kats

Wow, I did not expect you would make W count offer this year. Some of my friends would be really happy about the news. I have already completed 27 stays and will probably make more than 25 stays next year anyway.

nicypp1

That would be the right way to go !

And please Starwood: consider to copy the Hyatt suite-upgrade system.
It so nice to have those vouchers and use them when really needed.
My experience with the SPG upgrades: I get them when I dont need them
(like a 10 hours stay at some airport Hotel) and wont when I need them (few days stay with my family).
I am willing to change those unpredictable SPG-upgrades for a few vouchers
instead (should be applicable for award stay as well)

schley

Bro I'm only speaking for myself, but my issue isn't that business travelers take upgrades or I'm better. It is the fact that for 100% leisure travelers these promos put higher status within reach for without them the cost and or time outlay is too great. Our jobs don't allow us to earn status on airline and hotel loyalty programs complimentary of our employers as biz travelers get to experience.

Thus my issue is when a BIZ traveler complains that these promos allow leisure travelers (who are paying their own dimes) to reach the higher status. The claim it dilutes "their" status and as a result they will miss out on UG to us "LITE" elites.

Bottom line the airlines/hotels wouldn't have these promos if the Biz/leisure travelers were making them enough profits not to have to use promos. Thus we are all playing by the same rules and they aren't being manipulated by anything other than the airline/hotels need to make more money.

We are in a desperate economy where every business is struggling to make money and offering promotions is their business model to survive in the short term. Deal with it and stop complaining already.

Holding the hand rail now stepping down off of my soapbox.

LIH Prem

There's nothing new with people making status dilution comments on FT either. I've been reading those comments since I joined FT.

Most programs give status away and most programs have some sort of fast-track promotion, either permanently or from time to time. There are always going to be people on FT that complain about it.

The best thing to do is to ignore it. There's no winners in that discussion, and all it does is pollute other perfectly good threads.

-David

Starwood Lurker II

It's ok Mr. David.

I will answer it again and again. I do not mind doing that. I apologize for the confusion caused but there are so many scenarios involved thus explanation may not be as clear as it should be.

Let me answer it on this thread.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...rements-6.html

[email protected]

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

vandalby

schley, I'm absolutely with you and LIH Prem regarding the commentary on dilution. First of all, William has said it clearly before that past promotions have not had a tangible impact on the number of Platinums. Now, we haven't seen a promo such as the Advance Nights before, but I have to think that economic conditions have taken a pretty good cut at the role of SPG elites.

Second, let's face it, the only time that Platinum members are really in 'competition' with each other is for upgrade space. I think that a biz traveler claiming that this (or other) promotions will dilute the program with leisure travelers is bunk for the exact reason that I implied in my post. Biz and leisure travelers don't truly compete for the only Platinum benefit that is in limited supply (upgrades) because we don't stay at properties at the same time. (I know there will be some howling about vacations and that's the only time upgrades matter - but as others have said, if you absolutely need it, book it.)

I do think that SPG creates promos with the intent to lure in the more lucrative business traveler. That being said, there shouldn't be any issue or 'put down' with leisure travelers taking advantage and going for status. As you aptly stated, we're all playing under the same rules and there obviously isn't enough business travel to keep SPG, other hotels and airlines (see AA, UA promos) from doing what they need to do to attract those that are traveling.

My post was more directed toward those saying that business travelers don't earn it because it's not 'out of pocket money'. That's trash; and embarassingly naive. We earn it in ways that the leisure only traveler can't understand.

couscous

Hit the nail on the head with that comment, thanks ^

schley

I certainly think Biz travelers earn it! They may not pay for it, but they do earn it. I wouldn't want to be in a hotel 100 nights a year or more.

I agree with you, I simply don't want Biz travelers saying "lite" elites don't belong at their level, for whatever reason.

The purpose of this board is for everyone to share and help each other with information. Bickering about whether promos should or shouldn't have been offered leaves no winners.

Safe travels.

LIH Prem

Don't worry what anybody else thinks. If you earned status, you deserve it. If you were given status, you deserved it. Regardless of what anybody else thinks, or if promos were used or whatever. And that goes both ways.

^^^

-David

couscous

definition of status : "the position of an individual in relation to another or others, esp. in regard to social or professional standing."

mecabq

This is a great promotion, and thanks, Starwood Lurker, for the heads-up.

I am especially thrilled, because, although I was going to re-qualify for Platinum anyway, over 30 of those nights will be between 10/01 and 12/31. So I will already almost be to Platinum for 2011, too.

I am sympathetic to the argument that this will dilute the value of Platinum status, but, we have to keep in mind that Starwood offers promotions like this in response to the poor economy, so that there will still probably fewer Platinums in 2010 than in 2009 anyway.

Football Fan

I'm in exactly the same situation as you are. Hyatt just doesn't have enough hotels in Germany and Europe to make it, unless you constantly have to go to Berlin or Cologne all the time. They should offer some challenges to people to enable them to keep status. Starwood is smart by doing what they do, Hyatt is going to lose out on business in Europe if they don't react.

margarita girl

Great promotion! Thanks Starwood. I'm only at 16 stays so far this year, so need 9 more to requalify for Platinum.

I was hoping to wait until Nov 30 to decide which promo would be best for me, as I don't know what my fall travel will be like, however, I noticed there is a huge difference between the 2 promos:

Nights Advance

Will I earn for nights and stays that post to my account prior to the registration date?
As long as you register by November 30, 2009, all eligible nights and stays earned during the promotion period, October 1 through December 31, 2009, will count toward the nights advance promotion. ^

Nights Count Double

Are nights/stays that are posted to an account prior to registration counted as double?
Only stays and nights posted to an account after a member is registered are doubled.

So it looks like I have to decide before my first stay! Too bad.

fireworksboy

Thanks for pointing this out margarita girl, I might have missed it and it makes my decision very easy.^ Gotta go "Count Double" - I'll worry about next year, next year.

christianj

Thanks SPG! I just wish the stays in September had been counted towards 2010 too. Oh well...can't have everything....but I can wish for it. (or at least whine about it )