Marriott Is Lastly Updating (Downgrading) Members Accounts Based On 2019 Activity: Check Your Status!

After several weeks of waiting Marriott appears to now be in the process of eventually updating those members accounts who qualified for a lower status in 2019 and also adjusted the Lifetime counters.

Marriott Rewards has traditionally offered status extensions for those whose nights temporarily dropped and allowed for years members to buy back the status using points, but this has been discontinued.

You can access Marriott Bonvoy here.

READ MORE: Marriott Bonvoy Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions

Status downgrades usually take place during the first week or March based on observations on how Marriott Rewards used to deal with them in the past but this year it took substantially longer.

Some members including myself were able to enjoy the status they held last year a bit longer before it dropped off though in my case I didn’t profit at all from this as I didn’t stay anywhere.

For some members it might be important that the Lifetime Status counter is also updated now:

The minimum years of status are important for members who are focusing on Lifetime Marriott Rewards status and you need 5 years of Gold for Lifetime Gold as well as 10 years as Platinum for Lifetime Platinum.

I need ~ 150 more nights for this task. Should be easy to clock those in as I don’t plan to stay much with Hyatt this year after they already extended my Globalist status until February of 2022. I guess the fact that Marriott seems to despise it’s customers will bring them some business after all. I do like the legacy SPG brands though.

Conclusion

I was Titanium last year and could have renewed that status with 10 more nights but didn’t bother as the differences between Platinum and Titanium are marginal based on my experience in 2018 / 2019.

You should check if your status has updated yet. John told me his status of the Lifetime Titanium account is still Ambassador despite not qualifying anywhere near the required level last year.

by

 Sebastian Powell

Source: https://loyaltylobby.com/ 

U.S. News & World Report Reveals 2017-18 Best Travel Rewards Programs

Marriott Rewards takes top spot in Best Hotel Rewards Programs; Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan continues reign as No. 1 in Best Airline Rewards Programs

U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Hotels, Best Cruise Lines and Best Vacations, today announced the 2017-18 Best Travel Rewards Programs. The annual rankings identify 26 hotel and airline loyalty programs with the most rewarding perks for everyday travelers. Marriott Rewards ranks No. 1 in Best Hotel Rewards Programs, while Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan holds on to the top spot in Best Airline Rewards Programs.

Marriott Rewards is No. 1 among the Best Hotel Rewards Programs due in part to the ease of earning points and its large network of hotels in popular destinations. The program offers complimentary Wi-Fi access and the ability to use points toward booking experiences such as sporting events and concerts. At No. 2, Wyndham Rewards continues to earn high marks for ease of earning a free night, member access to reduced room rates and the availability to earn points through two affiliated credit cards.

Soon to merge with the Virgin America Elevate program, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is the Best Airline Rewards Program for the third consecutive year. Its mileage-based earning structure makes it easier for travelers to earn miles at a faster pace than with revenue-based earning programs. Delta SkyMiles moves up to the No. 2 spot because of its competitive redemption rates for award flights and diversity of benefits, such as using miles for hotels stays, cabin upgrades, experiences and free flights.

"Today's travelers have so many rewards programs to choose from, comparing and contrasting them based on your specific needs can be a challenge," said Christine Smith, associate travel editor at U.S. News. "Our Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings emphasize the ease of earning points and miles, and redeeming them for free nights and flights, which everyday travelers identify as a top reason to join a loyalty program."

U.S. News ranks the Best Travel Rewards Programs in two categories: hotel loyalty programs and airline frequent flyer programs. The methodologies take into account membership benefits – such as free amenities, program-affiliated credit cards and redeemable experiences – network coverage and a strong emphasis on the ease of earning and redeeming free flights or nights. Additionally, U.S. News factors in property diversity for the Best Hotel Rewards Programs and Airline Quality Rating scores for the Best Airline Rewards Programs.

