mpclaw

Let me get this right. I have been a Westin Gold member for over ten years. With the new Starwood program I no longer get airline miles, $8.00 breakfast credit, 24 hour room availability, room upgrade, occasional welcome letter and gift from manager? No more top award of 4 nights in Paris or London with round trip C class ticket on United. Sure do like the new program.

Beckles

mpclaw ~ On the plus side, according to Starwood, it is the most rewarding program

Catman

Sorry MPClaw... a lot of it is true.

I would read over the membership materials you should have received from Starwood.

But from my knowledge:

*No more airline mileage (unless you do the five stays for 10K miles promotion)
*No breakfast 8 dollar voucher (which I liked)
*You'll have to check with Starwood on what their "ulimate escapes" package is to see if this compares to the one you described.

But you get:
*Upgrades to what's called a "Preferred room" are for GOLD members when available.
*No Blackout dates for award rooms (which I think is the best thing about this program.)

The first think I would do is make sure you have GOLD status with Starwood based on your Westin membership.

I'm withholding judgement on Starwood until I've used their program for awhile.


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CATMAN

Rudi

As a Gold member you get (indirect) 3 points =miles per $ spent; if you bill exceeds $166.67 you get more miles than before - and when you transfer 20'000 points into miles you get a bonus of another 5'000 miles.

the breakfast is lost.

I win the choice of more hotels (ex Westin & ex Sheraton) in one program.

I win the freedom of timing the moment (and the airline-partner) I want to exchange Starwood-points into airline-miles (the points don't expire) -

DutchBoy

No black-out dates? Sounds to me like an advertising claim....

It all depends on your definition of 'black-out date'.

Although they might not have black-out dates (i.e. dates on which no award rooms are available at all) I am sure that they have allotment controls in place, so you are still not able to get your room - and who is to say that the allotment isn't only one room per day during peak periods? In my book, that would still be considered a black-out date... If I am going to be unable to get accommodation during peak periods, I'd rather know about it in advance - inform me about my black-out dates and I'll try to rearrange my schedule. Don't tell me there aren't any and then have me find out that all the 'award space is sold out' for the next five weeks!

Rudi

Starwood's president declared in public that they would give the last available room away for awards - and that they don't contingent award-rooms.

ok - let's try to get one in late january-2000 in Atlanta (Superbowl!).

Catman

It's going to be interesting how Starwood will honor this "no blackout dates/room guarantee" pledge. I think what the pledge means is IF THERE'S A ROOM AVAILABLE.

It's going to be difficult to keep that pledge for certain dates like the SUperbowl sporting events and Catman's birthday (that EVERYONE celebrates!)

So the object: book early and make sure Starwood checks thoroughly that there are rooms. I'm keeping a copy of their pledge with me to make sure they honor it.

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CATMAN

Boomer

I think Starwood is quite clear about the no blackout dates.

It's very simple, when you try and book award, if they have an open to sell, they'll give it to you as an award. If the hotel has no rooms open then they have no rooms open

So, call them ask for room availability, and if they say yes, then say great, I'd like to use my starpoints.

jamiel

MPClaw-sounds like that award of bus class + hotel stay from Westin was an old Allegis promotion! Did it include a Hertz car?