Changes to SPG Cash & Points - effective March 05, 2013
Jan 18, 2013, 5:23 pm
#91
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
True, but on my last three visits (SPG50 and SPG355N) I have paid around $700 per night, so it's a terrible deal.
Jan 18, 2013, 5:25 pm
#93
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Europe now, used to be NA
Programs: SPG LTP
Posts: 154
Mixed feeling from someone who used C&P quite heavily to date: sounds like devaluation all right, even if indeed it's not unreasonable to up the C&P price after years of stability and arguably sometimes crazy (errr ... fabulous 
) value to get from them when available.
Now open up C&P availability for Oktoberfest in Munich and all is well !!
) value to get from them when available.Now open up C&P availability for Oktoberfest in Munich and all is well !!
Jan 18, 2013, 5:29 pm
#94
Join Date: Oct 2000
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Ambassador/Lifetime Titanium, Accor Silver, Club Carlson Gold, BW Diamond
Posts: 2,432
C&P have gone up incrementally each year, if you consider that the prices rise as properties go up a category (or 2)
This is an additional increase.
This is an additional increase.
Jan 18, 2013, 5:47 pm
#95
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 44
How far out have y'all seen Cash & Points availability? Looking for some things next year, but as far as I can tell December is as far out as you can go.
Jan 18, 2013, 5:55 pm
#96
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Home
Posts: 1,910
It looks like all the hotels I am looking at have pulled their C&P rates. I bet they all want to get the higher rates so why allow people to book at the lower rate?
Jan 18, 2013, 6:32 pm
#97
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
[QUOTE=Medved;20077093]
I hope you're right, but isn't this different? I would think more folks would jump on C+P for suites than would do so for all-points redemptions. My assumption is that, unless they're absolutely rolling in points, people are more willing to go C+P than burn a good chunk of their points via all-points redemptions.
Hence, I tend to think this will indeed cut into Plat upgrades.
Hence, I tend to think this will indeed cut into Plat upgrades.
Last edited by Thunderroad; Jan 18, 2013 at 7:54 pm
Jan 18, 2013, 7:04 pm
#98
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
in summary:
massive 25% devaluation
adding an upgrade 'feature' to trash the benefits of being platinum. now, instead of 'yeah, we can upgrade you', we'll get, 'yeah, sorry no availability, BUT... if you want to pay even more money and points, i'd be happy to upgrade you'.
personally, i find it offensive when lurker posts this with verbiage such as 'improve and enhance' like we are morons. ya know, like how people change the inflection of their voice when talking to a child. i'm not stupid- call a spade a spade. i suggest:
'we've seen other hotels do it, so we feel as though we've got you hooked now and we're going to massively devalue. there is zero benefit to any of you with a brain, yet we feel as though we can get a way with this, so that's why we're doing it'.
as someone else said- teaches me not to 'bank' points because i trust a particular program. i've been debating doing a couple of challenges, but decided they we're worth it since i would still want to do at lease 50, possibly 75 nights at starwood this year. already fired off my email to Hyatt- so much easier to earn points thru spend and no FTF on the card overseas. the AMEX FTF kills that card for overseas- where 90% of my stay are.
massive 25% devaluation
adding an upgrade 'feature' to trash the benefits of being platinum. now, instead of 'yeah, we can upgrade you', we'll get, 'yeah, sorry no availability, BUT... if you want to pay even more money and points, i'd be happy to upgrade you'.
personally, i find it offensive when lurker posts this with verbiage such as 'improve and enhance' like we are morons. ya know, like how people change the inflection of their voice when talking to a child. i'm not stupid- call a spade a spade. i suggest:
'we've seen other hotels do it, so we feel as though we've got you hooked now and we're going to massively devalue. there is zero benefit to any of you with a brain, yet we feel as though we can get a way with this, so that's why we're doing it'.
as someone else said- teaches me not to 'bank' points because i trust a particular program. i've been debating doing a couple of challenges, but decided they we're worth it since i would still want to do at lease 50, possibly 75 nights at starwood this year. already fired off my email to Hyatt- so much easier to earn points thru spend and no FTF on the card overseas. the AMEX FTF kills that card for overseas- where 90% of my stay are.
