terpzone

Hey all--

Had a flight cancelled to Atlanta today thanks to the wonderful weather in Chicago, and couldn't get placed on another until tomorrow. Was coming back Monday anyway so I've decided to scrap the trip.

I called up the hotel in Atlanta and told them the scenario, hoping for some mercy in the form of a credit to be used in a couple months when I can make it down there in a few months, or at least beg for the points to post as normal so I can get something out of this mess. The reservations team passed my info along to their billing department and informed me that they would get back to me sometime today-- although it's now been 5 hours and check in time is shortly coming up.

I also sent an email to the hotel's GM with no response as well. I'm really hoping for a response as I'm sure any goodwill they would have would be a result of giving them time to sell the suite I'm booked in, and that window is quickly closing.


Anyways-- was rambling, but just curious: has anyone had any luck with hotels on prepaid rates with cancelled flights? Just curious if it's typical to just ignore and charge as normal? The platinum concierge seemed unable to assist me.

canalskater

I've had great luck in this situation. It's called travel insurance. Check your credit card to see if it provides coverage.

AdamATL

You'll hear back from them, but it likely will not be today (in my experience). I've had them refund a prepaid stay before under similar circumstances. If you've told them you are not going to show up, perhaps they have already put the room back into inventory? However, in my case the ability to resell the room was never mentioned and didn't seem to have any bearing on the outcome. They simply said they were willing to do me a favor "just this once."

At any rate, you will probably hear from them on Monday and in my case they had no problem sorting it out after the fact.

Often1

I never book prepaid rates for the first night of a stay for just this reason. But, it's often the case that a cancellation comes past the cancellation deadline and I've never had a problem with either an outright penalty-free cancellation or at least a reschedule for a later date (but generally for a specific date, not something down the road where the property actually has to issue a credit which hits the books).

Let this play out and don't go through multiple channels, it actually cuts down your chances of success.

terpzone

This was the first thing I checked-- Amex SPG seems to offer nothing.

Rock on-- I was actually hoping for a credit for a specific date in January as my ideal outcome-- although obviously a straight refund would be even better, but it would wind up being the same difference as I still plan on visiting Atlanta shortly, and if the hotel showed some good will, they would most certainly get my business going forward. I would just liked to have let them know that one of their few suites is available to rebook/upgrade others to, but I'm not going to rock the boat and I've already mentioned it to them this morning.

But yeah-- I have no intention of going through multiple channels-- was just curious as to success rates for others.

I'm pretty disappointed I couldn't make the trip, too. I've learned my lesson-- never route a flight through Chicago between November & March. As a Colts fan who tries to travel to a game every year, this was my opportunity!

3Cforme

Sure. Across chains and across the decades. 100%. I don't abuse it. If I say I can't make it because my flight was cancelled or I misconnected, the property can be sure it's true.

airoli

+1. Happens to me once every few years. Hotels were always very cooperative given that I book directly with them. Had I booked via an OTA, then not a chance.

terpzone

Update: hotel just left me a voicemail that as I'm platinum, they're going to cancel with no penalty. They've cancelled it according to spg.com; so now it's just a matter of a refund that hasn't hit yet.

Here's to hopin'!

Also-- the hotel most definitely just won over a customer next time I'm in Atlanta.

mahasamatman

I had a similar experience in March at the Sheraton Iguazu - flight was canceled due to a one-day strike and the hotel allowed me to cancel without penalty. I suspect most properties would be understanding in these situations.

Spent_All_My_Miles

Maybe 3-4 times I have had weather cancel a flight, resulting in my not making it to a SPG hotel.
Each time, I have called up SPG, they in turn contacted the hotel, and each time they said no problem. Several times it was not prepaid. Once it was prepaid, and they refunded the amount.

One time, I could technically have made it to the hotel (I lost a day of a vacation due to weather, I had a booking for the 2rd night, and due to the delay I was now planning on being 150 miles away). I explained that and they said no problem. On that call, I was out of the middle of nowhere and got disconnected, and the rep actually called me back.

Stuff like this makes me loyal to Starwood. I wonder what the future holds.

LonLH

I had cancelled three stays without penalty post cancellation deadline in the recent past- once when my son caught chicken pox just before we were due to fly on a holiday and twice when flights were cancelled due to bad weather.
Spoke directly with properties, explained the situation to them and had no issues. My travel insurance would have covered it, but did not need to make any claims.

fakeman

It happened to me a long time ago, I think it depends on the hotel's decision, but most likely they are generous.

Last time in Japan I cannot take any bullet train to travel across city due to bad weather, I called hotel to postpone my stay for 1 day, and they didn't put any penalty on my bill.

MSPeconomist

I almost never book prepaid rates, but when I've been in similar circumstances and needed to cancel a hotel reservation after the deadline, my request has been granted with no issues. I usually volunteer the flight number than was cancelled or other objective evidence that can be verified if necessary when the weather/natural disaster problem wasn't located at the destination. However, the examples that I can recall were all hotels where I had stayed previously, so this might have been a factor in their leniency to me.

landeej

Agree 100% with your last sentence. I also rarely book prepaid rates, but had done so 2 years ago while on a long work&holiday jag through Thailand and Malaysia. When the riots in Bangkok began worsening, I was warned to stay away from the area around the LM. The hotel wasn't willing to allow a cancelation, but my "regular" Platinum Concierge fought for me and got a policy exception based on the security concern. She then turned around and got me booked at the St.R, which gave me the Caroline Astor suite. That was one of the reasons I moved so many more stays to SPG and made SPG100 the subsequent year.

CPRich

I've never used prepaid rates, but have had to cancel after the deadline. I've never had a problem, and only once or twice have I had to provide a flight number. I'm typically arriving the next day instead, so I assume they're smart enough not to lose the next 2-4 days of revenue, and customer good will, over 1 night.

Airlines...not so much.