LNF for newbies (that's Marriott's version of BRG)
May 8, 2012, 6:36 am
#76
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Florida
Programs: Marriott Rewards-Lifetime Titanium, Priority Club-Platinum, Hilton-Diamond, United-Silver
Posts: 403
Rasheed, you have provided an excellent summary with a great explanation.
However, I present an addition to #2.
Although you are correct in not using 3 letter codes to find your initial rate, you certainly can do so to find the lower, comparison rate on which to file your claim.
However, I present an addition to #2.
Although you are correct in not using 3 letter codes to find your initial rate, you certainly can do so to find the lower, comparison rate on which to file your claim.
I'm confused about you saying that you can use a 3 letter code when finding the comparison rate. Are you saying here that you can use a rate found on Marriott.com to trigger the LNF?
May 8, 2012, 12:29 pm
#77
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
May 8, 2012, 2:08 pm
#78
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Belper, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
Programs: Marriott Rewards Silver, Starwood Preferred Guest Plus, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 967
May 8, 2012, 6:39 pm
#79
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 95
then yes, you should have no problem using your Marriott cheques to pay your bill (with limitations found below)
see, https://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/moretrms.mi
Marriott Cheques may not be acceptable at concessions within the hotel not owned or operated by the Company. Please confirm with the hotel prior to making the purchase.
Marriott Cheques are not redeemable for cash or Marriott gift certificates or The Ritz-Carlton gift certificates. Change will not be given on cheques presented as payment for goods and services. Cheques are void and will not be honored if sold for cash or other consideration.
Marriott Cheques may be used for all publicly listed and available room rates and packages, but cannot be used for convention, travel industry, tour, advance purchase, catering, or group room rates.
Marriott Cheques are transferable but are not replaceable if lost, stolen, destroyed, or expired.
Any tax liability, including disclosure, connected with receipt or use of this Reward is the recipient's responsibility.
Marriott Cheques are accepted at face value in U.S. dollars. Cheques will be converted into local currency value at the hotel's current exchange rate
see, https://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/moretrms.mi
Marriott Cheques may not be acceptable at concessions within the hotel not owned or operated by the Company. Please confirm with the hotel prior to making the purchase.
Marriott Cheques are not redeemable for cash or Marriott gift certificates or The Ritz-Carlton gift certificates. Change will not be given on cheques presented as payment for goods and services. Cheques are void and will not be honored if sold for cash or other consideration.
Marriott Cheques may be used for all publicly listed and available room rates and packages, but cannot be used for convention, travel industry, tour, advance purchase, catering, or group room rates.
Marriott Cheques are transferable but are not replaceable if lost, stolen, destroyed, or expired.
Any tax liability, including disclosure, connected with receipt or use of this Reward is the recipient's responsibility.
Marriott Cheques are accepted at face value in U.S. dollars. Cheques will be converted into local currency value at the hotel's current exchange rate
I wasn't able to use a Travel Card as planned for a Paris Courtyard stay using a AAA rate because of the terminology of "publicly listed and available room rate". That one is my fault because I didn't read the terms carefully enough.
However, I would like to use the gift cheques to pay for a stay at the Courtyard Waikiki and I don't want to get stuck with $1000 in gift cheques PLUS have to pay $1000 I wasn't planning on spending for the hotel.
The original Marriott rate I booked was publicly available (Stay for Breakfast Rate). So I am assuming that the LNF rate should be considered "publicly available" too??? I called the Gold Line Customer service and the representative said he "didn't know" and that there could be some "terminology in my rate that might exclude it. It depends on what rate they booked you with." ??? Don't understand that answer.
My next step will be to call the Marriott Waikiki directly and talk to management there to get an assurance??
Thanks for any experience with this.
Maggie
May 10, 2012, 9:06 pm
#81
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion
Posts: 449
best rate guarantee help
Hi I'm sure there are threads dedicated to this but I can't find them so please feel free to move this to the appropriate thread.
Anyway this is the first time I tried to use it. The marriott website rate is 219 and in expedia and other sites it's 199. I submitted a claim with a link to the expedia page of that hotel with the selected dates. I received a reply that they couldn't validate the comparison rate at the time they attempted to validate. Funny thing is I clicked on the expedia link from their reply email and voila I was seeing the 199 rate.
So any tips regarding what I possibly did wrong? Can I cancel and rebook and try again to submit a claim? What options do I have to appeal their determination?
Anyway this is the first time I tried to use it. The marriott website rate is 219 and in expedia and other sites it's 199. I submitted a claim with a link to the expedia page of that hotel with the selected dates. I received a reply that they couldn't validate the comparison rate at the time they attempted to validate. Funny thing is I clicked on the expedia link from their reply email and voila I was seeing the 199 rate.
So any tips regarding what I possibly did wrong? Can I cancel and rebook and try again to submit a claim? What options do I have to appeal their determination?
May 10, 2012, 9:34 pm
#82
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
Things like that happen once in a while. If the rates are not cached on your machine (THAT happens too) and are actually higher on Expedia in the meantime, just reply politely to the rejection-eMail that the lower rate is still available on Expedia and ask them to check that again...this usually helps in this situation.
