Shareholder

I am posting this to start a healthy debate about comp'ng elite status, an ongoing controversy here on FlyerTalk. We have had it on the individual airline forums, and most recently on the Hilton forum. Now, I'd like to launch it on the Starwood foum, so...

At the risk of sounding like a spoiled sport, I would like to explore this question a bit. As we saw on the Hilton forum when they offered a fast track to Gold and the 50K bonus last winter, some of us felt this was a watering down of the value of Gold. Not to mention a slap in the face of those of us who had earned Gold status by virtue of actually staying the required number of nights over the course of the year. yet we recognize in a competitive environment, such things happen.

Now Starwood has appeared to match the Hilton offer, with their solicitation of new Gold status members through referral from [some of, sorry Doc you didn't make it] their Platinum members. This comes after Starwood had culled its Platinum membership base following the 1999 fast-track to Platinum offer mailed to select Gold members. The kicker is that these new Gold referrals, so it would appear from posts here and elsewhere [including the Hilton Forum] will hold Gold status through to early 2003. Which means, those of us who actually earned our Gold status with stays last year have only gotten our elite status memberships confirmed through to early 2002, and can only earn the status the old fashioned way, by staying at Starwood hotels.

Can the Starwood Lurker please explain why this seeming inequity, and slap in the face to its regular customers and earned Gold members, has been launched? I could understand comp'd status through to early 2002 for these newcomers, with extension provided they requalify in the trational mode of actually staying at Starwood properties, even on a pro-rated basis to account for one-quarter of the year having passed. But...

So, let the debate begin.

greg99

You mean just because I received Gold for being an Amex Platinum without ever having stayed there or being required to stay there again, etc?



(Rapidly ducking the ripe red tomatoes)

Greg

mykol

FWIW, as soon as I received my Air Canada Elite package (with an automatic Starwood Gold) I sent a message to the SPG customer service voicing that I found this to be disappointing...what was the point of me trying to achieve status (in some cases turning down offers from other chains), if I could easily obtain gold though other means?

I received a response immediately, as well as an upgrade to Platinum. With this level of service, I will ensure that I will remain loyal to Starwood (I will probably stay 25,50 this year).

Cheers,

Mykol

dgolds

I have been low tier elite in Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, and Marriott and never received a single room upgrade. The only benefit I saw was the bonus in my points per stay.

At Platinum in Marriott and Starwood, I see real benefits, especially with Starwood.

I don't see that there were any benefits at low tier elite to "dilute."

BajanYankee

Actually, I am enjoying this debate. Perhaps it will help resolve a perennial theological question which has befuddled Christians and Jews for millennia - Is salvation by works or grace? More down to earth, however, I am wondering now since I've been recently comped Hilton Gold (and have the card to prove it), and got all 50,000 points in my account after only one stay, do I still need to complete the three additonal stays like the promotion originally required. I guess I am caught in one of those wonderful Pauline dilemmas - "Do we continue in sin that grace may abound?"

Shareholder

I was under the impression the HHonors 50K bonus came in stages as you made your four required stays within 90-days of registering. But I did wonder if they'd revoke the Gold comp should you not complete all four stays.

Of course, it is also interesting that Hilton has sent out comp Gold cards for this promo, but those long time Gold members who requalified with stays last year are still waiting for the renewal cards. Hey, but this is the Starwood Forum, and I did get my new Preferred Guest card a couple of weeks ago.

BajanYankee

I was under that impression also and the bonuses do appear that way listed on my statement, but all 50K posted after just one stay.

I was hoping for some guidance on that question myself. I guess I better complete the three stays just in case...

Would that be Gold Preferred? I tried asking Starwood to comp me Gold to match my new HHonors status and they turned me down saying that they only match "elite levels." Well, I guess we all know that was a little Starwood lie since they have done it for others here, and given that they are giving it away like candy right now. Can I cancel my Starwood account and ask one of the Plats here for some candy?

shadow

My HH 50K posted after 1 stay also. I've got 3 more HH stays this coming week, so it really doesn't matter...but I wonder.

sgopal2

Hi,

I'm new to this forum. As a CO Gold, I got something with my yearly elite package stating that if I called Starwood, I would get comped to their "Preferred" status.

I called the number and within a few minutes she told me I was comped to Gold status.

