Getting Bonvoyed on fifth night free awards?
Oct 18, 2019, 2:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: HIlton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Southwest
Posts: 312
Getting Bonvoyed on fifth night free awards?
Just booked a five night award stay for 120,000 points, and noticed that the default setting for someone who has a free night e-certificate available is to use that certificate for the first night and then pay the same 120,000 points (30,000 per night) for the next four nights of the stay. Obviously, this would totally negate the value of that certificate and make it impossible to use elsewhere. It would be very easy for anyone who is not very familiar with the program to get tricked into doing this. Just one more way we've been Bonvoyed!
Oct 18, 2019, 2:18 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: California
Programs: Marriott: Titanium, SQ: Gold, UA: Silver, Hilton: Diamond, Wyndham - Diamond, TR - Diamond
Posts: 233
I recently thought I booked a one night point stay at 12500 points. A few days after check out I noticed my 35k cert was gone. Must have been something like you are pointing out here. Calling today, hope I can get it restored. I can't remember how the cert or points come up when reserving, but to have it default to the 35k cert when one is searching for points stays is a sham. Very annoyed.
Edit: I just called and they said the 12500 point reservation was canceled. Not sure exactly what happened. I sure would remember canceling it and impossible that I would have changed it to the 35k cert. Nothing makes sense. They opened a case to try and have the 35k cert restored and 12,500 points used. Hope for the best.
Edit: I just called and they said the 12500 point reservation was canceled. Not sure exactly what happened. I sure would remember canceling it and impossible that I would have changed it to the 35k cert. Nothing makes sense. They opened a case to try and have the 35k cert restored and 12,500 points used. Hope for the best.
Last edited by kalo93406; Oct 18, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Oct 18, 2019, 4:38 pm
#3
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I noticed something strange when I made two points reservations this week. One of them (legacy SPG/Starwood) invited me to attach the cert and have points deducted now, which would guarantee the rate (in points) while I can't find a way to do the same thing for the other reservation (legacy Marriott, in the same country), despite having lots of points in my account. It doesn't make sense.
Oct 19, 2019, 1:19 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 882
Just booked a five night award stay for 120,000 points, and noticed that the default setting for someone who has a free night e-certificate available is to use that certificate for the first night and then pay the same 120,000 points (30,000 per night) for the next four nights of the stay. Obviously, this would totally negate the value of that certificate and make it impossible to use elsewhere. It would be very easy for anyone who is not very familiar with the program to get tricked into doing this. Just one more way we've been Bonvoyed!
Not something to get worked up about imho.
Oct 19, 2019, 1:53 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,467
I recently thought I booked a one night point stay at 12500 points. A few days after check out I noticed my 35k cert was gone. Must have been something like you are pointing out here. Calling today, hope I can get it restored. I can't remember how the cert or points come up when reserving, but to have it default to the 35k cert when one is searching for points stays is a sham. Very annoyed.
Edit: I just called and they said the 12500 point reservation was canceled. Not sure exactly what happened. I sure would remember canceling it and impossible that I would have changed it to the 35k cert. Nothing makes sense. They opened a case to try and have the 35k cert restored and 12,500 points used. Hope for the best.
Edit: I just called and they said the 12500 point reservation was canceled. Not sure exactly what happened. I sure would remember canceling it and impossible that I would have changed it to the 35k cert. Nothing makes sense. They opened a case to try and have the 35k cert restored and 12,500 points used. Hope for the best.
Oct 19, 2019, 7:45 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,467
I recently thought I booked a one night point stay at 12500 points. A few days after check out I noticed my 35k cert was gone. Must have been something like you are pointing out here. Calling today, hope I can get it restored. I can't remember how the cert or points come up when reserving, but to have it default to the 35k cert when one is searching for points stays is a sham. Very annoyed.
Edit: I just called and they said the 12500 point reservation was canceled. Not sure exactly what happened. I sure would remember canceling it and impossible that I would have changed it to the 35k cert. Nothing makes sense. They opened a case to try and have the 35k cert restored and 12,500 points used. Hope for the best.
Edit: I just called and they said the 12500 point reservation was canceled. Not sure exactly what happened. I sure would remember canceling it and impossible that I would have changed it to the 35k cert. Nothing makes sense. They opened a case to try and have the 35k cert restored and 12,500 points used. Hope for the best.
Oct 19, 2019, 9:27 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,017
correct me if I'm wrong but do those e-certs not expire? Points on the other hand DONT expire. Thats how I would want the system to be set up personally - try to burn, by default, the thing that is 'use it or lose it'. It just so happens that a 5 night award stay is not the stay you would want to do that on. but on any other length of stay, the default would/could be helping you out.
Not something to get worked up about imho.
Not something to get worked up about imho.
Oct 19, 2019, 9:32 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
Just booked a five night award stay for 120,000 points, and noticed that the default setting for someone who has a free night e-certificate available is to use that certificate for the first night and then pay the same 120,000 points (30,000 per night) for the next four nights of the stay. Obviously, this would totally negate the value of that certificate and make it impossible to use elsewhere. It would be very easy for anyone who is not very familiar with the program to get tricked into doing this. Just one more way we've been Bonvoyed!
Oct 19, 2019, 10:59 am
#10
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Oct 19, 2019, 1:18 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: California
Programs: Marriott: Titanium, SQ: Gold, UA: Silver, Hilton: Diamond, Wyndham - Diamond, TR - Diamond
Posts: 233
Last edited by kalo93406; Oct 19, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Oct 19, 2019, 1:22 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: California
Programs: Marriott: Titanium, SQ: Gold, UA: Silver, Hilton: Diamond, Wyndham - Diamond, TR - Diamond
Posts: 233
correct me if I'm wrong but do those e-certs not expire? Points on the other hand DONT expire. Thats how I would want the system to be set up personally - try to burn, by default, the thing that is 'use it or lose it'. It just so happens that a 5 night award stay is not the stay you would want to do that on. but on any other length of stay, the default would/could be helping you out.
Oct 19, 2019, 1:49 pm
#13
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Making two separate processes makes the site even more tedious than it already is, in the same way you can't search for multiple rates at a time. It's much easier to have one process with the payment (certificate or points) at the end. This also allows you to mix certificate+points in a single stay.
Oct 19, 2019, 2:09 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: California
Programs: Marriott: Titanium, SQ: Gold, UA: Silver, Hilton: Diamond, Wyndham - Diamond, TR - Diamond
Posts: 233
Making two separate processes makes the site even more tedious than it already is, in the same way you can't search for multiple rates at a time. It's much easier to have one process with the payment (certificate or points) at the end. This also allows you to mix certificate+points in a single stay.
Last edited by kalo93406; Oct 19, 2019 at 2:25 pm