CardMaster

Several of my 5 PA reservations becaome peak (yesss!). Time to call Marriott

bhrubin

I think you're only allowed up to 3 PA reservations now. You might want to confirm you have them all still.

CardMaster

Still there, I am grandfathered because I booked them before September 14th. I understand the confusion, because Marriott has been very vague in explaining the changes that were going into effect on September 14th.

CIT85

No, this former Hilton Diamond and SPG LTP went to Hyatt.

bhrubin

I can't imagine most former SPGers will be too happy with Hilton--since Hilton has worse point values that Marriott, true dynamic pricing for awards and no award chart, not even close to the elite benefits of Marriott, and a lot fewer luxury/premium options compared with Marriott.

I imagine many former elite SPGers have moved to Hyatt. But that Hyatt portfolio is even smaller and more limiting than SPG's was a decade ago. I'm sure many of them will be back but won't ever admit it on FT.

CIT85

Correct, Hilton's program is the pits with full dynamic pricing and value of Hilton points is often around $0.0035/pt with $110 Hampton Inn going for 30K points.

Hyatt footprint is small so I have to balance out with Marriott, 59 Marriott nights YTD. It's nice having choices.

Award points for Barcelona in March 2020 not very good value, more Standard than Off-Peak, compared to cash rates, so I'll keep my cash rate reservations.

marpauly

Those with PA were limited to 5 bookings prior to sept.14 and the rates are locked in no matter if they are now peak or not.

Now after sept.14th we are now limited to 3 PA but the price is NOT locked in...so if it goes to peak,you'll pay peak point pricing ...and if it goes to standard to low season you'll pay that price.The room is saved but the price is only locked in once you have enough points to attach to the reservation.

Also even if the points are let's say at standard points today,they can be changed monthly...so my booking at standard points today could change to peak season or low season rates next month or the month after that,etc.etc until you have attached the points needed for the specific PA reservation.

Now for the FN CC certificate,let's say the 35k one cannot be used even if your rate is locked in with points prior to sept.14th to pay if it is currently at peak pricing(40k points)....This was confirmed by community managers on marriott insiders site on sept.1st.
So if you didn't attach it prior to the peak pricing change you cannot pay with the 35k free night certificate even thow you have locked in a 35k rate with points prior to the sept.14th date...now as the points needed will change monthly some might get lucky and the price in points might go down later on if the booking is for a date a few months from now?
Hope it helps.. .

This info is on the Marriott Bonvoy site and Insiders.

bhrubin

Thanks for the clarification. I never do or have done PA so I wasn't 100% sure.

Troopers

I have two reservations at a cat 8 property, both reservations for 3 nights, same dates and same room type. One reservation remained unchanged at 85k/night (e-cert attached) while the other reservation went down to 70k/night (PA).

Weird.

bhrubin

Take what you can get. It could be a glitch in your favor!

Troopers

Wait...so I checked same property, same dates and same room type and it's 70k/night for a new reservation.

I guess I'll cancel the reservation at 85k/night and rebook a new reservation at 70l/night.

How are ppl getting a refund so easily? All of my other reservations have remained unchanged or increased in points.

MD/DC Flyer

Not weird at all - the reservation you have e-cert is locked at the old price. You should be able to reprice it online or by calling (no need to rebook I believe).

The PA reservation is dynamic and not locked down by having an e-cert with it so it would show the current price at the time you are checking.

For once, this actually works the way it should be (of course prior to 9/14 it behaved the same but did not show what it supposed to show - one wonder if Marriott changed the rule to meet the IT implementation <sarcasm off>).

kaizen7

I got 1 point booking for Feb at Al Maha and it stays as standard rate.

Looking at flexible date point booking, it seems like its either no point redemption available or standard price for the cooler months there.
(the peak rate was snapped up already?)

There were some off peak booking for those hotter month. But then again during summer usually UAE hotels have heavily discounted rate promotion.

marpauly

You should check the rate for the dates you have booked to see if they have gone to off peak rates and if so you might be able to get some points back?

bhrubin

Well someone just used a 50K cert to book the Cat 7 RC Half Moon Bay for an off-peak night. I'd say that is a bad*** use of a free night cert.

Turns out that there are even more pluses to the peak and off-peak awards when you are flexible and know where to look.