I'm also a HHonors Gold and haven't stayed at a Starwood hotel in years. I wonder what benefits I'll get? Many of the Hhonors folks seem to suggest that Preferred Starwood guests have better perks.

TransWorldOne

Starwood Gold gets you a 50% point bonus. That's it. You have a chance of receiving an upgrade, but usually such an inquiry is greeted with laughter.

Hilton Gold has provided me with tangible benefits. In my three stays since receiving a comp on 2/28/01, I've been upgraded to a Towers room twice. On one of the three stays, Towers was said to be full, but I did receive a key card granting me access to the lounge.

Counsellor

Well, my experience has been about 50-50. About half the time, I get a "sorry, sir, none available" and the other half I get upgraded to a fantastic room or suite, frequently without asking.

I guess it depends on the situation and the terrain. (That's an in-joke.)

Steffo

The dilution of status seems to be a perennial question. As a platinum I guess I really don't care how many people get gold as it isn't diluting MY status any. But it does mean that I wouldn't do anything to get gold status. Last year I actually intentionally made some Hilton stays at the end of the year to maintain my gold status. Then when I got the fast track mailing I felt silly for that. I did the fast track to get the bonus points, and I guess in future I will wait for a promo like that rather than trying to get stays to maintain gold. Sop, in effect I think the chains are just setting up a situation in which savvy travellers will always have gold status whether they stay there or not and keeping gold status will not be a motive for futrther stays. Those of us who want the far superior service that comes with platinum will naturally have to keep making stays, and I hope it stays that way!

Shareholder

BajanYankee, as I noted in my earlier post, it was Preferred Gold, earned by stays not promotions. Similarly with HHonors Gold, by nights stayed, not airline tie-ins or other promotions. That's why these two recent comp promos disturb me, and led to my posting this question. And why I agree with Steffo's last remarks.

schriste

I threw in a comment or two when this came up in the Hilton forum. I first made a comment that related to the concept of “dilution”, and how existing people would be hurt by it:

As with most political arguments, the facts are missing. I don’t think anyone here knows how many golds there are, what percent of Hilton guests are gold or how many new golds were comped this year, or any of the other relevant facts. The “true” effect of this string of promotions is speculation. Also, as flyertalkers we are privy to all of the promotions. The general population is only getting what Hilton wants them to get and even then most people probably throw away whatever it was that told them about the promotion.

I also made a comment that related to how people were complaining how unfair it is that some people earn it by staying and some got it for free:
If you hate staying at Hiltons and every one of your 16 + stays was pure torture… but you endured it anyway just to get Gold Status… then I guess someone getting gold status without the pain of actually staying at a Hilton might be annoying… On the other hand if you have enjoyed staying at Hiltons and being upgraded to the Executive floor and the occasional suite due to your Gold status… what’s the problem… jealousy?
To which I was told I had missed the point, that some people stayed at a Hilton they might otherwise not have stayed at just to keep status, but are now ticked off that they could have got it for “free”, or that others got it for free.
So I therefore concluded that:

to be a true winner of this game… To have the ultimate bragging rights... you should try and get a comp Gold, but stay in as few Hiltons as possible, so that your Gold is worth more, because you stayed less to get it.

Shareholder

I think the issue is also the benefits one gets as a Gold elite. Having stayed at these properties without such benefits in order to gain then, and recognizing that one can get the benefits from day one through a comp, does breed a form of mild resentment, and questioning of why bother working towards a goal. I don't know how upgraded rooms are assigned at check-in, but I assume each morning the property gets its lists of elites alphabetically, and then sets about assigning rooms. If my name were at the bottom of the list alphabetically, and a few non-stay elites had higher ranking, I would continue to miss out on the benefits I had earned, while those who had contributed nothing to either the Starwood or Hilton bottom line, get those benefits. [And if you arrive late in the day, you could still get bumped down the list by Golds who insist on taking a pre-reserved upgrade at the desk because they feel they deserve it.]

There is an argument that not that many people are affected because not that many elites will be staying at the same hotel at the same time. But have you ever noticed how long those elite lists are on many stays?

I posted this because I feel this is a healthy debate, and one that deserves airing on each forum when such marketing initiatives occur. Let a thousand opinions blossom!