Reward Nights are Changing from 18 January 2012
Jan 3, 2012, 7:04 am
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,204
What annoys me most is the very poor notice. Spend many nights in IHG properties in 2011 just to be told that all the points earned will be devalued in 15 days.
Jan 3, 2012, 7:06 am
#32
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Tyrone,EU
Programs: Avios Hunter
Posts: 2,811
Jan 3, 2012, 7:21 am
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
The answer is presumably "plenty, but not in places you would want to visit, and often where rooms rates are low enough to make even 40k points look like a bad deal" ....
Jan 3, 2012, 7:31 am
#35
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,726
So when I call I can enjoy the lower rates for 2 months but when I book online it will be 2 weeks? What a joke. For now I'm planning with the 2 weeks as that's the only thing I have seen in writing. As many of us I will book what I think I may want to use (nicely one night at a time) to cover some vacations and then cancel as needed in the future.
In all this it would be nice if they could publish a list of hotels that move in points redemption rates, but as usual I guess that is too much transparency to ask for.
I expect ICs in places like Bali, HKG, NYC, SFO, Rome, London, Paris, etc. to go up by 10K to 50K as well as CPs in similar key metropolitan areas to jump to 35K. Ohh and the new IC in Koh Samui (opening in Feb 2012) as well as the IC in Hua HIn are still at 30K points which can't last looking at the room rates so redeem quickly if you want to go there next year.
In all this it would be nice if they could publish a list of hotels that move in points redemption rates, but as usual I guess that is too much transparency to ask for.
I expect ICs in places like Bali, HKG, NYC, SFO, Rome, London, Paris, etc. to go up by 10K to 50K as well as CPs in similar key metropolitan areas to jump to 35K. Ohh and the new IC in Koh Samui (opening in Feb 2012) as well as the IC in Hua HIn are still at 30K points which can't last looking at the room rates so redeem quickly if you want to go there next year.
Jan 3, 2012, 7:43 am
#37
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: Miles and More
Posts: 376
The USA Today article also mentions that some hotels will actually require less points (i.e. some HI and HIX will go from 25 to 20). But my understanding is that we will only know these new values after 18th. All hotels I tried to book have the same # of points for stays both before and after Jan 18
Last edited by alexanderrr; Jan 3, 2012 at 8:51 am
Jan 3, 2012, 7:44 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: E14
Programs: BA GGL, Marriott, IHG, Sirius, Dusit, Thai, Virgin, Hyatt, BAA, AS, AA(both)
Posts: 1,230
Jan 3, 2012, 7:51 am
#39
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 774
I would suppose though that the eastern european (Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest) at least will remain at 40k, and perhaps the German ICs too since rates there are never worth redeeming even at 40k. Somewhat forces me to make a quick choice as to when I will try the new IC in Porto, though, and I wonder whether the Milan properly will get built in time for the next devaluation?
And of course, those of us who can't log in to our accounts properly would have no choice but to make bookings by phone anyway...
Jan 3, 2012, 7:59 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,377
Given the fact that PCR isn't publishing a list of hotels going up in point cost, the telephone grace period, although annoying, is probably better than simply delaying the increase to March. At least this way, we will know in two weeks which properties are increasing (for now) and can then redeem. Sure, I can guess that Paris, Amsterdam, NYC, etc. are all going up, but that's not the whole picture.
Depending on how things go, the 20K HI/HIX category is probably a good thing--if they lower a lot of 25K properties to 20K. If they just bump 15K properties up to 20K, then it's not.
PCR is the only program that had branded-pricing (i.e., all CPs 25K, all CS 15K, all Staybridge 20K), so it's not surprising that each brand (except HI Vacations) will have at least two redemption rates.
Depending on how things go, the 20K HI/HIX category is probably a good thing--if they lower a lot of 25K properties to 20K. If they just bump 15K properties up to 20K, then it's not.
PCR is the only program that had branded-pricing (i.e., all CPs 25K, all CS 15K, all Staybridge 20K), so it's not surprising that each brand (except HI Vacations) will have at least two redemption rates.
Jan 3, 2012, 8:26 am
#41
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Monterey, California
Programs: Affiliated with all, participate in some
Posts: 2,188
I just had a telephone meeting with Priorioty Club's VP Don Berg.
25% of Priority Club hotels are increasing reward cost.
20% of Priority Club hotels are decreasing reward cost.
55% of hotels no change.
There will be no list of hotels changing tier level. Don Berg told me their research indicates Priority Club members plan hotel stays by destination and not by the reward cost of hotels.
He also says publishing a list would give their competitors an advantage. I guess that means Priority Club has an advantage over Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood since they all publish a list of which hotels are in each reward category.
Priority Club members have a 60-day window from January 18 to book hotels through the customer service center at the old lower cost or rebook hotels that have dropped in points cost. There is a 360-day booking window.
25% of Priority Club hotels are increasing reward cost.
20% of Priority Club hotels are decreasing reward cost.
55% of hotels no change.
There will be no list of hotels changing tier level. Don Berg told me their research indicates Priority Club members plan hotel stays by destination and not by the reward cost of hotels.
He also says publishing a list would give their competitors an advantage. I guess that means Priority Club has an advantage over Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood since they all publish a list of which hotels are in each reward category.
Priority Club members have a 60-day window from January 18 to book hotels through the customer service center at the old lower cost or rebook hotels that have dropped in points cost. There is a 360-day booking window.
Jan 3, 2012, 8:35 am
#42
Join Date: May 2005
Location: 1A
Posts: 1,350
I just had a telephone meeting with Priorioty Club's VP Don Berg.
25% of Priority Club hotels are increasing reward cost.
20% of Priority Club hotels are decreasing reward cost.
55% of hotels no change.
There will be no list of hotels changing tier level. Don Berg told me their research indicates Priority Club members plan hotel stays by destination and not by the reward cost of hotels.
He also says publishing a list would give their competitors an advantage. I guess that means Priority Club has an advantage over Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood since they all publish a list of which hotels are in each reward category.
Priority Club members have a 60-day window from January 18 to book hotels through the customer service center at the old lower cost or rebook hotels that have dropped in points cost. There is a 360-day booking window.
25% of Priority Club hotels are increasing reward cost.
20% of Priority Club hotels are decreasing reward cost.
55% of hotels no change.
There will be no list of hotels changing tier level. Don Berg told me their research indicates Priority Club members plan hotel stays by destination and not by the reward cost of hotels.
He also says publishing a list would give their competitors an advantage. I guess that means Priority Club has an advantage over Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood since they all publish a list of which hotels are in each reward category.
Priority Club members have a 60-day window from January 18 to book hotels through the customer service center at the old lower cost or rebook hotels that have dropped in points cost. There is a 360-day booking window.
Jan 3, 2012, 8:59 am
#43
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 774
So clever though it is to use the 25%, 20% increase/decrease numbers to make it look like things aren't changing a whole lot, the increases are going to be massive in relation to the decreases, aren't they?
Jan 3, 2012, 9:07 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: SEA
Posts: 362
why can't I see the new values?
I'm following the link, tried Chrome, IE and Firefox, and I see only the current chart... Can anyone publish here the full changes? I'm guessing the 15K for Candlewood Times Square will be going the way of the dodo... I will miss that!
Jan 3, 2012, 9:13 am
#45
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Posts: 2,395