18
Apr
Starwood Preferred Guest has a Starpoints sale at 25% off when you buy 13,000 to 20,000 points by April 30, 2013. Normally Starpoints are $35 per 1,000 points.
Periodically SPG offers Starpoints at 20% discount for $28 per 1,000 points. This sale reduces the cost of points to $26.25 per 1,000 points.
Members can only purchase 20,000 points in a calendar year. You must have had an active account for a minimum 14 days to purchase points.
20,000 points is $525.
Priority Club is giving 50% bonus points on purchases from March 6 to April 6, 2013. This sale allows the purchase of up to 75,000 Priority Club points for $575.
Purchased points are non-elite qualifying points.
In years past the purchase of points with these offers counted as elite qualifying points. I earned Priority Club top tier Platinum status in 2011 buying points.
While I thought this current sale was a good opportunity to get a fast-track to Platinum elite in 2013 buying 60,000 points for $460, the purchase of points no longer qualifies as elite qualifying points.
Now you may be thinking, “That change happened way back in January, so why is Loyalty Traveler just figuring this out now?”
John at LoyaltyLobby reported in January that his points purchase posted as elite qualifying points. Two weeks ago he posted again that the points purchase he made in January did not post as elite qualifying points.
Points & Cash Awards allow the purchase of 10,000 points for $70.
The workaround for buying Priority Club points is to book Points & Cash awards and then cancel them. Read More…
U.S. Travel Association and American Express have announced the 2013 Daily Getaways flash sales will happen beginning June 10 for five weeks through July 12 with Monday through Friday sales.
Preview of 2013 sales opens June 3, 2013.
The basic idea is every day there is a travel partner with an item for sale. The value for points and miles collectors are the Daily Getaways sales have been one of the lowest cost ways to buy hotel points over the past few years.
The quantities are limited and the blogosphere hype of these deals makes it a challenge to get some of the offers. You need to be quick.
Sample of sales from last year’s Daily Getaways in April/May 2012. Read More…
Wyndham Rewards has the best basic points-to-miles exchange of any hotel loyalty program. During the month of February Wyndham Rewards will add 25% more points when buying points at $11 per 1,000 points. This means $22 buys 2,500 points. Wyndham Rewards points-to-miles exchange rate for most airline partners is equivalent to 2,500 points = 1,000 airline miles.
Buying Hyatt Gold Passport points normally costs $24 per 1,000 points. Hyatt is running a one week only bonus points offer from January 31 through February 6, 2013 for a 10% to 30% bonus on points purchases.
Hyatt Gold Passport members can purchase a maximum 40,000 points per year. This limited time offer makes possible the purchase of 52,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points for $960.
But is Hyatt’s 30% bonus points a good deal?
Promotion Basics:
Priority Club will add 50% bonus points on purchases made from November 15-22, 2012. This brings the cost of buying points down to $7.67 per 1,000 points when buying 26,000 to 50,000 points.
You may buy up to 50,000 points in a calendar year with Priority Club. This offer makes it possible to buy 75,000 points, if you have not purchased points in 2012.
Earning Platinum elite buying points
Priority Club Rewards Platinum elite status is earned with 60,000 points posted to your account in a calendar year. Buying points with this 50% bonus offer counts for elite credit. Buying points at the slightly lower $7.00 per 1,000 points rate through Points & Cash trick will not earn elite credit. See below for explanation of Points & Cash trick.
Priority Club Platinum members do not get too many benefits, but some room upgrades and 50% elite bonus points on hotel spend are real benefits of Platinum elite. You can also use the Platinum status to status match with some other hotel loyalty programs.
Priority Club Gold elite is earned with 20,000 points in a calendar year. Gold elite status has the benefit of 10% bonus points on hotel spend and little else.
The primary advantage for buying points at $7.67 to $9 per 1,000 points with this offer rather than $7 per 1,000 points with a “Points & Cash purchase and cancellation” is the points purchased through this current 50% bonus offer are points that count for Priority Club Rewards elite credit.
Priority Club Points & Cash Reward trick is cheaper for buying points, but does not earn elite credit.
While almost all points earned through Priority Club count for elite qualification credit, the points purchased through Points & Cash rewards do not count for elite status. Priority Club Points & Cash Reward nights allow a member to pay $70 for 10,000 points toward a reward night stay at time of booking. The points purchased are nonrefundable meaning if you cancel the reward stay you get to keep the 10,000 points you purchased.
Some members use Points & Cash rewards to buy Priority Club points at a discount through booking a Points & Cash stay, buying 10,000 points at a rate of $70 and then cancelling the reward stay and keeping the purchased points.
This limited time points purchase offer with 50% bonus points through November 22 allows a member to purchase the points needed to grow your 2012 balance to 60,000 points and reach Platinum elite in 2012 for 2013 Priority Club Rewards status.
Even if you currently have earned no Priority Club points in 2012 you can buy 60,000 points and Priority Club Platinum for $460 to maintain that status through 2013.
Priority Club regularly offers PointsBreaks hotel reward nights at 5,000 points per night and Last Minute Reward Nights each month for 50% off the standard reward rate.
Note: While the promotion states it lasts through November 22, there is no time zone listed. Priority Club tends to end some promotions using London time, so this offer may end before midnight on Nov 22 in the USA.
Choice Privileges has an offer available right now that allows members to buy and redeem points for hotel nights in Paris, London and many other high priced locations for as little as $80 per night.
Choice Privileges offers 10% bonus points on points purchases through December 31, 2012. The regular price for 1,000 points is $11. This offer gives 1,100 points for $11.
Choice Privileges limits points purchases to 20,000 points per calendar year. This means a member can buy 22,000 points now for $220 and up to another 20,000 points in January 2013 for $220.
