Will existing "Points Advance" reservations raise in price on March 5th???
Feb 10, 2019, 6:26 pm
#91
formerly smoaky
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 300
That's good, but doesn't explicitly mention points advance. Nor how certificates will be affected. For instance I have a reservation for 3 nights at a current cat 5 for October. I'll get 3 FN certs @35k to pay for the current 35k*3 that I'm booking, but by the time I get them it will cost 50k per night as it will be a cat 6 (or god forbid even more if it turns out to be peak lol). I'd like some assurance that I'll be able to fill that reservation with my 3 FN certs which I should have in the next few months.
Feb 10, 2019, 6:40 pm
#92
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Forget about any assurance and accept the face value as it is because this has already been done LAST YEAR.
In the comment section of th OMAAT related article - there are a few posters said they are charged the higher points on last year's point advance booking when the properties went up in categories. Marriott would not budge to honor the existing point advance bookings, only gave 20K courtesy pts per one poster who ended up paid 60K additional on each of his point advance bookings.
https://onemileatatime.com/marriott-...policy-change/
Go read the comment section to see for yourself.
In other words, the sleaziness has started but now it just made it "official" by a footnote in the annual chart change announcement.
In the comment section of th OMAAT related article - there are a few posters said they are charged the higher points on last year's point advance booking when the properties went up in categories. Marriott would not budge to honor the existing point advance bookings, only gave 20K courtesy pts per one poster who ended up paid 60K additional on each of his point advance bookings.
https://onemileatatime.com/marriott-...policy-change/
Go read the comment section to see for yourself.
In other words, the sleaziness has started but now it just made it "official" by a footnote in the annual chart change announcement.
Feb 10, 2019, 6:58 pm
#93
formerly smoaky
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 300
I guess there's no hope with Marriott.
Sadly I'm not trying to book some crazy Maldives hotel or whatever. Just a category 5 in an American city for a nice 4 day trip, but won't have the certs in hand yet. Surely Marriott could let me use my 3 free night certificates, while still clamping down on those who are speculatively booking dozens of new category 8 hotels (or whatever it is that's going on). My reservation is made, and I will not have enough points/certs to cover by March 5. If they don't let me use my free night certificates then I am out non-refundable airfare --- nearly $1,000. I can't afford to buy 150,000 MR points to meet the new rate lol.
Sadly I'm not trying to book some crazy Maldives hotel or whatever. Just a category 5 in an American city for a nice 4 day trip, but won't have the certs in hand yet. Surely Marriott could let me use my 3 free night certificates, while still clamping down on those who are speculatively booking dozens of new category 8 hotels (or whatever it is that's going on). My reservation is made, and I will not have enough points/certs to cover by March 5. If they don't let me use my free night certificates then I am out non-refundable airfare --- nearly $1,000. I can't afford to buy 150,000 MR points to meet the new rate lol.
Feb 10, 2019, 9:07 pm
#94
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 590
I guess there's no hope with Marriott.
Sadly I'm not trying to book some crazy Maldives hotel or whatever. Just a category 5 in an American city for a nice 4 day trip, but won't have the certs in hand yet. Surely Marriott could let me use my 3 free night certificates, while still clamping down on those who are speculatively booking dozens of new category 8 hotels (or whatever it is that's going on). My reservation is made, and I will not have enough points/certs to cover by March 5. If they don't let me use my free night certificates then I am out non-refundable airfare --- nearly $1,000. I can't afford to buy 150,000 MR points to meet the new rate lol.
Sadly I'm not trying to book some crazy Maldives hotel or whatever. Just a category 5 in an American city for a nice 4 day trip, but won't have the certs in hand yet. Surely Marriott could let me use my 3 free night certificates, while still clamping down on those who are speculatively booking dozens of new category 8 hotels (or whatever it is that's going on). My reservation is made, and I will not have enough points/certs to cover by March 5. If they don't let me use my free night certificates then I am out non-refundable airfare --- nearly $1,000. I can't afford to buy 150,000 MR points to meet the new rate lol.
Feb 10, 2019, 9:24 pm
#95
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,467
Feb 10, 2019, 9:52 pm
#97
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,467
Feb 11, 2019, 2:24 am
#99
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
It’s Marriott’s fault that they have allowed speculative awards to occur to the extent that they have. Reviewing the T&Cs of points advancing though, there is a bit of a gem there
If someone forgets to cancel a speculative award before the cancellation date and they end up not paying with points 14 days before the stay, instead of cancelling the reservation they can just charge the customer for it. I know the cash rate for my Al Maha reservation is over 10k for 5 nights and I’m sure most points advance reservations are for high dollar hotels. The inclusion of these terms suggest that an award reservation should also be treated no differently than a cash reservation.