2017-18 U.S. News Best Travel Rewards Programs
Hotel Rewards Programs	Airline Rewards Programs
1. Marriott Rewards	1. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
2. Wyndham Rewards	2. Delta SkyMiles
3. Choice Privileges	3. JetBlue TrueBlue
4. World of Hyatt	4. Southwest Rapid Rewards
5. Best Western Rewards	5. United MileagePlus

For more information on the Best Travel Rewards Programs, visit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BestRewards.

About U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report

Related Links

http://www.usnews.com

Marriott Rewards Members Can Now Earn South African Airways (SAA) Voyager Miles

Members can earn miles for their stays and redeem points for miles through flexible program

 Marriott Rewards, Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program, announced

 that members can now earn South African Airways (SAA) Voyager miles for stays at

 more than 4,000 Marriott hotels across 16 distinctive global brands. As part of this

 new partnership, Marriott Rewards members can now also redeem points

 for SAA Voyager miles.

"Providing our members with even more flexibility to fuel their journey of exploration is part of our

 mission at Marriott Rewards," said Kevin McCarthy, Vice President of Loyalty Member Experience

 at Marriott International. "Through our partnership with South African Airways -- our 41st airline

 partner -- our 54 million members will have the freedom to enjoy the benefits of loyalty in ways

 that are most meaningful to them -- whether earning miles during their stays, or using points to

 get the miles they need to travel even sooner."

"We are excited to launch this partnership with Marriott Rewards," said Suretha Cruse, SAA

 Executive, Customer Loyalty. "Marriott Rewards includes hotels worldwide, most recently

 adding Protea Hotels, one of the leading African hotel groups, to the program. We are confident

 that this new partnership will really benefit our members."

As of today, Marriott Rewards members who designate South African Airways as their earning

 preference will receive:

• Two (2) SAA Voyager miles per $1 US spent on qualifying hotel charges at the following brands:
  • JW Marriott®
  • Autograph Collection® Hotels
  • Renaissance® Hotels
  • Marriott Hotels®
  • Marriott Vacation Club®

• Two (2) SAA Voyager miles per $1 US spent on room rate only at the following brands:
  • The Ritz-Carlton®
  • EDITION®
  • Gaylord Hotels®

• One (1) SAA Voyager mile per $1 US spent on room rate only at the following brands:
  • Protea Hotels®
  • Courtyard by Marriott®
  • AC Hotels by Marriott®
  • SpringHill Suites by Marriott®
  • Fairfield Inn & Suites®
  • Residence Inn by Marriott®
  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott®
  • Marriott Executive Apartments®
  • Moxy Hotels®
  • Delta Hotels ® (coming Q1 2016)

Members can also earn one (1) SAA Voyager mile per $1 US spent, with a maximum of 15,000

 points per event, on events with at least ten (10) room nights on a single night or catered-only

 events. Participating hotels worldwide include The Ritz-Carlton®, JW Marriott®, EDITION®,

 Gaylord Hotels®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®,

 Courtyard by Marriott®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn

 & Suites®, and Marriott Vacation Club®.

Marriott Rewards members can also convert their Marriott Rewards points into SAA Voyager

 miles at the following exchange rates:

Marriott Rewards Points	SAA Voyager Miles
10,000	1,500
20,000	3,500
30,000	7,000
70,000	17,500
140,000	35,000

In addition to earning points for their stays, Marriott Rewards members enjoy extra benefits, such

 as free Wi-Fi and mobile check-in through the Marriott Mobile app, as well as special deals only 

available when booking direct on a Marriott channel.

About Marriott Rewards

Marriott Rewards is Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program spanning 16 brands and

 over 4,000 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates and

 members can earn and redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world and

 at Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The Ritz-Carlton®.  Members can also redeem

 points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making rewards

 accessible with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards continues to be a leader in the

 industry. Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the

 Americas" for the last eight years and is a two-time winner of the Frequent Travel Award for

 "Best Hotel Rewards Program." In addition, the program has been named best hotel rewards

 program by the readers of U.S. News & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global

 Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll and for more information about

 Marriott Rewards, guests can visitMarriottRewards.com.

