U.S. Travel Association's Daily Getaways 2016
Mar 28, 2016, 4:48 pm
#31
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
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Mar 28, 2016, 5:46 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
And also for anything that a particular program's points or miles can "buy".
Mar 28, 2016, 6:46 pm
#35
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Posts: 102,095
It seems like the displayed 2016 Wyndham offer isn't as great a value as it has been for me before, but it's good enough that I may take it anyway.
I'm still picking up Choice and Best Western points.
But I'm not as interested in buying as many Choice points as I used to buy, mainly because I don't want to be hit by a massive points devaluation that I have been expecting (but with a timing that is off) with Choice,
I'm still picking up Choice and Best Western points.
But I'm not as interested in buying as many Choice points as I used to buy, mainly because I don't want to be hit by a massive points devaluation that I have been expecting (but with a timing that is off) with Choice,
Mar 28, 2016, 7:29 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
It seems like the displayed 2016 Wyndham offer isn't as great a value as it has been for me before, but it's good enough that I may take it anyway.
I'm still picking up Choice and Best Western points.
But I'm not as interested in buying as many Choice points as I used to buy, mainly because I don't want to be hit by a massive points devaluation that I have been expecting (but with a timing that is off) with Choice,
I'm still picking up Choice and Best Western points.
But I'm not as interested in buying as many Choice points as I used to buy, mainly because I don't want to be hit by a massive points devaluation that I have been expecting (but with a timing that is off) with Choice,
I'm really curious as to your opinion on the choice devaluation, do you think something more is happening this year? I kind of wanted to stock up on those and can't really see how the hotels'd I'd use it at would change much but who knows.
Mar 28, 2016, 8:28 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA, UA, DL, AS, LH, BA, VS, HHonors, Hyatt, Club Carlson, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 833
Mar 28, 2016, 8:55 pm
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: ORF
Programs: UA Silver, MR titanium
Posts: 2,020
Mar 28, 2016, 10:22 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Hi miadukes. Not speaking for GUWonder -- but as I see it, the the just-introduced bifurcation of award points required for weeknights vs. weekends (layered on the seasonal variability) being discussed on the Choice board here, in which FTers notice that the changes are to increase the weekend points requirement rather than to decrease the weeknight requirement, looks at this point to be "the camel's nose under the tent".
Mar 29, 2016, 3:15 am
#40
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But I wouldn't spend a lot more of my own money to keep a lot of points in a Choice account when, at a future time to my liking (even late this year), I can use even a small balance to buy Choice points via the book cash+points & cancel game. If you have as few as 6k points, this can be done without locking up money (in a Choice account) for a long time and hoping not to get hit by a rather sudden devaluation of Choice points when you have a relatively large Choice account balance.
In other words, I would be more open to buying a single package to use for the cash+points & refund game than to spend $500+ on these Daily Getaway Choice package sales in anticipation of using the points next year (or even in the last quarter of this year). Most Choice customers can not book Choice award nights more than 30-60 days in advance. And more and more Choice properties outside of the US are cutting back on the proportion of their rooms that they make available for redemption.
Will I be buying some of these packages for others? Yes, but I am no longer eager to see my family and friends pick up the maximum amounts of points this way. A maximum advance booking window of 30-60 days when using points makes hoarding points for some peak vacation period redemption several months or a year out look increasingly like a gamble that won't pay off like it used to do.
Last edited by GUWonder; Mar 29, 2016 at 3:24 am
Mar 29, 2016, 5:41 am
#41
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
Hi miadukes. Not speaking for GUWonder -- but as I see it, the the just-introduced bifurcation of award points required for weeknights vs. weekends (layered on the seasonal variability) being discussed on the Choice board here, in which FTers notice that the changes are to increase the weekend points requirement rather than to decrease the weeknight requirement, looks at this point to be "the camel's nose under the tent".
The program has been getting more "innovative" -- including in the way mentioned by Firewind -- in the past year or two. To me that has been an indication that the values I got out of the Choice program before may be subject to "innovation" as Choice reviews and adjusts the program in ways that are more likely to include a devaluation of my still rather large balance of Choice points than to lead to an appreciation in value of those same points. When that will happen is to be seen, and I could be entirely off on this.
But I wouldn't spend a lot more of my own money to keep a lot of points in a Choice account when, at a future time to my liking (even late this year), I can use even a small balance to buy Choice points via the book cash+points & cancel game. If you have as few as 6k points, this can be done without locking up money (in a Choice account) for a long time and hoping not to get hit by a rather sudden devaluation of Choice points when you have a relatively large Choice account balance.
In other words, I would be more open to buying a single package to use for the cash+points & refund game than to spend $500+ on these Daily Getaway Choice package sales in anticipation of using the points next year (or even in the last quarter of this year). Most Choice customers can not book Choice award nights more than 30-60 days in advance. And more and more Choice properties outside of the US are cutting back on the proportion of their rooms that they make available for redemption.
Will I be buying some of these packages for others? Yes, but I am no longer eager to see my family and friends pick up the maximum amounts of points this way. A maximum advance booking window of 30-60 days when using points makes hoarding points for some peak vacation period redemption several months or a year out look increasingly like a gamble that won't pay off like it used to do.
But I wouldn't spend a lot more of my own money to keep a lot of points in a Choice account when, at a future time to my liking (even late this year), I can use even a small balance to buy Choice points via the book cash+points & cancel game. If you have as few as 6k points, this can be done without locking up money (in a Choice account) for a long time and hoping not to get hit by a rather sudden devaluation of Choice points when you have a relatively large Choice account balance.
In other words, I would be more open to buying a single package to use for the cash+points & refund game than to spend $500+ on these Daily Getaway Choice package sales in anticipation of using the points next year (or even in the last quarter of this year). Most Choice customers can not book Choice award nights more than 30-60 days in advance. And more and more Choice properties outside of the US are cutting back on the proportion of their rooms that they make available for redemption.
Will I be buying some of these packages for others? Yes, but I am no longer eager to see my family and friends pick up the maximum amounts of points this way. A maximum advance booking window of 30-60 days when using points makes hoarding points for some peak vacation period redemption several months or a year out look increasingly like a gamble that won't pay off like it used to do.
Anyway who knows maybe its crazy this year and I wont be able to get that many points.
ETA: But I do agree that the booking window is really ridiculous, as it stands you cant even book for summer travel
Mar 29, 2016, 9:22 am
#42
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYJ
Posts: 2,230
Does anyone have an idea of when the preview of the remaining three weeks will be shown?
Mar 29, 2016, 12:07 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
For using Choice points for Preferred Group properties, do the 30/60/90 day rules apply?
Mar 29, 2016, 12:33 pm
#44
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ZRH
Programs: M&M SEN (*G), HH Diamond
Posts: 2,418
My guess would be that we will see weeks 3 to 5 once the first deal goes live.