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Frequent Flyer Miles |
A Business Week Special Advertising Section |
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Currency for High Flyers |
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Hotels Hope Guests Will Give Them Points -- for Caring When Les Bentley, president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, checked in for his first overnight stay after the launch of the chainís new By RequestÆ frequent guest program, a golf magazine was waiting for him in his room. And thatís exactly what he expected. After all, heíd filled out the Personal Profile card indicating his love of the game. Trouble is, he also had marked ìrockî in the ìcultural interestsî section, too. ìSo I also got a copy of Rolling Stone. Now, I was at Woodstock, but that was a long time ago. So we still have some kinks to work out.î Wyndam, along with Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt and others are boosting the power of their points and perks programs, hoping to capture not only road warriors but business travelers who may venture out only two or three times a year. ìItís a buyersí market out there now,î says Duane Vinson with Smith Travel Research. ìPoint programs are now commonplace and very competitive. Travelers think if somebody else gives me a better deal tomorrow, Iíll switch. The partnering in these programs is just phenomenal, each with two to three rental car companies and three or four airlines.î Or in some cases, 30 airlines. Overall, the programs are becoming easier to use with fewer restrictions. Points can be accumulated more quickly and redeemed for a variety of things, from rooms to immediate luxuries. Through Starwoodís Preferred GuestÆ program for instance, guests receive points upon check-in. ìYou can use them right away for a restaurant meal. If you really want a spa but you know the boss isnít going to pick up the charge, use your Starpoints,î suggests Laura Donahue of Starwood Hotels. Just 14 months old, Starwoodís program is available at all of Starwoodís 650 properties (including Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, St. Regis and W Hotels). Its unique feature is that points can be used any time ó no black out dates, no capacity control. This month, Hilton HHonorsÆ sweetened its frequency program, extending its Double DipÆ program beyond Hilton Hotels to all its 2,000 properties worldwide. The program thanks members with both hotel points and airline miles from one of its 33 affiliated carriers for each business-rate stay. The double deal is now good at Hiltonís Hampton Inns and Suites, Doubletree, Homewood Suites, and Embassy Suites. Jeff Diskin, President and COO of Hilton HHonors Worldwide says that research shows double dipping is the third most desired perk by business travelers. Number one and two? Non-smoking rooms and ìno walkingî policies ó shuffling overbooked guests to other hotels. ìAs the industry has gone into consolidation, the more powerful loyalty programs become,î says Diskin. ìBy extending Double DipÆ to all our properties, we take that ëI have to stay at the competitorsí feeling away. ëAndí is worth more than ëorí.î Whether itís more personalized service or free weekend stays, hotel points and perks have never been easier to earn or quicker to spend. Hereís a roundup of whoís offering what to whom:
For every $2,000 spent with any of Hiltonís 2,000 properties worldwide between April 3 and December 31, 2000, Hilton HHonorsÆ members get 2,000 bonus points and 500 miles. Guests at Hampton properties earn 100 miles. Thatís in addition to the 10 points for every dollar spent and 500 miles per stay in the Double DipÆ program. Call 1-800-HILTONS (800-445-8667) to enroll, make reservations or enroll online at www.hiltonhhonors.com. Members can check their account status at this Web site, too.
Marriott RewardsÆ members who pay with a Visa card two or more times from April 1 through June 30 will earn double points. All Marriott properties are participating and thereís no limit to how many points members can rack up. Call 800-442-9929 or go online at www.marriottrewards.com to sign up. For members who are mile-hungry, Marriott now offers three miles per dollar spent at 1,800 locations. Marriottís Bob Berhens says on average, members can earn over 1,000 miles per stay at the chainís full-service hotels.
The Bass collection of over 2,700 hotels (including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Inter-Continental) has boosted its air travel partners adding the Asia MilesÆ frequent flyer program. Priority ClubÆ members can earn 500 Asia MilesÆ for any qualifying stay. The Asia MilesÆ program includes the oneworldÆ alliance airlines and a number of other Southeast Asian carriers. Members who present their Priority ClubÆ card at Hertz locations will earn 125 points per day on qualifying car rentals. For more information on these programs, visit www.priorityclub.com or call 800-272-9273.
Hyatt Gold PassportÆ members can use their points without shuffling paper now that Hyatt has introduced online award booking and paperless awards. Members go to www.goldpassport.com, log onto Account Information, enter their account number and PIN and make reservations. Within seven days of booking a reservation, points are deducted from the memberís account. Members can also convert points to miles at the Web site. CAIS Is on the Case Tired of dial-up Internet connections via the hotelís data port? Tired of configuring modems and waiting for access and dealing with the World Wide Wait? Tired of wishing ó but never getting ó a remote computer connection to the home office? With plug-n-play high-speed Web access in 200 hotels and another 9,000 properties in line to add service in the next couple of years, CAIS Internet is leading the charge to bridge the technology gulf between the business travelerís office environment and their hotel space. This month, CAIS Internet begins rolling out its Corporate Traveler Program for clients. In addition to discounts on use of the CAIS system, the program will help clients establish quick and easy broadband access from the road to their corporate offices. For travelers, that means the same level of speed and convenience that they have come to expect in their office environments. For hotels, it means the ability to offer guests parallel voice and data use of existing phone lines at the equivalent of T-1 speeds.
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