No blackout dates?
Mar 11, 2014 | 4:30 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
Long long few weeks
Mar 14, 2014 | 3:49 pm
#32
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,077
Maybe it's just me but this pattern seems a bit odd:
Checked the Residence Inn Savannah Downtown for 2 nights in April, and there is absolutely no availability for a Thursday, Friday or Saturday check-in from 4/3 - 5/24, yet every single Sunday-Wednesday is available.
But the SHS is wide open from 4/10 on. Are there really that many people trying to save 5,000 points a night (edit: or use Cat 5 certificates, as it's really the only one in the downtown area)?
Checked the Residence Inn Savannah Downtown for 2 nights in April, and there is absolutely no availability for a Thursday, Friday or Saturday check-in from 4/3 - 5/24, yet every single Sunday-Wednesday is available.
But the SHS is wide open from 4/10 on. Are there really that many people trying to save 5,000 points a night (edit: or use Cat 5 certificates, as it's really the only one in the downtown area)?
Last edited by GoPhils; Mar 15, 2014 at 8:12 am
Mar 14, 2014 | 5:00 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,599
Availability is really tight on paid rates too. Checking a couple of nights, there's only 1 room type available and for an inflated rate at the RI.
Mar 15, 2014 | 5:06 am
#34
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,077
That's only a couple of the weekends. But still, that's the same room type that is available for points on the rare times that it actually is available. And the rates at the SHS are just as high.
Mar 15, 2014 | 5:53 am
#35
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,485
Without knowing what the percentage is, it's impossible to confirm whether the percentage or standard room offered for redemption every night is, indeed, "pretty high."
Mar 15, 2014 | 5:55 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,485
Reading above the earlier quoted response from the "Marriott Concierge" reminds me of the extent to which their participation here has subsequently been reduced to making p.r. announcements every once in a while. Those were the "good old days" when it came to participation of the MC here. But, of course, even then the MC participation here didn't compare to what SPG was providing on the Flyertalk SPG board. I'm assuming that the abysmal current level of MC participation was decided by somebody at corporate management and not by the folks who man (manned?) the MC desk.
Last edited by ohmark; Mar 15, 2014 at 6:47 am
Mar 16, 2014 | 9:08 am
#37
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 9,108
I very much remember this debate on FT in 2009, when no blackout dates were launched. Before the launch I found standard redemption availability pretty good, but it could be tough to find 7 consecutive nights (then the Marriott sweet spot) of availability at many hotels, the change to no blackout dates was meant to improve this, and in my experience it has.
No blackout dates means every hotel has to offer a pretty high percentage of standard rooms for redemption every night of the year but can by consulting with corporate reduce to a much lower percentage for a few nights (but only a few) annually.
As such this means that every hotel offers award nights EVERY night of the year, hence there are "no blackout dates" but some nights are so restricted for award availability you will have to book very early.
This differs from SPGs "last standard room availability" which means that all hotels offer all standard rooms for redemption all year round, effectively a super-no-blackout rule.
No blackout dates means every hotel has to offer a pretty high percentage of standard rooms for redemption every night of the year but can by consulting with corporate reduce to a much lower percentage for a few nights (but only a few) annually.
As such this means that every hotel offers award nights EVERY night of the year, hence there are "no blackout dates" but some nights are so restricted for award availability you will have to book very early.
This differs from SPGs "last standard room availability" which means that all hotels offer all standard rooms for redemption all year round, effectively a super-no-blackout rule.