FFN: Priceline Problem
 

I recently had two stays in HR Jersey City, made a local phone call each time and was charged on my folio. I noticed that I didn't recieve an FFN. I emailed goldpassport and this was the response:

Thank you for your recent message regarding your Gold Passport
account.

In reviewing your two recent stays at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, I
find both reservations were booked through Priceline. In order to earn
the Faster Free Night credit, you must be paying an eligible room rate.
Per the promotional details: "An "eligible rate" is any hotel
published rack rate except third-party rates such as Internet rates like
priceline.com, hotels.com and expedia.com."

These two stays would not qualify for the Faster Free Nights
promotion.

Does anyone have a similar problem like this. Please advise. Thanks.

First, Welcome to Flyertalk. :)
Did you register for the FFN promotion? Did you use a MasterCard? Were your stays after June 1?
I had a PL stay in Chcago and it posted without problem. Search through the threads and see why you may have had a problem.

Thanks. My stays were in 6/1 and 6/6 and yes i did use a MC. I know that on the website, it can take up to 10 days for the FFN to post. How long did it take for you?

Took about a week, but remember you can't redeem for stays before 6/15. Be patient and call GP CS if you still have a problem. Good luck!

Mine has posted automatically - my local Hyatt in Cincinnati.

Also, you may want to "drill down" into your account. Go to www.goldpassport.com and sign-in. Then click on Account Detail, if you see a line that says "Award............0P" - that's your FFN award.

Good Advice!!!

It is only the 11th.

I have 2 non-PL stays and they have not shown yet. Don't sweat the small stuff. :)

Some people have said that they get the notation, "mastercard charge" associated with there stay when viewing their GP account under account detail. I didn't get this, just wondering if you guys did. Anyway, I'll sit tight and hope that they will show up after 6/15. Thanks.

Mine says "MasterCard Charge" and the folio at checkout says "MASTERCARD" and a bunch of numbers after it.

No problem with PL stays and FFN
 

I had 4 stays last week, 3 PL and one non-PL. All 4 posted, though I noticed on the PL stays my GP number did not take initially on check-in. I had the front desk reenter the GP number on checkout, after the incidentals, and all 4 posted and now shows 2 FFN nights available. I was told no more bonuses on PL stays though, except the UA/US 300 point bonus. Will try this again, as I checked my account and I have always received the bonuses, even on award stays. Make sure under "Hotel Stays" that in shows a "MasterCard Charge" in the detail. It's funny that the one hyatt.com stay I had, the Mastercard notation did make it into the detail, though was added by the phone agent.

"Your Gold Passport Account #XXXXX has been credited"
 

Look at your receipt to see if you have the statement "Your Gold Passport Account #XXXXXXX has been credited for this stay." That usually guarantees that it will post. Often I find that when I have a measly $1 phone charge, the Front Desk Clerk zaps the charge off the account, proudly announces that they have waived the incidental charge, and I have to have them re-add the charge. (I now generally make a room service or dining purchase to guarantee hotel incidental credit.)

I always make sure that the GP comment is on my statement when I check out, as sometimes they add the GP number and then delete it (accidentally or on purpose) or it gets put on the wrong folio. You cannot assume that when you handed over your card at checkin that the Front Desk Clerk properly input in. I have had clerks just finger the card, look at it, admire its shiny reflection, and assume that because its a prepaid room that they don't need to do anything other than hold it.

If your checkout statement has the "Your GP account has been credited" statement on it, the GP points should materialize. If you didn't pay with MC or pre-register, you are out of luck for FFNs.

Mastercard charge notation
 

If you do not see "mastercard charge" under account detail, you will not get FFN credit, even if your printed folio shows "mastercard." Try to get GP to add that notation, then the FFN should post.

if you dont see "mastercard charge" in your account detail, you wont get the FFN credit.

you need to call CS to make them add back "mastercard charge", then the system would recognize it.

I always charged something from restaurant, or minibar, to make sure there is incidental charges. A $1.00 local phone call sometimes got waived by frontdesk and you are out of luck. To me, a $6.00 to $8.00 sandwich, cake, or drink, is reasonable enough for me to ensure a stay being posted properly versus a $1.00 local phone call.

on check-out, your folio statement should always show "mastercard" and with a bunch of numbers next to it - usually starts with 6704xxxxxxx.
Even so, sometimes the front desk clerk can still erased after your checked out. I had that experience last summer at Bethesda. Had to call CS to get it back. I charged a drink to the room on that occasion.

the other time i had a problem was an award stay at Grand Cypress Orlando, where they actually required a pre-paid deposit which I paid by MC. Upon check-out, all it showed was my account is being credited and I was due a refund. But it did not carry thru the MC because I actually was due a credit from the hotel instead of having to pay at check-out. I had to call CS to have it fixed.

Removing MC from bill?
 

Has anyone been able to get customer service to add Mastercard to the PL stay after the fact,if the hotel removes it?

Duplicated.

Yes -- If you actually used a MC to pay for the bill.

They have the ability to actually "see" the credit card that you used to pay for the stay. So, if you did not use a MC, then they would know that, too.


By the way, this is not directed specifically to you, but I am amazed at the number of FTers who express a great deal of concern over the possibiltiy that in the future, Hyatt may follow the lead of the other hotel chains and not provide stay credit on future priceline hotel stays.

I can think of no surer way to see that possibility come to pass than to merely nickel and dime Hyatt with $1.50 phone calls -- or less -- to earn stay credit in the hopes of parlaying that into a $300++ night at some Park Hyatt or Resort property.

Speaking only for myself, my wife and I just completed a PLN hotel stay and we charged in excess of $25.00 -- big whoop -- on our bill for drinks at the hotel's lounge. So, for our modest investment of approx. $75.00 we were accorded breakfast vouchers, Diamond amenity, stay credit for next year's status and FFN credit -- at leat I expect to receive as much.

Personally, I don' think this is too much to provide Hyatt in return for having the most generous Frequent Stay program out there, bar none, as well as the excellent customer service receive from the hotel staff, the Diamond reservations and phone support, and last, but certainly not least, Julia's assistance, when necessary.

OK, I'm off my soapbox now.