About SAA Voyager

South African Airways (SAA) Voyager is a loyalty program owned by SAA (SOC) Limited and

 serves as the frequent flyer program for: SAA; SA Express (SOC) Limited; and Airlink Proprietary

 Limited. Mango (SOC) Limited, SAA's wholly owned low cost carrier, is a high customer value

 ranked redemption partner of the program. Launched during 1994, the program offers its more

 than 2.5 million members earning and spending of Miles (the program's reward currency) from

 55 program partners. The program boasts more than 35 airline partnerships, including the Star

 Alliance global network which gives members access to more than 1,300 destinations in 190

 countries. The evolution of SAA Voyager has seen the program expanding from being a traditional

 frequent flyer program, by diversifying its offering to include more than 20 non-airline partners in

 categories ranging from travel-related to lifestyle, retail, property, and financial services; delivering

 on its promise to become forever part of their members' journeys.  SAA Voyager is dedicated to

 upholding the same high standards of customer service excellence today and in the future, as it

 has for decades. SAA Voyager program partners gain access to a rich partner network and one

 of the biggest loyalty databases on the continent, which has proven to translate to increased

 revenues and enhanced customer retention. To enroll and for more information about SAA

 Voyager, please visit FlySAA.com.

Marriott Rewards Now Available Across Africa At All 100 Protea Hotels

Protea Joins Over 4,000 Marriott International Hotels Where Members Can Earn And Redeem

 Points For Global Travel

 Marriott Rewards, the award winning

 global hotel loyalty program, is being expanded to all Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels 

across Sub-Saharan Africa, giving its 53 million members 100 more hotels where they can earn

 and redeem points.  Today's expansion follows an initial rollout of Marriott Rewards to 25 properties

 in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban and expands the program to Protea and African Pride

 hotels in Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria and Malawi.

"Marriott Rewards members--our most loyal guests--are seeking travel experiences that empower 

them to pursue their passions. Marriott Rewards' expansion to include all Protea Hotels allows

 members to enjoy the benefits of loyalty when traveling to Africa, whether for business or leisure,"

 explains Mark Satterfield, Chief Operating Officer for Marriott International, Middle East & Africa and

 Marriott International's Business Leader for Protea Hotels. 

For individuals who travel around Africa, this is the first time an African hotel brand has offered

 loyalty points for domestic stays that can be redeemed for travel internationally. Protea Hotels

 is positioned in the moderate and upper moderate tier categories, with properties situated in

 key business centers and sought-after leisure destinations. Protea Hotels offers accommodation

 ideal for both business and leisure travelers, with modern design and a unique blend of local style

 and personal service.

Marriott Rewards points can be redeemed for hotel stays, as well as for a range of other benefits, 

such as air travel, frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, and merchandise. In addition to earning 

points for their stays, Marriott Rewards members enjoy exclusive benefits, such as free Wi-Fi and

 mobile check-in and check-out through the Marriott Mobile app, as well as special  offers only

 available when booking direct on Marriott.com.

To learn more about Marriott Rewards, which is free to join, please visit: www.MarriottRewards.com.

About Marriott Rewards

Marriott Rewards is Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program spanning 16 brands and

 over 4,000 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates and

 members can earn and redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world and at

 Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The Ritz-Carlton®.  Members can also redeem points

 for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making rewards accessible

 with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards continues to be a leader in the industry. Marriott

 Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the Americas" eight years

 in a row and the 2011 and 2010 Frequent Travel Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program." In

 addition, the program has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of U.S. News

 & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global Traveler, Executive Travel and

 BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll and for more information about Marriott Rewards, guests

 can visit MarriottRewards.com.

About Protea Hotels

Protea Hotels is Africa's leading hotel brand and has a footprint of more than 100 properties

 throughout South Africa and seven other African countries, including Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia,

 Ghana and Uganda amongst others. Each hotel is uniquely different in character and the

 collection ranges from urban accommodation to country retreats, all in the 3 and 4-star markets.