Note: Choice Privileges does not allow points transfers to other members, even a spouse.
You may not combine your points with points belonging to anyone else, including your spouse.
Choice Privileges Rules & Regulations: Other Terms and Conditions Rule #3.
The main point to know about Choice Privileges is reward reservations can only be made for hotels outside the USA within 60 days of your stay, unless you are an elite Platinum (75 days) or Diamond (100 days) member.
Choice Privileges reward nights range from 6,000 to 30,000 points for the vast majority of the 6,000+ hotels worldwide.
Another feature of Choice Privileges are the reward night rates change seasonally. Reward nights at hotels in the USA do not vary nearly as much as the reward nights for international hotels. Many hotels in Europe that cost 20,000 to 25,000 points per night in summer drop to just 8,000 points per night in the low season.
Choice Privileges Reward Search for London, England November 26, 2012.
Choice Privileges Reward Night search for London, GB returns eight hotels within London proper at just 8,000 points per night. There are several more hotels in the suburbs at 8,000 points per night.
Rate comparison for London using points and paying cash.
Quality Crown Hotel Hyde Park = 159GBP = USD $252 per night.
You can buy 8,000 points for $88 through Choice Privileges and with the 10% bonus you will receive 8,800 points. This hotel example reduces the rate from $252 down to $88 for a one-night stay and you will have 800 points remaining in your account.
That is one hotel bargain for London.
Booking a 4-night stay in Paris for $330.
A couple can each buy 16,500 points now for $165 and make separate 2-night reservations. Then notify the hotel in advance that you are a couple with two separate reservations and ask for the same room so you do not need to change rooms after two nights.
Paris, France offers several hotels at 8,000 points per night in November 2012. For November 26 there were 14 hotels available within Paris for 8,000 points per night. Of these 14 hotels, there were 10 hotels available for a 4-night stay Nov 26-30.
Comfort Hotel Royal Aboukir Paris 2 = 151 EUR or USD$193 per night.
Or 8,000 points per night which you can buy for $88.
Note: The current list of hotels at 8,000 points expire November 30, 2012. These same hotels are currently showing 16,000 to 25,000 points for December and January reward nights.
The new list of hotels at 8,000 points have not yet been loaded. This means hotels will show their full points rate for December and January reward reservations, however, I expect the hotel reward rates for December and January to be adjusted in the next couple of weeks.
You might want to wait until December and verify the hotels with reward nights at 8,000 points before you buy Choice Privileges points if Paris and London are in your plans for December 2012 to February 2013.
Exchanges for Choice Privileges points
You can also get Choice Privileges points from exchanges with American Express Membership Rewards, Amtrak Guest Rewards and Diners Club Rewards.
American Express
Amtrak Guest Rewards
Diners Club
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels are the second largest hotel chain worldwide with over 6,000 properties in 11 hotel brands.
More than 90% of Choice Hotels properties are located in the USA and Canada.
Clarion, Comfort Inn and Quality Inn are the primary three brands found in several international locations in France, Germany, UK, Italy, Brazil, Australia and Italy. There are several other countries with a few hotels. Sleep Inn is found in some Latin America countries.
Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.
Club Carlson offers 50% bonus points for points purchases through November 10, 2012. You can normally only buy up to 40,000 points in a calendar year.
This limited time offer allows a Club Carlson member to buy 60,000 points for $280 through November 10.
Terms and Conditions:
All Point Purchases: Price includes all applicable fees. GST/HST will be charged to Canadian residents. Gold Points purchased using this option are non-refundable and will post within 2 to 5 days. All Points Purchase Terms and Conditions and all standard Club Carlson Program Terms and Conditions apply to your purchase and use of Gold Points.
50% Bonus Point Purchase Offer: Offer applies to Gold Points purchased in 1,000 point increments between September 24, 2012 and November 10, 2012 only. For each qualifying purchase, members will receive a point bonus equal to 50% of the points purchased (i.e. 500 bonus points for each 1,000 points purchased). Bonus points will not be applied to the yearly 40,000 point purchase maximum. Bonus points and purchased points will be posted to the member’s Club Carlson account or the gift recipient’s Club Carlson account, as applicable, as one transaction within 2-5 days of purchase. Club Carlson reserves the right to add, modify, or discontinue the Offer without notice. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this Offer, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions and the terms and conditions above applicable to all point purchases.
Club Carlson 50% Bonus on Purchased Gold Points through November 10.
Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.
Starwood Preferred Guest has a 20% discount on the price for buying points from October 15 to November 30, 2012. The discount price is $28 per 1,000 points, reduced from the regular $35 rate.
Considering Cash & Points award nights will frequently give a redemption value in excess of $50 per 1,000 points, the option to buy Starpoints at a discount rate is one to consider.
There is a SPG limit at 20,000 Starpoints in a calendar year for buying or receiving points in a member’s account. Starpoint purchases can be made by members whose accounts have been active for a minimum of 14 days.
The key term here is calendar year. This means you can buy up to 20,000 points at $560 now and buy up to 20,000 more points as soon as January 2013 at the $35 per 1,000 points rate.
The SPG discount rate is a sale that happens at least once every year. In fact, the last 20% discount offer for buying Starpoints just ended six weeks ago.
Advantage of SPG Award Travel Read More…
Starwood Preferred Guest points can be purchased at 20% discount from July 20 through August 31 when points are $28 per 1,000 points rather than the regular $35/1,000 points rate.
Starpoints are deposited in your account within 24 hours.
Points can be purchased in 500 point increments, up to 20,000 points in a calendar year. You must have been a member of SPG for at least 14 days before you are permitted to buy points.
Starwood Preferred Guest only allows a member to receive up to 20,000 purchased points in a calendar year whether gifted or self-purchased. Read More…
