Hotel Reward Programs

[DLconnection]

Flight crew members spend a lot of time in hotels. A lot of big hotel chains have some sort of reward programs where u can earn free rooms. as pilot crew members, can u earn these points while u are on your overnights that are paid for by the company? If the rooms are in your name, I dont see why not. Can someone give me some insight on this?

 

[PCL_128]

Some hotels will give you the points, some won't. I have lots of Hilton Honors points, but that's about it. The Hampton Inns (part of Hilton) seem to be the best for getting points in my experience. You can get points from other hotels occasionally, but it's rare. At least that's at the hotels that we (Pinnacle) stay at.

 

[Diesel]

On the fractional side we get to keep all our hotel miles and airline miles.

Hilton has paid for many nights for me plus a 10 day trip in europe.

Delta has made sure I've gone first class with my family to many destinations.

Usually with discounted rates the hotels give the airlines they feel that they don't earn the points. This happens with my wife's airline all the time. She's lucky if she get's a room that's non smoking and isn't next to the elevator.

They are paying 38 a night and we are paying 150 plus at the same hotel.

Myself on the other hand stay at hotels with only a couple of hours advance notice. So this hotel here is costing about 185 a night. Sometimes if airline crews check in at the same hotel we have to make sure the hotel understands we are not with the airlines and make sure that they give us everything that platinum/diamond members are entitled to. ie free breakfast, concierce floor room, stuff like that.

Hope this helps. Trying to give both sides of the fence.

 

[cargoflyr69]

Our airline pays the cheapo rate too. I still ask the desk worker each night at check in for the points. I've had 50/50 luck at the Sheraton 4 points. sometimes it just depends on who is working that night. I know at the Holiday Inns our company pays 40/night and we only get points based on that rate, so it takes a bit longer for the freebies, but they are freebies! At some of the upper class ones ie, Hilton, they just about bust out laughing at me when I ask. But, there is no harm in asking. Thats my 2 cents!

 

[metrodriver]

I have a lot of points from the LaQuinta. It goes by stay, not price. Also got Ramada points en Holiday inn points.
At the LaQuinta we kept the same room for the whole week, but at the other hotels we were being moved to another room everyday, just so the room could be rented twice a day (freightdogs work at night). So even with the discounted rate the hotels made money on us. In some hotels we had to wait up to an hour for them to clean 3 rooms when checking in at 0900, and they knew well that we would be there at that time. Off course the next 3 hours you would hear maids holloring across the entire floor with the latest gossip and slamming doors and vacuum cleaners

 

[flywithruss]

Can't speak to the airline crew rates, but I would suspect that more often than not you won't be able to accrue. As previously mentioned, never hurts to ask. The worst they say is no.

Flying corporate, I consider my hotel points one of the best perks. I'm about to head off for a four-day weekend with my girlfriend on the West Coast, and all the rooms are free thanks to Hilton points. Best part about Hilton is they give you their points AND airline miles for every stay.

It's also not hard to get premium status in these programs ... I don't have that many overnights (not more than 2-3 a month usually) and I'm Gold VIP with Hilton and Silver with Marriott.

R

 

[buttercup]

Dieselvision

What Diesel says is true he is a personal friend of mine. His status at Hilton is so high, that you often can catch him watching movies free of charge. Movies such as Young Asians, Chloe Gets Nasty, Bankable starring Briana Banks, all come to mind.

 

[SpiderMan]

Ever heard of a universal remote?

 

[irapilot]

Marriot Rewards are awesome, earn points at Courtyards, Fairfield, full service and they have "rewards" that are from resort/hotel stays, vacation packages to SkyMall products for points.

 

[captainv]

hotels

Comair has negotiated a corporate rate with most of its hotels, and since it's direct-billed, they shaft us on getting points. radisson, hilton, crowne plaza have all said no, although i continue to ask. Sheraton is the lone bright spot.

 

[FlyBigE]

If you can get the points take them. I currenlty fly 135 and our company gets the corporate rate at hotels. Almost all the hotels I have stayed at issue points to the flight crews since we are paying with a Company Credit Card. I would image direct billing would make it harder. Another bonus is a lot my captains don't participate in the "rewards" program so I get double points everytime we stay on the road. This is an often overlooked area to get points. If your FO or CPT doesn't take advantage of the "rewards" see if you can get them on your account (i.e. just put both rooms in your name).

just my .02

Other great programs are Avfuel and Steak Bucks for the 135 and 91 guys.

 

[Diesel]

AS214 thought that one day he could become a road warrior. Only to realize he's been banashed to holiday inn's and stuff like that.

All those nights in the hotel's does suck, but making the hotel's and airlines pay for our vacations is nice.

Hey AS214 how do you squeeze yourself into that X?

 

[Newbee]

hOW

HOW DO YOU GET IN THE PROGRAMS? IS THERE A CARD YOU CARRY WITH YOU? CAN i APPLY ONLINE OR DO YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK AT THE DESK?

ANY CREDIT CARD "MILAGE" DEALS WORTH LOOKING INTO?

THANKS!

 

[KC-10 Driver]

Most rewards programs send you a card you can carry -- if you don't have it, just have the reward program number written on a piece of paper and give it at check in.

You can join the programs by filling out a form found at the reception desks in most hotels. Or, you can typically apply online on the hotel website (ie. marriott.com. hilton.com, etc)

I am a member of all the reward programs. As others have said here, when your company pays for your room, some hotels will let you keep the points for the stay. Conversely, at others, you get no points for the cost of the room.

In any case, you can definitely earn points for anything additional you charge to your room (room service, restaurant & bar charges, movies, etc.). I charge as much as possible to my room when eating/drinking in the hotel. Plus, on the occasions when I pay for my own hotel stays while travelling on my own, I get to keep all the points.

Some hotel reward programs also give you airline miles for the airline frequent flyer program of your choice -- an added benefit.

 

[dicepilot]

go to www.hiltonhhonors.com

 

[Newbee]

rewards web-pages

Thanks for the reply. I went to Hilton, Marriot, Holliday Inn, and La Quinta . coms today and I am signed up for them all! I even checked motel 6......... Did I say that out loud?

Newbee

 

[KC-10 Driver]

By the way, Wyndham has a great program.

If you are a Wyndham ByRequest member, you get free domestic long distance calls for the duration of your stay, as well as free high speed internet access from your room.

 

[Newbee]

Wyndhm (sp) it is! I'm on it! gonna have so many cards soon I will need a second wallet to go anywhere!

 

[furlough-boy]

If you want the low-down on all the tricks of the Hotel and Frequent Flyer programs check out www.flyertalk.com These guys live and breathe points and miles.

Getting a Hotel/Airline Credit Card is also a great way to rack up a bunch of points/miles without even trying.

Points/Miles are one of the best benny's of fractional flying.