Important dates for your diary – offers about to close which you shouldn’t miss (Dec 2019)

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• Doug M says:

  8 Dec8 December 19:52

  OT: Marriott. Had a 140K redemption in Vancouver, which I was short of the points. I knew the last couple of thousand would arrive from the SPG card in the next few days. In-between checking a few days ago and seeing the points had posted today, the redemption has gone to 145K. I knew they changed the rules and this could happen, but the timing sucks even more than my transfer of 50K Amex rewards in the week before the 50% bonus. Just been on points com to buy the last 5K needed, and it’s not instant, but another wait, during which time Marriott will probably hike another night by 5K.
  Even more committed to hotels com now.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    8 Dec8 December 21:13

    Why? Hotels.com is just a cash equivalent and rooms prices change far more than 5k points value.

    Also Marriott gives you the ability to book rooms when you don’t have the points but you want to complain that they don’t fix the price. They could just take away allowing you to book them without the points and then you might’ve been without any rooms available when you had the 145k

    • Doug M says:

      8 Dec8 December 22:36

      Not a complaint, just venting. I have money, so hotel com works really well for me.
      If you’re a leisure traveller locking yourself to a particular hotel scheme is harder. For leisure bookings you look for different things to a business booking. If I travelled regularly for work I’d just pick a scheme and go with it.
      To be clear Marriott did previously lock the rate, so it seemed reasonable to mention it.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        9 Dec9 December 19:46

        Yep but they are adjusting the scheme to make it work slightly better for both sides, I’m sure people were block booking Lots of stays over multiple days with the intention of just cancelling if they didn’t need them or when their plans had firmed up, without tying up any points.

        My point about hotels.com credit vs points is that points are a way to get a room when prices are sky high. Take a major final or an awards Etc rates can be 2x 3x the normal price but points are only 5k higher per night (£25 in bonvoy value) your hotels.com credit is still worth its face value and you’re left paying more than £25 more.

        Ofcourse if you are fortunate enough to have the cash to book where you want regardless of the cost then points aren’t very valuable at all.

• Shoestring says:

  8 Dec8 December 19:56

  Hotels etc: booking.com/britishairways is earning 6 Avios/ £1

  obvs check your hotel cost vs alternative booking sites – our apartment in Malaga was a lot cheaper with hotels dot com /secret prices plus we could get a good cash bonus on top

  • KBuffett says:

    8 Dec8 December 20:19

    Be careful when using some hotels dt com links as they preclude you from earning reward nights

    • Shoestring says:

      8 Dec8 December 20:38

      true but the current deal on the Avios-earning site is 11.5% with the clear clause: ‘New Customers – Including earning Hotels.com Rewards’

      you might call that a (10% – the free night + 11.5%) = 21.5% discount or thereabouts

      (new customer = new email address, though that might stop you getting your Hotels dot com Rewards! I’d try new email address then get them to meld different a/cs later)

      • Doug M says:

        8 Dec8 December 22:39

        BA shopping portal to Hotel com is my usual route. Mostly you’re looking at around 3 Avios plus the reward night scheme.

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