 Protea Hotels is the winner of 2 World Travel Awards for Best Hotel Group in Africa, winner of 3

 Sunday Times Markinor Top Hotel Brand Awards, the winner of 6 Coolest Hotel Group awards

 in the Sunday Times Generation Next surveys and the winner of the Ask Africa South African

 Customer Service Award 2013 and Icon Brand 2015. The hotel group was bought by Marriott

 International in April 2014 and forms part of Marriott's global brand portfolio made up of 19

 brands that operate more than 4 300 hotels in 81 countries. Follow us on twitter @ProteaHotels

About Marriott International:

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based

 in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 4,300 properties in 85 countries and territories. 

 Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company

 operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands,

 including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® 

Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive 

Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®,

 Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea

 Hotels® and Moxy Hotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and

 for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty

 program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass

 54 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com

Marriott Rewards Found to Offer Best Reward Payback Among Leading Global Hotel Loyalty Programs

IdeaWorksCompany releases results from the first

Switchfly Hotel Reward Payback Survey.

Marriott Rewards returns an average of 9.4%from room night spending as reward stay value in the first Switchfly Hotel Reward Payback Survey.That’sa 54% higher return than the reward value provided byStarwood SPG, which was ranked last among the four hotel loyalty programs at 6.1% for reward payback. This document provides results from the survey.

During July 2015, IdeaWorksCompany conducted 1,440 reward queries for key hotel brands in four global frequent guest programs: Hilton HHonors, IHG Rewards, Marriott Rewards, and Starwood SPG. For each query, the lowest reward price in points was recorded along with the corresponding price in US dollars. The value provided by points was adjusted to consider the different rates of point accrual for the programs. The result provides an average “reward payback” for each program as shown in the graph below. For example, the 8.9% rate for Hilton HHonors represents average reward value payback of $8.90 for every $100 spent on hotel room rates. By comparison, IdeaWorksCompany calculated reward payback for major US airlines ranges from 5.5% to 8.6% (see page 4).

Reward Payback for Hotel Loyalty Programs

Reward value returned for every dollar spent on hotel rates

10%		8.6%	8.9%	9.4%
9%
8%
7%	6.1%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
	Starwood SPG	IHG Rewards	Hilton Hhonors	Marriott Rewards

Best flexible room rate (with taxes) divided by reward point prices for 1,440 queries conducted July 2015 for July - February period. Adjusted for each program's accrual rate for hotel spending.

Hotel Rewards Payback

“Consumers want ‘apples-to-apples’ measurements from their loyalty programs to know who is being truly generous with their rewards,” said Switchfly CEO Daniel Farrar. “That’s why we launched the Switchfly Hotel Reward Payback Survey: to determine the average reward payback for each program and see how they compare against each other. Determining the average reward payback for each loyalty program will become increasingly important as more hotel chains allow customers to pay with points.

“There are several ways in which hotel loyalty programs can meet and surpass consumer expectations: frequent promotions with concierge-quality services available to lower-tier members, automated check-ins without staff interaction; Wifi (which is no longer an amenity, but a requirement). It’s a brave new world for hotels,” said Farrar.

All points are not created equal

Dividing the room price (including local taxes) by the number of points per query provides a simple valuation of the point currency used by individual programs (see below table). Think of it as the room night value that can be purchased with a reward point. However, points are naturally unequal in value because of differing rates of accrual. For example, Hilton HHonors usual accrual rate is 15 HHonors Points per dollar spent at a hotel, while Sheraton SPG provides 2 Starpoints per dollar spent a hotel. Knowing the value of reward points is helpful for members who wish to assess the value of their account balances.

Simple Value of Reward Points by Hotel Loyalty Program

Best flexible room rate (with taxes) divided by reward point prices

Hilton HHonors	IHG Rewards	Marriott Rewards	Starwood SPG
$0.006	$0.009	$0.009	$0.029

1,440 queries conducted July 2015 for July - February period; does not reflect accrual rates which vary by program.

However, point values don’t allow consumers to compare hotel reward benefits across different loyalty programs. For this purpose, IdeaWorksCompany offers “reward payback” as a simple benchmark to measure how these programs deliver their primary benefit to everyday travelers. Think of this as the reward value returned for hotel expenditures.

