Privileges of miles/points status
 

Is status and a very big point balance worth anything in negotiating non-stay favors?

We have meetings all day at McCormick in ORD on Friday, and then have to catch a 7:00 pm plane to SFO for a very important wedding on Saturday.

Seems to me like the best way to get to ORD from downtown during rush hour is the train. I know that there are courtesy shuttles from McCormick to all major downtown hotels for our conference and I think that The Palmer House is very close to the blue line (isn't it) that runs to ORD.

Do you think an extremely high Hilton point balance and Diamond status would be enough to prevail upon the Palmer House to check and hold our bags for us during the day, even if we are not guests?

Anybody have a more clever plan? I am always very much open to good/better/best ideas. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

LOL, its a joke, right?

I'm sorry, I thought that you were kidding, I am sincerely sorry.

[This message has been edited by dallasflyer (edited 04-18-2002).]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Which part did you think was funny?

If I inadvertently said something that was amazingly clever or hysterically funny, let me know and I'll surely take credit for intentional humor. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Originally, however, it was a straight question.

During a 10 hr layover in LAS last month, I dropped off my bags at the bellstand at one of the casinos so I could do a little gambling, etc. They bell captain was hesitent, but a $20 tip did the trick.

Status/miles/points weren't nearly as influential as a $20 bill.

(On a side note, In a stroke of luck, while waiting in line to claim my bags at the casino, I dropped a $1 into a nickel slot machine and won $40.00 More than enough to pay the bellman and pay for the ride to/from the airport)


The only other thing I could suggest would be to get a cheap hotel room for the day, using Priceline or Hotwire.

I see 2 1/2 star hotels near ORD available Friday for only $30.00 on Hotwire.

[This message has been edited by FloridaFlyers (edited 04-17-2002).]

McCormick coat checks will take your luggage. There is an airport shuttle that leaves from there, it is well under $20 / person.

Is it because of the traffic potential that you prefer the Blue Line?

Yes I think also that you could leave the baggage at a bell stand at a hotel regardless of whether you are staying, status, etc. If they do for whatever reason bring up "are you a guest today," etc., then you can just say that while you are not a guest today you are a very frequent guest i.e. your diamond status. I don't think you'll have a problem, but of course, get some kind of claim check that they do have your bags just in case when you arrive to pick them up nobody has heard of your luggage, you, etc.

For the appropriate tip they will do anything, you could be homeless and check your shopping cart

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Just curious as to the difference between someones important wedding as opposed to a not important wedding????

I'm not familiar with the properties you've mentioned, but IMHO just do not mention that you are not guests there. I've done stuff like this where I have a meeting in a city for a day and then out later that evening. I usually find the airport hotel to check my bags at the bellstand and pick 'em up on the way back.

I'd just say something like, "I'm going to need to check these... I've got to run to a meeting." That coupled with some cash will get you all taken care of.

Slip the bell captain a few bucks and see what that does. I'll bet you'll get a lot further with that than by telling him you've got x status. He'll probably roll his eyes if you do that, and be like, oh, god, another one of those "do you know how important I am types."

But if you slip him a few bucks, I'm sure that will get you what you want.

" A smile will get you far. A smile & a gun will get you farther." Al Capone
A smile and a twenty will look after you in the world of travel! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I read the ever gracious Punki's line about "important wedding" to mean someone important to her, like a close friend or relative.

[This message has been edited by SAN man (edited 04-18-2002).]

The last time I was in Reno I took my bags to the bellstand at 11am and said truthfully that my room was not ready for me to check in. I did not pick them up until 11pm. It appearred to be an entirely normal occurrance for them. I never did anything to show that I was staying there.

I've actually done this at the Palmer House (it was a few years ago) withough any problems (or status). You could always say you're visiting somebody in the hotel (i've done that a few times). Mostly, I agree that the tip is the thing... :-)

and you're right, the train is the way to go -- it was nice looking out the window at all the cars backed up on the road to the airport (i was on a 6 pm flight out of ORD).

Dan

I've never had any trouble checking bags at a bell desk. They're all set up for it.

While not at the Palmer House Hilton, I tried this at the Park Lane Hilton and they refused to accept my bag. I had been a guest at the hotel only 2 months earlier and had a 12 hour layover at LHR. Rather than stay at the airport, a quick trip to Harvey Nichols for tea was necessary, however, with no bag check insight, I popped over to the Hilton to see if they would hold my bag for the day, actually, a backpack.

I was asked if I was a guest, I replied yes, though cringed at the thought of lying, they checked the hotel roster and seeing that I was not a guest, refused to take my bag.

I should have known better, it was an awful hotel stay and providing a favor was certainly going to be out of the question. In the end, I simply just brought my bag with me to tea, to the V&A and Chelsea.