Reservation Cancellation Policies (General Discussion)
#17
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,116
#18
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA plt 2 mm, Marriott LTT, HH dia
Posts: 1,215
#20
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Erie, CO USA
Programs: UA, Marriott, Starwood, et al
Posts: 1,559
6pm holds?
Sorry if this has been covered in a different thread, but the ones I scanned did not seem to. And you can't search "6pm" on FT because it is too short.
Regarding the cancellation policy below (in blue). The way I am reading it is that you can still do a 6pm hold, but if you don't cancel 2 days in advance, you will still be charged. Is that the correct interpretation?
Thanks,
TRRed
Holding Your Reservation
- Your reservation is not guaranteed if you arrive late. Please note that your room will only be guaranteed until 6:00 PM on the day of your expected arrival.
Cancelling Your Reservation
- You may cancel your reservation for no charge until April 25, 2018 (2 day[s] before arrival).
- Please note that we will assess a fee of 108.34 USD if you must cancel after this deadline. If you have made a prepayment, we will retain all or part of your prepayment. If not, we will charge your credit card.
Last edited by TRRed; Mar 31, 2018 at 9:42 am Reason: Trying to reduce font since font size increased substantially when posted.
#21
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
Sorry if this has been covered in a different thread, but the ones I scanned did not seem to. And you can't search "6pm" on FT because it is too short.Regarding the cancellation policy below (in blue). The way I am reading it is that you can still do a 6pm hold, but if you don't cancel 2 days in advance, you will still be charged. Is that the correct interpretation?
I think you are interpreting this correctly, but if you call the FD they might have the specific property's interpretation.
#22
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 139
Can someone help clarify something for me?
I have a (not cheap) reservation at a full service Marriott property in Asia for August that has this disclaimer on the rate details:
I'm flying in that day from another Asian city, arriving in the evening (~9 PM).
I've reserved the room with a credit card.....
Is there really a likelihood I show up and don't have a room?! How can I make sure to "confirm" this room...?!
I have a (not cheap) reservation at a full service Marriott property in Asia for August that has this disclaimer on the rate details:
- Your reservation is not guaranteed if you arrive late. Please note that your room will only be guaranteed until 6:00 PM on the day of your expected arrival.
I'm flying in that day from another Asian city, arriving in the evening (~9 PM).
I've reserved the room with a credit card.....
Is there really a likelihood I show up and don't have a room?! How can I make sure to "confirm" this room...?!
#23
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: Marriott Titanium; UA 1K; Hertz Presidents Club
Posts: 441
Can someone help clarify something for me?
I have a (not cheap) reservation at a full service Marriott property in Asia for August that has this disclaimer on the rate details:
I'm flying in that day from another Asian city, arriving in the evening (~9 PM).
I've reserved the room with a credit card.....
Is there really a likelihood I show up and don't have a room?! How can I make sure to "confirm" this room...?!
I have a (not cheap) reservation at a full service Marriott property in Asia for August that has this disclaimer on the rate details:
- Your reservation is not guaranteed if you arrive late. Please note that your room will only be guaranteed until 6:00 PM on the day of your expected arrival.
I'm flying in that day from another Asian city, arriving in the evening (~9 PM).
I've reserved the room with a credit card.....
Is there really a likelihood I show up and don't have a room?! How can I make sure to "confirm" this room...?!
#24
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
I think this highlights a difference between the ways Starwood has done things and the way Marriott has done things. I wondered if I was being dense when I read and reread the language on the new combined program. Several sections seemed purposely designed to be vague and open to interpretation when there are clear and simple ways to state things.
Starwood:
CANCELLATION POLICY
If you cancel between Mon, 04 Sep 2017 and 6:00 PM hotel time on Tue, 10 Oct 2017, there will be no forfeiture amount. If you cancel after 6:00 PM hotel time on Tue, 10 Oct 2017, the forfeiture amount will be a 1 night stay. There may be additional applicable charges and taxes.
Totally clear.
Marriott:
Cancelling Your Reservation
You may cancel your reservation for no charge until September 6, 2017 (2 day[s] before arrival).
Subject to interpretation
Marriott has demonstrated that they are willing to evolve and improve. Supposedly a main goal of the merger is to "eventually build a newer, stronger loyalty program that play[s] to the strengths of each one."
This is one area IMHO where Marriott can learn from Starwood.
Starwood:
CANCELLATION POLICY
If you cancel between Mon, 04 Sep 2017 and 6:00 PM hotel time on Tue, 10 Oct 2017, there will be no forfeiture amount. If you cancel after 6:00 PM hotel time on Tue, 10 Oct 2017, the forfeiture amount will be a 1 night stay. There may be additional applicable charges and taxes.
Totally clear.
Marriott:
Cancelling Your Reservation
You may cancel your reservation for no charge until September 6, 2017 (2 day[s] before arrival).
Subject to interpretation
Marriott has demonstrated that they are willing to evolve and improve. Supposedly a main goal of the merger is to "eventually build a newer, stronger loyalty program that play[s] to the strengths of each one."
This is one area IMHO where Marriott can learn from Starwood.
#26
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 139
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm traveling with 3 colleagues, all of whom are platinum. We all made our reservations separately and are traveling together (checking in "late" together). I'm afraid they will "walk" me (I'm NOT platinum!) but not them and then I'd be in a pickle in terms of our plans/this trip. They, too, saw the weird "only good until 6 PM" message on their reservations.
#27
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,368
Has there ever been an answer to the question of what time (in the local time zone of the hotel) the cancellation deadline really is? Is it the hotel's check in time or some other time?
#28
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Erie, CO USA
Programs: UA, Marriott, Starwood, et al
Posts: 1,559
TRRed
#29
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 20
Different cancellation policies?
Hi FlyerTalk!
One of my SPG reservations made pre-merger now has conflicting cancellation policies stated on the site -- any guidance on which is the correct one? Have you guys seen this with your reservations as well?
When I click into the reservation, I see this (showing a Nov 10 2018 cancellation deadline):
However, when I click the "CANCELLATION POLICY" link below where I had boxed in red, I see this:
For what it's worth, I know when I made the reservation under the SPG site, November 10 2018 was definitely not the deadline to cancel penalty free - it was a few days before arrival, in April 2019.
I've already tried emailing the Marriott customer support emails so I can get a response in writing, but it's been a week and I still haven't heard anything yet.
Any insight would be helpful (i.e., whether this has happened to your reservations as well)! Also, curious about why November 10th was chosen here - seems pretty arbitrary.
One of my SPG reservations made pre-merger now has conflicting cancellation policies stated on the site -- any guidance on which is the correct one? Have you guys seen this with your reservations as well?
When I click into the reservation, I see this (showing a Nov 10 2018 cancellation deadline):
However, when I click the "CANCELLATION POLICY" link below where I had boxed in red, I see this:
For what it's worth, I know when I made the reservation under the SPG site, November 10 2018 was definitely not the deadline to cancel penalty free - it was a few days before arrival, in April 2019.
I've already tried emailing the Marriott customer support emails so I can get a response in writing, but it's been a week and I still haven't heard anything yet.
Any insight would be helpful (i.e., whether this has happened to your reservations as well)! Also, curious about why November 10th was chosen here - seems pretty arbitrary.
#30
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EP, UA Gold-MM, UA 1K (former), GS (former),SPG LT Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,299
The correct cancellation policy should be whatever is in the original email confirmation you received when you booked the room.