Travel Loyalty Schemes

I travel quite a bit for pleasure, and now my job also requires me to travel a bit, which is a nice bonus. I like to travel. As if you hadn't guessed from this blog.

I figure when you are travelling a lot, and spending good money on it, if people are willing to give you free stuff in exchange, I am happy to accept it.

Loyalty schemes such as frequent flyer miles programs can be pretty good for that. A couple of years ago I got a flight from Melbourne to San Francisco (via Sydney). It cost me about AUD $200 for fees and taxes, which is good considering trans-Pacific flights can be pretty costly. It also cost me 48,000 Qantas frequent flyer points.

How did I earn those? It was a combination of:

• some domestic Qantas flights over the years
• an around the world flight with Qantas and British Airways
• American Express credit card points transferred to Qantas points (no longer possible with American Express rewards unless you have a Qantas-specific Amex)

More recently, I was sent to Cape Town in South Africa for work, out of London. South African Airlines are not points partners with Qantas (Qantas and BA are part of the oneworld alliance whilst SAA are Star Alliance). So I signed up with one of South African's Star Alliance partners, BMI. The return flight to Cape Town earned me enough points for a return flight anywhere in Europe with BMI.

So, I think there is certainly value in these schemes. Accordingly, I have since signed up with a few. I have a frequent flyer account with each of the 3 major alliances in the sky and also one with Virgin Blue, who are points partners with some of the big airlines like Emirates, Malaysia and Virgin Atlantic. Mind you, I am still waiting for Virgin Blue to credit my points for my return flight to Australia with Malaysia Airlines.

I have also recently signed up with Hilton HHonors, who not only give you hotel points to earn free stays, but also frequent flyer points to your choice of program.

The problem with these schemes is that they are not very well organised, and sometimes you have to harass the companies to give you the points you are due.  Here's an example. I wrote this letter yesterday:

17 February 2009

  

The Manager

Hilton HHonors Customer Service

4 Cadogan Square

Cadogan Street

Glasgow

G2 7PH

  

Dear Sir / Madam

Hilton HHonors Concerns Regarding National Car Hire

Hilton HHonors number XXXXXXX

National Car reservation: XXXXXXX

I have stayed at Hilton properties a number of times and have always enjoyed my stay. I therefore recently decided to sign up with the Hilton HHonors program.

I had my first stay since signing up to the program last weekend. I stayed at the Hilton Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. As usual, it was a comfortable stay with good customer service. My points for the stay appeared on my Hilton HHonors account within a few days.

However, I have had a problem with my National Car hire bonus points.  I was using a National rental car during my visit.  I understood that I would receive Hilton HHonors bonus points as this is the information which in on the Hilton HHonors website:

National® Car Rental

Earn 250 HHonors bonus points with each car rental from National in conjunction with a stay at any Hilton Family hotel.

Present your National rental car agreement or keys upon check-in at the hotel to earn HHonors bonus points.

The National car rental website has a similar description:

Earn 250 Hilton HHonors® partners bonus points per rental on all qualifying paid rentals at participating National® locations.

Terms and Conditions

To receive your points, present your National Car Rental agreement or keys when you check-in at a participating Hilton®, Conrad®, Coral by Hilton, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Club®, Homewood Suites by Hilton® or Scandic hotel.

Points can be earned for rentals at participating National® locations around the world.

Tour, travel industry, and complimentary rentals and HHonors Car Rental Reward certificates do not qualify for earning HHonors points. Hilton HHonors Disclaimer Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Miles®, and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions.

Hilton HHonors Disclaimer

Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Miles®, and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions. ©2003 Hilton HHonors Worldwide.

Based on this information, I showed the hotel check in staff my car keys and rental agreement.  However, neither of the reception staff on duty were aware of this arrangement, therefore they did not credit me with the extra points.

Yesterday I tried filling in the missing points claim on the Hilton HHonors website, however, I received an error message stating that the service is temporarily unavailable and that I should call customer service. This was after I laboriously entered all of the information!

Today I telephoned the Hilton HHonors customer service telephone number to attempt to cliam my points. However, I was told that it was not possible to earn Hilton HHonors points on National car rentals. I said that I am looking at the Hilton HHonors website right now and that it says that I can. Your representative then checked her information and confirmed that I can in fact earn points. However, she said that her information states that I have to present my Hilton HHonors card at the car rental location.

I think this is unsatisfactory as it is directly opposed to the information both on the Hilton HHonors and National websites – I took these instructions as reliable.  It is also impossible as you have not sent me a membership card.

Your representative then put me through to National customer service in the United States however, they were closed.

I trust you will credit me with the appropriate points and clear up the inconsistent information being represented by your staff and website. I have wasted a lot of time both waiting on the phone and talking to your customer service representatives, and filling in online forms that got me nowhere, for a mere 250 points.

Thank you for your assistance.

Yours sincerely

DK

I am hoping for a few extra points for all my troubles. How good would it be (though unlikely) if they gave me a free stay? I will let you know how it goes!