November 18th, 24 hours after check out, I got 1. My double points on my base point earnings (including food charges) for the entire stay, and 2. My upgrade to Explorists from the CC promo (this stay got me to 29 nights).
I must say, I am somewhat surprised that people are surprised that bookings on Concur and other indirect means don't count -- I ALWAYS book my flights and hotels directly, and one of the reasons is because it is a NORMAL part of the industry to treat their direct customers best.
I don't know what Concur collects as fees (other than that really lame 7$ on airline tickets), but they quite literally are the definition of a useless middle-man business vendor with a terrible product but somehow has the connections to get corporate buyers to bite in. Concur has never had a cheaper flight or hotel offered in my experience. And their website is cruddy-- I once had a major flight change (afternoon itinerary became a morning itinerary). Concur didn't email me any information on this, and on their site had both the old and the new flights shown as an itinerary (it had two departures, two connections, and two arrivals, all with 'layover' times between each occurrence -- it gave me a 11 minute layover between the arrival of my original later flight at DFW and the departure of my new earlier itenerary out of DFW). It didn't 'fix' ever. Anyways, I have to use it all the time to take screen shots to 'prove' that I couldn't have gotten a cheaper rate (airline or hotel) with concur but I never purchase through it.
I must say, I am somewhat surprised that people are surprised that bookings on Concur and other indirect means don't count -- I ALWAYS book my flights and hotels directly, and one of the reasons is because it is a NORMAL part of the industry to treat their direct customers best.
I don't know what Concur collects as fees (other than that really lame 7$ on airline tickets), but they quite literally are the definition of a useless middle-man business vendor with a terrible product but somehow has the connections to get corporate buyers to bite in. Concur has never had a cheaper flight or hotel offered in my experience. And their website is cruddy-- I once had a major flight change (afternoon itinerary became a morning itinerary). Concur didn't email me any information on this, and on their site had both the old and the new flights shown as an itinerary (it had two departures, two connections, and two arrivals, all with 'layover' times between each occurrence -- it gave me a 11 minute layover between the arrival of my original later flight at DFW and the departure of my new earlier itenerary out of DFW). It didn't 'fix' ever. Anyways, I have to use it all the time to take screen shots to 'prove' that I couldn't have gotten a cheaper rate (airline or hotel) with concur but I never purchase through it.
Last edited by MarkOK; Nov 20, 2017 at 8:06 am
#70
formerly a193991
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Zulu Romeo Hotel
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist; LX SEN (*A Gold), AA LTG
Posts: 4,528
I must say, I am somewhat surprised that people are surprised that bookings on Concur and other indirect means don't count -- I ALWAYS book my flights and hotels directly, and one of the reasons is because it is a NORMAL part of the industry to treat their direct customers best.
I don't know what Concur collects as fees (other than that really lame 7$ on airline tickets), but they quite literally are the definition of a useless middle-man business vendor with a terrible product but somehow has the connections to get corporate buyers to bite in. Concur has never had a cheaper flight or hotel offered in my experience. And their website is cruddy-- I once had a major flight change (afternoon itinerary became a morning itinerary). Concur didn't email me any information on this, and on their site had both the old and the new flights shown as an itinerary (it had two departures, two connections, and two arrivals, all with 'layover' times between each occurrence -- it gave me a 11 minute layover between the arrival of my original later flight at DFW and the departure of my new earlier itenerary out of DFW). It didn't 'fix' ever. Anyways, I have to use it all the time to take screen shots to 'prove' that I couldn't have gotten a cheaper rate (airline or hotel) with concur but I never purchase through it.
I FULLY CONCUR to what you say, and that Concur is an unnecessary middle thing. you are right, that when booking directly, you normally get better service, especially during disruptions etc.
However, some corporations will not refund your expenses, if not booked through the corporate booking tool. This can be checked by the expense system. hence, you are actually forced to use the corporate channel. To my knowledge, Concur get 150$ per booking from my company, so it's more than the 7$ you mentioned.
Also, corporations may get kickbacks from airlines/hotels, will be able to count the amount of nights booked and hence negotiate better deals etc... same as with the Corporate AMEX card, the corporation gets kickback on the total amount, hence I am forced to use the card.
#71
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
#72
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 9,981
OK, but booking by phone IS booking direct, and yet doesn't qualify.
I understand the commission issue, but the advantage of online over phone seems nominal, and in plenty of cases, you can't get what you need online so the only option is to call.
I understand the commission issue, but the advantage of online over phone seems nominal, and in plenty of cases, you can't get what you need online so the only option is to call.
#73
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Online over phone isnt nominal for the companies. Computers are a lot cheaper than people.
#74
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
#75
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Texas
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 452
This. I would imagine that a good deal of corporate business flows through Concur or other services. If one chain decided not to award points, promo or not, to Concur travelers and another chain did, I would imagine business travel through these booking engines would decline drastically. Everyone I know who works for a Fortune 500 company goes through one of these portals and I doubt any customer service business would want to turn down those customers, with a booking fee or not.