Greetings - Dirk
Greetings - Dirk
May 11, 2012, 6:25 am
#83
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion
Posts: 449
Thanks however moved my post to this thread. I'm such a noob that I probably saw this thread when searching, but overlooked ir because I didn't know what LNF meant... Since this is a thread for newbies, mybe a title change is appropriate?
Anyway I cancelled my reservation, rebooked it and submitted a new claim. Now I added detailed instructions about how to find the rate (basically search for this hotel in these dates on Expedia...). Hopefully rhis works. If not, they must be real idiots/really trying to avoid honoring their word.
Anyway I cancelled my reservation, rebooked it and submitted a new claim. Now I added detailed instructions about how to find the rate (basically search for this hotel in these dates on Expedia...). Hopefully rhis works. If not, they must be real idiots/really trying to avoid honoring their word.
May 11, 2012, 8:26 am
#84
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 95
I found on Expedia, they list the first 4 or so rates (king bed, 2 double, stay for breakfast, etc.). The reviewer might have to click on "Show all rates" for the rate you are trying to price match to show up.
This happened to me (my first attempt was rejected) and I told them to click on "show all rates" and then they approved it.
Maggie
This happened to me (my first attempt was rejected) and I told them to click on "show all rates" and then they approved it.
Maggie
May 11, 2012, 8:31 am
#85
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion
Posts: 449
I found on Expedia, they list the first 4 or so rates (king bed, 2 double, stay for breakfast, etc.). The reviewer might have to click on "Show all rates" for the rate you are trying to price match to show up.
This happened to me (my first attempt was rejected) and I told them to click on "show all rates" and then they approved it.
Maggie
This happened to me (my first attempt was rejected) and I told them to click on "show all rates" and then they approved it.
Maggie
This rate is a "special expedia rate". Is it possible that it makes a difference?
May 11, 2012, 9:10 am
#87
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: TRI/WAS/CLT
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold,Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 351
maggiew, did you get an answer for your post #65? I have the exact same situation in which I booked a S4B rate and now reservation shows LNF. I will be using $1500 in Travel Cards that were purchased solely for this trip.
Thanks!
Thanks!
May 11, 2012, 9:27 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,095
It's like that with LNF rates - regardless with brekfast or not. I normally write a mail replying to the LNF approval mail to get them to confirm that the rate is with breakfast. That way you get a written confirmation, and that in case the hotel tries to charge you for breakfast, you can then pull out the mail and told them that it's included.
May 11, 2012, 12:32 pm
#90
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion
Posts: 449
Got the rate after some torture
An update: I have received the LNF rate of $149.50, though not before jumping through some hoops.
So my claim for the second reservation got denied for the same reason as the first (the comparison rate was not available). I then called the LNF phone number and spoke to a representative who was nice and helpful. She said she would submit my claim again to make sure that it was done correctly and that sometimes in the first attempt something goes wrong. After an hour or so I received a generic email saying again that the comparison rate wasn't available on expedia.
I called again and received a complete idiot CSR that read her script without taking into account a single word I was saying (e.g. she suggested she would submit the claim since online didn't work although I just told her that I already did that) and couragesly finished reading her scripts despite my protests and without looking at my claim. At last, she agreed to take a look at my claim and said they had screenshots showing that the hotel didn't have availability on these dates on expedia. At this point any attempt to try to get her to suggest the next course of action (other than replying to the email, and she wouldn't say what to write or what can help to prove my case) were deflected.
I then went to expedia and took screen shots, from the search results page all the way to the payment page. I did the same with hotels.com which also had the same rate. I then replied to the email, attaching the screenshots, and asking them for screenshots that showed no availability and to check hotels.com as well. After an hour I received the standard claim acceptance email. Victory!
I am still left with bitter taste from this process. I have no idea what was going on, how they got the no availability, what caused them to change their decision, nothing. For all I know, they were making stuff up hoping that I would go away, until they saw I was serious. Anybody had similar experiences? Am I just a silly angry man?
So my claim for the second reservation got denied for the same reason as the first (the comparison rate was not available). I then called the LNF phone number and spoke to a representative who was nice and helpful. She said she would submit my claim again to make sure that it was done correctly and that sometimes in the first attempt something goes wrong. After an hour or so I received a generic email saying again that the comparison rate wasn't available on expedia.
I called again and received a complete idiot CSR that read her script without taking into account a single word I was saying (e.g. she suggested she would submit the claim since online didn't work although I just told her that I already did that) and couragesly finished reading her scripts despite my protests and without looking at my claim. At last, she agreed to take a look at my claim and said they had screenshots showing that the hotel didn't have availability on these dates on expedia. At this point any attempt to try to get her to suggest the next course of action (other than replying to the email, and she wouldn't say what to write or what can help to prove my case) were deflected.
I then went to expedia and took screen shots, from the search results page all the way to the payment page. I did the same with hotels.com which also had the same rate. I then replied to the email, attaching the screenshots, and asking them for screenshots that showed no availability and to check hotels.com as well. After an hour I received the standard claim acceptance email. Victory!
I am still left with bitter taste from this process. I have no idea what was going on, how they got the no availability, what caused them to change their decision, nothing. For all I know, they were making stuff up hoping that I would go away, until they saw I was serious. Anybody had similar experiences? Am I just a silly angry man?