If someone forgets to cancel a speculative award before the cancellation date and they end up not paying with points 14 days before the stay, instead of cancelling the reservation they can just charge the customer for it. I know the cash rate for my Al Maha reservation is over 10k for 5 nights and I’m sure most points advance reservations are for high dollar hotels. The inclusion of these terms suggest that an award reservation should also be treated no differently than a cash reservation.
Feb 11, 2019, 2:31 am
#100
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
From Marriott Rewards Insiders forum:
https://insiders.marriottrewards.com/message/277458
" We saw your thread, "Points Advance Rate Change," and reached out to our team on your behalf. They have let us know that in 2018, Marriott announced that a new category eight level would be coming early in 2019 along with the addition of peak and off-peak seasons, which will be released later in the year. The new category eight level will be introduced in March 2019 along with our annual review of hotel categories; however, for now, these properties are placed in category seven and available for redemption at the lower category seven rate. We encourage you to book your reservation as soon as possible before category eight becomes active. As with all category changes, we are happy to honor the lower category rate though any significant changes to an existing reservation after the change will result in the higher rate being required."
https://insiders.marriottrewards.com/message/277458
" We saw your thread, "Points Advance Rate Change," and reached out to our team on your behalf. They have let us know that in 2018, Marriott announced that a new category eight level would be coming early in 2019 along with the addition of peak and off-peak seasons, which will be released later in the year. The new category eight level will be introduced in March 2019 along with our annual review of hotel categories; however, for now, these properties are placed in category seven and available for redemption at the lower category seven rate. We encourage you to book your reservation as soon as possible before category eight becomes active. As with all category changes, we are happy to honor the lower category rate though any significant changes to an existing reservation after the change will result in the higher rate being required."
Feb 11, 2019, 5:43 pm
#102
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 413
We need more bloggers to confirm this, and it's reassuring to hear Marriott is sticking to the code.. (well hopefully)
There is no change. We included language in the category changes email encouraging members to order redemption certificates before March 5 as a suggestion to help members lock in the rate because having a certificate attached makes it easier to retrieve the original reservation and the original rate. While we can retrieve a reservation without a certificate attached, it is a more involved and time-consuming process requiring the help of a CEC agent.
I followed up further, for avoidance of any doubt, and was told that when you make an award reservation using Points Advance “[t]he rate is locked in.” So you just need to have the points in your account 14 days prior to check-in.
This is a very generous approach by Marriott. It’s one that no doubt some members abuse. But it’s good to know that it’s still available, so that you can more effectively make plans to travel next year at current award rates for the 346 of Marriott’s 6900-plus properties whose points prices are going up in 3 weeks.
This is a very generous approach by Marriott. It’s one that no doubt some members abuse. But it’s good to know that it’s still available, so that you can more effectively make plans to travel next year at current award rates for the 346 of Marriott’s 6900-plus properties whose points prices are going up in 3 weeks.
Feb 11, 2019, 5:56 pm
#103
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Marriott have not got back to TPG which is the first site raised the issue with the new alarming language shown as a small footnote at the bottom of the new chart.
The writer of TPG's article has reached out to Marriott since last week and promised to write an update - there is no update published yet.
Based on some DPs in the comment section of OMAAT's article, Marriott refused to honor the point advance booking last year when hotel categories went up after Aug. You can find those DPs there.
Personally I do not trust Marriott any more.
The writer of TPG's article has reached out to Marriott since last week and promised to write an update - there is no update published yet.
Based on some DPs in the comment section of OMAAT's article, Marriott refused to honor the point advance booking last year when hotel categories went up after Aug. You can find those DPs there.
Personally I do not trust Marriott any more.
Feb 11, 2019, 6:08 pm
#104
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: Marriott Titanium, IHG Spire Elite, Hilton Gold, United Silver, BA Bronze
Posts: 322
It is all very well an executive telling Gary that original bookings will be honoured, but does anyone have confidence that the front line CSAs will be adequately trained to handle these cases?
To those of you in this predicament, I wish you the best of luck. I fear you are going to need it.
To those of you in this predicament, I wish you the best of luck. I fear you are going to need it.