Jan 18, 2013, 7:13 pm
#99
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,008
I'm disappointed this valuable benefit is being diminished, and equally disappointed with the spin on the messaging. Very Marriott/USAir-like.
Jan 18, 2013, 7:48 pm
#100
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
I was wondering why Aloft Bangkok wasn't showing any C&P for the remainder of the year when just a few days ago it was wide open starting in March.
They've obviously pulled it all in anticipation of a bigger payday. Wondering if that means a jump to Cat 2 as well.
They've obviously pulled it all in anticipation of a bigger payday. Wondering if that means a jump to Cat 2 as well.
Jan 18, 2013, 8:52 pm
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,404
I'll be watching one property that even when emailed, refuses to offer C&P, even in the summer months when they clearly have sub-50% occupancy levels: Westin Monache Mammoth.
Jan 18, 2013, 11:15 pm
#102
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
I see this as a devaluation as I am not married to any particular hotel and am flexible to choose which hotel has c and p rates available. With this being significantly more expensive and me not staying 5 nights usually anywhere (to get the stay 5 pay for 4 via free nights) I don't like it.
I also look at the cpp for C&P vs free nights and those figures don't lie. I always cringed spending points via free nights as I hated seeing my balance drawn down that much. However, with these new changes the free nights 5 for 4 is even more attractive now.
The only saving grace could be when we have our category adjustments and some come down a category.
However take this example. If a property goes from a cat 5 to a cat 4 great you think. Well take a look at the C&P rates before the increase as a cat 5 and after the increase as a cat 4.
As a cat 5
4,800 Starpoints + $90
Moved DOWN to a cat 4
5,000 Starpoints + $75
All in all I will still do my cost analysis when finding rooms, however C&P has been the biggest perk for me staying with SPG. I will evaluate this change, but my feeling now is I won't welcome it in the future anymore than I will now.
I also look at the cpp for C&P vs free nights and those figures don't lie. I always cringed spending points via free nights as I hated seeing my balance drawn down that much. However, with these new changes the free nights 5 for 4 is even more attractive now.
The only saving grace could be when we have our category adjustments and some come down a category.
However take this example. If a property goes from a cat 5 to a cat 4 great you think. Well take a look at the C&P rates before the increase as a cat 5 and after the increase as a cat 4.
As a cat 5
4,800 Starpoints + $90
Moved DOWN to a cat 4
5,000 Starpoints + $75
All in all I will still do my cost analysis when finding rooms, however C&P has been the biggest perk for me staying with SPG. I will evaluate this change, but my feeling now is I won't welcome it in the future anymore than I will now.
with that spin you're giving lurker a run for his money. auditioning for his job?
i don't think it's ANYONE's experience that they lower a hotel's category- quite the opposite. frankly, i think this foreshadows a rise in award night points as well COUPLED with the yearly category bump. they're just trying to stagger the fallout over a couple months by announcing this now. like i said, i'm switching programs. and if they bump the bkk properties up a category in march, i'll be done with SPG for a while. the number of meaningful platinum upgrades in the past year have been almost zero- a higher floor isn't enough to keep my loyalty. not when, unlike most, my stays are all on my dime, as opposed to working for a company. i had a run of over 400 consecutive nights in hotels spread over 3 calendar years. i got more upgrades as gold in 2010 than i got as platinum in 2011, 2012. /rant
Jan 18, 2013, 11:32 pm
#103
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Plat, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 107
I wonder if it will be harder for the platinum members to get complimentary suite upgrade in future given that can be purchased from C&P.
Jan 18, 2013, 11:42 pm
#104
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Europe/SEA
Programs: TK E+, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Dusit Gold
Posts: 1,714
very bad..... 
Jan 19, 2013, 12:00 am
#105
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Europe/SEA
Programs: TK E+, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Dusit Gold
Posts: 1,714
and book now is a real joke....... i see many properties recently taking away availablity on C&P .... I guess they will all open up after March 5 !!!