"Your Year with Us" mail
Dec 21, 2017, 9:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: A3 *G, BA Silver
Posts: 170
"Your Year with Us" mail
I just received a "Your Year with Us" mail from Club Carlson, listing some facts about this year.
The most interesting part is:
"WE’RE DELIGHTED YOU MAINTAINED YOUR GOLD ELITE status"
Which seems strange as I've opted not to renew it by only staying 16 nights in 9 stays this year and would only requalify as Silver.
Anyone unexpectedly staying Gold? or it this a mistake from Club Carlson?
I've been Gold for about 5 years now, mostly thanks to the 2-4-1 rates in Europe. I currently have just under 400K points.
The most interesting part is:
"WE’RE DELIGHTED YOU MAINTAINED YOUR GOLD ELITE status"
Which seems strange as I've opted not to renew it by only staying 16 nights in 9 stays this year and would only requalify as Silver.
Anyone unexpectedly staying Gold? or it this a mistake from Club Carlson?
I've been Gold for about 5 years now, mostly thanks to the 2-4-1 rates in Europe. I currently have just under 400K points.
Dec 22, 2017, 8:54 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: TMP
Programs: AY+ Plat, SK Gold, BT VIP, Radisson Premium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 794
Think they're referring to maintaining the status in 2017. I got "WE’RE DELIGHTED YOU MAINTAINED YOUR CONCIERGE ELITE status" which definitely will not be the case in 2018.
Jan 2, 2018, 7:52 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
I got a similar email. It spurred me on to write the following letter.
Any comments or other things I should mention?
Dear Club Carlson
Thank you for the Your Year with Us email. As you will see from my account summary I have not stayed with you so much in 2017.
This is because I have decided to move my loyalty away from Club Carlson and not to renew my Concierge level membership, a level which I have maintained for many years since I joined in 2005.
But given my long association with you, I wanted to let you the three reasons why I have decided to now move on from Club Carlson.
The first and main reason was the sudden removal of the very longstanding Gold and Concierge Elite members’ Weekend Extend 2 for 1 and 4 for 2 benefit earlier in the year, and the shameful way that this was reported as ‘the ending of a promotion’ when it had been very clearly described as a club benefit on the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group page for many years.
This was an excellent benefit, which alone had ensured my loyalty for very many years but with its withdrawal a Club Carlson hotel has now just became just one of many to consider.
Reintroduce this benefit and I would return.
Secondly, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in availability for using gold points and points and cash bookings across the Carlson family. This is not entirely subjective, I have tried booking to stay in Edinburgh on points next October and I see there is no availability at all.
Thirdly, there is great inconsistency in the way that Concierge Elite Members are treated across the Carlson hotel family. Being Concierge, some hotels will upgrade you to the best suite they have, yet when I was last in Bangkok I only received an upgrade to a higher floor room despite the hotel being only newly opened and standard suites being available.
In another hotel in Izmir this year I actually had to explain that Concierge members received free breakfasts and the 20% discount rate for restaurant meals for Concierge members is often applied at the Gold or Silver rate and quite often staff have to be told about that there should be a discount.
So for all these reasons I have consciously decided not maintain Concierge level in 2018 and have no bookings with you beyond 1 March 2018.
Any comments or other things I should mention?
Dear Club Carlson
Thank you for the Your Year with Us email. As you will see from my account summary I have not stayed with you so much in 2017.
This is because I have decided to move my loyalty away from Club Carlson and not to renew my Concierge level membership, a level which I have maintained for many years since I joined in 2005.
But given my long association with you, I wanted to let you the three reasons why I have decided to now move on from Club Carlson.
The first and main reason was the sudden removal of the very longstanding Gold and Concierge Elite members’ Weekend Extend 2 for 1 and 4 for 2 benefit earlier in the year, and the shameful way that this was reported as ‘the ending of a promotion’ when it had been very clearly described as a club benefit on the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group page for many years.
This was an excellent benefit, which alone had ensured my loyalty for very many years but with its withdrawal a Club Carlson hotel has now just became just one of many to consider.
Reintroduce this benefit and I would return.
Secondly, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in availability for using gold points and points and cash bookings across the Carlson family. This is not entirely subjective, I have tried booking to stay in Edinburgh on points next October and I see there is no availability at all.
Thirdly, there is great inconsistency in the way that Concierge Elite Members are treated across the Carlson hotel family. Being Concierge, some hotels will upgrade you to the best suite they have, yet when I was last in Bangkok I only received an upgrade to a higher floor room despite the hotel being only newly opened and standard suites being available.
In another hotel in Izmir this year I actually had to explain that Concierge members received free breakfasts and the 20% discount rate for restaurant meals for Concierge members is often applied at the Gold or Silver rate and quite often staff have to be told about that there should be a discount.
So for all these reasons I have consciously decided not maintain Concierge level in 2018 and have no bookings with you beyond 1 March 2018.
Jan 2, 2018, 5:16 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 133
Secondly, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in availability for using gold points and points and cash bookings across the Carlson family. This is not entirely subjective, I have tried booking to stay in Edinburgh on points next October and I see there is no availability at all.
Jan 2, 2018, 11:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
I agree entirely with what you wrote, but the above point requires some explanation. I can't say for sure when, but a few months back CC introduced a limit on how far ahead you can book with points, and they set the time for 270 days in advance. As it is just the beginning of January, you should see availability for october start to appear in a few days, gradually, as the time progresses for next day each day.
Jan 3, 2018, 1:25 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: IHG - spire amb, Marriot - tit, Radisson - plat, Hilton - gold, Accor -gold, GHA - plat
Posts: 282
Please post their reply if...you will ever get one.
That's what I got as a response to my complaint today.
Thank you for contacting Club Carlson Member Services.
Our response time will be delayed as we are experiencing higher than normal email volume. A member of our staff will contact you with a response. For urgent matters, please go to www.clubcarlson.com/contactus to view the phone number for your region.
Sincerely,
Club Carlson Member Services
That's what I got as a response to my complaint today.
Thank you for contacting Club Carlson Member Services.
Our response time will be delayed as we are experiencing higher than normal email volume. A member of our staff will contact you with a response. For urgent matters, please go to www.clubcarlson.com/contactus to view the phone number for your region.
Sincerely,
Club Carlson Member Services