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…

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.

• 1,000 to 10,000 points = $13.50 per 1,000 points = $9.00 per 1,000 points with 50% bonus.
• 11,000 to 25,000 points = $12.50 per 1,000 points = $8.33 per 1,000 points with 50% bonus.
• 26,000 to 50,000 points = $11.50 per 1,000 points = $7.67 per 1,000 points with 50% bonus.

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.

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…

Hyatt Gold Passport offers 10% to 30% bonus points for points purchases from June 20 through August 31, 2012. Buy 30,000 to 40,000 points and the bonus is 30% more points.

I think this is a good deal for frequent Hyatt guests and I differ somewhat from the value assessments by One Mile at a Time and The Points Guy.

Buy Hyatt Points with up to 30% bonus points link.

Buying Hyatt Gold Passport Points Basics:

The normal rate is $24 to buy 1,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points. Read More…

The new list of Priority Club PointBreaks has been released for hotels stays through May 31, 2012 at 5,000 points per night. Read More…

Gary Leff spouted off this morning about La Quinta Inns being an unsuitable hotel chain for the way he likes to travel. My god, they don’t even have room service!

And even though he has never slept at a La Quinta Inn, he implies the housekeeping staff does not clean the rooms to the same standard a guest will find at a full-service hotel chain like IHG, Hilton or Hyatt.

Yet, he has no problem being a member of La Quinta Returns loyalty program to collect free points.

Here is my rebuttal for you Gary and a reason to build your account balance beyond 300 points.

Waldorf-Astoria Resorts – here we come with ice coolers.

Here is a Loyalty Traveler lesson in cheap value for travelers who can get by without room service morning coffee for hotel stays at La Quinta Inns & Suites.

Read More…

Hyatt Gold Passport offers 10% to 30% bonus points on points purchases from January 18 through March 15, 2012. The normal purchase rate of $24 per 1,000 points is charged, but the bonus points reduce the net cost. There is a calendar year limit of 40,000 points as the maximum purchase, yet this offer allows members to buy as many as 52,000 points for 2012.

• 1,000 – 9,000 points = 10% bonus points; reducing rate from $24/1,000 points to $21.82 per 1,000 points.
• 10,000 to 29,000 points = 20% bonus points; reducing rate to $20 per 1,000 points.
• 30,000 to 40,000 points = 30% bonus points; reducing rate to $18.46 per 1,000 points.
• Points must be purchased in increments of 1,000 points.
• Maximum annual purchase for Hyatt Gold Passport points is normally 40,000 points and this sale offer allows members to buy up to 52,000 points in 2012.

This is a good opportunity to load up on Hyatt Gold Passport points if you have specific plans for using the points in 2012. I could show you loads of hotels where this is a great deal compared to the published rate, but suffice to say this can be a route to discounted hotel rooms. DealsWeLike blog showed a couple of examples where buying points saves major cash outlay at a couple of resort hotels.

Assume you purchase 52,000 points for $960. Here is the table to showing room rate to reward rate equivalent after buying points at $18.46 per 1,000 points.

Hyatt Gold Passport Reward Nights  (Hyatt link to free night rewards)

• Category 1 hotels at 5,000 points = $92.30
• Category 2 hotels at 8,000 points = $147.68
• Category 3 hotels at 12,000 points = $221.52
• Category 4 hotels at 15,000 points = $276.90
• Category 5 hotels at 18,000 points = $332.28
• Category 6 hotels at 22,000 points = $406.12

This table shows the cost or reward nights at each hotel reward level when buying points with the 30% bonus. If the published rate after tax is more than the rate shown here, then the points option is cheaper. Keep in mind though that a Hyatt reward stay does not earn points or elite credit and for Diamond members, confirmed suite upgrades are not applicable to reward stays.

Buy and Transfer Points for Bigger Hotel Rewards is the column I wrote for InsideFlyer January 2012 issue showing the rules for buying and transferring points across the major hotel loyalty programs. The piece shares some strategies and opportunities available to members who may want to buy points for a hotel reward as a cheaper alternative to the published room rates.

One of the features of Hyatt Gold Passport is the free transfer of points between any two members to reach the level needed for a reward stay redemption. This gives a couple the opportunity to purchase and combine 104,000 points with this current Hyatt Gold Passport promotion.

You may only have as few as 6,000 points in your account today and tomorrow you could have 110,000 points after combining points with another member (spouse, parent, traveling companion). Five nights at a Category 6 Hyatt Hotel for $1,920 in points purchases can potentially be a huge discount at some Hyatt Resorts and aspirational properties.