FAQ: SPG and Priceline
Sep 14, 2004, 7:34 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SF CA USA. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
Programs: UA Premier Gold/disappointed 1MM, HH Gold, IHG Plat, MB Gold, BW Diam Sel
Posts: 17,575
Originally Posted by purplefish
Also, where can I find a comprehensive list of how much Starwood points you earn for each Starwood propert or partner.
Sep 16, 2004, 4:42 pm
#32
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 34
One more question on this. If I purchase incidentals during a Priceline stay, will I get credit for a "stay"? I have always wondered about this, and since I only need 1 more stay for Gold status, thought I might see what happens. Anyone know?
Sep 16, 2004, 4:57 pm
#33
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Originally Posted by tds1
One more question on this. If I purchase incidentals during a Priceline stay, will I get credit for a "stay"? I have always wondered about this, and since I only need 1 more stay for Gold status, thought I might see what happens. Anyone know?
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
Sep 16, 2004, 9:33 pm
#34
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
No. Your room rental charges have to be credited in order for it to count as a "stay" for promotion and status re-qualification purposes.
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
Jan 11, 2005, 5:50 pm
#35
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,748
OK, SPG you completely lost me to Priceline
I have been significantly increasing my PL stays through last year and stayed in SPG properties just enough to make the 25 for PLT. Not a single bad experience on PL if you know what you are doing.
With the latest inflation in international prices (partly due to dollar exchange rate) and points due to category changes, I just cannot make the rationalization any more to stay with SPG and with regular paid stays. Good thing I didn't maintain a large points balance in the SPG program. A single vacation this year should take care of what remains.
Well, no regrets. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement while it lasted but you got to do what you got to do, and so do I.
If the business travel becomes such that PL inventory goes down (an extremely unlikely event in my opinion), then I will look up the program again.
Thanks William for all your help over the past few years. You are a good asset to SPG. I am off of the "elite rat-race".
With the latest inflation in international prices (partly due to dollar exchange rate) and points due to category changes, I just cannot make the rationalization any more to stay with SPG and with regular paid stays. Good thing I didn't maintain a large points balance in the SPG program. A single vacation this year should take care of what remains.
Well, no regrets. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement while it lasted but you got to do what you got to do, and so do I.
If the business travel becomes such that PL inventory goes down (an extremely unlikely event in my opinion), then I will look up the program again.
Thanks William for all your help over the past few years. You are a good asset to SPG. I am off of the "elite rat-race".
Jan 11, 2005, 5:53 pm
#36
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Originally Posted by venk
...Thanks William for all your help over the past few years. You are a good asset to SPG. I am off of the "elite rat-race".
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
Jan 12, 2005, 4:01 am
#37
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Asia
Programs: Yes!
Posts: 15,512
Originally Posted by venk
I am off of the "elite rat-race".
Jan 12, 2005, 3:44 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SF CA USA. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
Programs: UA Premier Gold/disappointed 1MM, HH Gold, IHG Plat, MB Gold, BW Diam Sel
Posts: 17,575
Originally Posted by venk
I have been significantly increasing my PL stays through last year and stayed in SPG properties just enough to make the 25 for PLT. Not a single bad experience on PL if you know what you are doing.
With the latest inflation in international prices (partly due to dollar exchange rate) and points due to category changes, I just cannot make the rationalization any more to stay with SPG and with regular paid stays. Good thing I didn't maintain a large points balance in the SPG program. A single vacation this year should take care of what remains.
Well, no regrets. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement while it lasted but you got to do what you got to do, and so do I.
If the business travel becomes such that PL inventory goes down (an extremely unlikely event in my opinion), then I will look up the program again.
Thanks William for all your help over the past few years. You are a good asset to SPG. I am off of the "elite rat-race".
With the latest inflation in international prices (partly due to dollar exchange rate) and points due to category changes, I just cannot make the rationalization any more to stay with SPG and with regular paid stays. Good thing I didn't maintain a large points balance in the SPG program. A single vacation this year should take care of what remains.
Well, no regrets. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement while it lasted but you got to do what you got to do, and so do I.
If the business travel becomes such that PL inventory goes down (an extremely unlikely event in my opinion), then I will look up the program again.
Thanks William for all your help over the past few years. You are a good asset to SPG. I am off of the "elite rat-race".
Jan 12, 2005, 5:37 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,748
Originally Posted by KathyWdrf
It's a shame, though, that your Platinum status, which you made such an effort to keep, will now be wasted. It's good through February of next year. Doesn't that bother you just a teensy bit?
It has become far too expensive to enjoy the status (especially if one is traveling internationally). The platinum status benefits at reasonably priced hotels aren't worth much (typical PLT upgrades in most 4Ps and many Sheratons in the US are nothing to look forward to). Sometime we don't realize how much of a premium we are paying just to "enjoy" that status. Got to get off the "rat wheel" some time!
I found a viable alternative at least for my profile of stays. I kept track of the rate difference from PL stays for the last 6 months of last year compared to what I would have paid for a "loyalty stay". Using about half of that money towards buying up from the "standard PL" room on a PL stay (the ability to do this reasonably at many hotels at the time of check-in is what convinced me to quit), I had as much of an experience as a Plat would in most hotels (except when you manage to get a suite). And I stayed in better hotels than available SPG choices in many cases. So going off of the program doesn't necesarily mean slumming it.
The added bonus is that I no longer need to keep checking on how many stays I have and how many I need to make the status again.
Not suggesting the above cost/benefit ratio will be valid for all. For example, if one is primarily in US hotels and on company dime, SPG is still the best program out there for parlaying company money into valuable personal benefits.
Jan 13, 2005, 9:50 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
Programs: UA Million Miler. (1.9M) Virgin Platinum. HH Diamond + SPG Gold
Posts: 32,330
Originally Posted by venk
I don't think so. Too bad I cannot just donate the SPG status to someone who can use it.
Now ...... how to get a credit card issued in the name of venk.
Jan 13, 2005, 10:10 am
#41
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 5,305
Why Starwood keeps me from going to Priceline
This am I had an experience with Starwood that reenforces that despite all the lies the front desk tells me, lack of targeted promos (good ones anyway) and problems I occasionally have to deal with, I am keeping SPG as my program of choice.
Story basically is...I was booked for 2 nights in PHX at the Phonecian on points starting tommorow, but had to cancel inside the 7 day cancellation window due to sick parent. One email to my concierge Mike and he had it sorted and the 24,000 points returned.
Worth their weight in gold...loving SPG!!
Story basically is...I was booked for 2 nights in PHX at the Phonecian on points starting tommorow, but had to cancel inside the 7 day cancellation window due to sick parent. One email to my concierge Mike and he had it sorted and the 24,000 points returned.
Worth their weight in gold...loving SPG!!
Jan 13, 2005, 11:40 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DCA
Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club
Posts: 22,297
Originally Posted by ozstamps
Now ...... how to get a credit card issued in the name of venk.
Jan 13, 2005, 11:44 am
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
Programs: UA Million Miler. (1.9M) Virgin Platinum. HH Diamond + SPG Gold
Posts: 32,330
Methinks venk's mailbox wiil be running RED hot today.
Jan 13, 2005, 11:52 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: WAS, US/NW Sliver, SPG Plat, Hertz Gold
Posts: 149
Originally Posted by gleff
That's the easy part, just get a second card issued on an existing account you have in the name of venk. They'll send it right to your home and everything!
Jan 13, 2005, 12:59 pm
#45
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,748
Easy there, folks. I meant donate status, not donate identity.