The survey used 360 queries per hotel loyalty program distributed among a chain’s three leading brands. For Marriott Rewards, this comprised Marriott Hotels, Courtyard, and Fairfield Inn & Suites. Queries for each program were performed for the same 18 dates (ranging from July 2015 through February 2016) and an identical list of US and global destinations. This included New York City, San Francisco, London, and Beijing. Queries outside the US relied on a chain’s signature brand, such as Holiday Inn for IHG Rewards or Hilton Hotels and Resorts for Hilton HHonors.

Hotel Rewards Payback

Most hotel loyalty members do not hold the program’s co-branded credit card and don’t have elite status. For these members, the reward payback method provides a good measure of reward value. Members that have elite status and use a program’s co-branded credit card to pay room charges benefit from a dizzying array of bonus point possibilities. These members might consider doing their own calculations based upon the simple value of reward points presented in the table above. The value provided by reward nights is traditionally the most important attribute for many members; the results presented in the survey don’t attempt to assess all the benefits provided by hotel loyalty programs.

Reward payback extremes were found to range from 2.5% to 24%

The best reward payback occurs when room rates are high and reward point levels are low. Of course, the opposite condition yields low reward payback. The 1,440 queries were ranked from low to high to determine extreme values among the cities, dates, and hotel properties queried. The reward payback statistics listed in the table below assume members limit their paid stays and reward redemptions to the same hotel.

Imagine a hotel that provides a 24% reward payback on paid stays. That’s the reward payback associated with a February 2016 stay at the Hilton Beijing Chaoyang. Booking a room for 18 February 2016 can cost $479 or a very modest reward night price of 30,000 points. That combination, and the Hilton HHonors base accrual rate of 15 points per dollar spent, delivers an unbelievably generous reward payback. The following are some examples from the highest and lowest reward payback rates found in the survey:

Best Reward Payback for each Hotel Loyalty Program

Program	Room	Hotel Property	Reward	Room	Reward
	Night		Points	Rate	Payback
Hilton HHonors	18-Feb-16	Beijing - Hilton Beijing Chaoyang	30,000	$479	24.0%
IHG Rewards	17-Sep-15	London - Holiday Inn London Mayfair	35,000	$561	16.0%
Marriott Rewards	22-Feb-16	NYC - Fairfield Inn & Suites, Times Square	40,000	$806	20.2%
Starwood SPG	22-Feb-16	San Francisco - Westin St. Francis	12,000	$926	15.4%

Lowest Reward Payback for each Hotel Loyalty Program

Hilton HHonors	6-Feb-16	Chicago - Hilton Chicago	50,000	$104	3.1%
IHG Rewards	16-Jul-15	Dubai - Holiday Inn Embassy District	20,000	$79	3.9%
Marriott Rewards	6-Feb-16	Chicago - Courtyard Chicago River North	35,000	$120	3.4%
Starwood SPG	6-Feb-16	Chicago - Sheraton Hotel & Towers	12,000	$150	2.5%

Best flexible room rate (with taxes) divided by reward point prices for 1,440 queries conducted July 2015 for July through February period. Adjusted for each program's accrual rate for hotel spending.

Low reward payback can be associated with hotel properties which are typically high-priced in terms of reward point prices and room rates. When these locations deeply discount their cash room rate - and don’t reduce the reward point level – the result is an unusually low reward payback. That’s what happened when the Chicago Hilton dropped its weekend room rate to $104 while maintaining its 50,000 reward night point price.

Hotel Rewards Payback

Pay with points will eventually replace fixed reward levels

IdeaWorksComany anticipates hotel chains will eventually implement the pay-with-points methods already used by Air New Zealand Airpoints, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and anticipated for Delta SkyMiles in 2016. Pricing reward nights using the inflexible metric of fixed-point levels generates the wildly varying results listed in the table above. Linking room night prices to prevailing room rates unites the economics of a hotel to the business of operating a loyalty program. As stated so eloquently by Southwest Airlines, “when fares go on sale, so do the points needed for redeeming a reward flight.” That’s a strategy that can benefit program members, hotel owners, and investors.

Key findings are summarized in an infographic available at the press release section of the IdeaWorksCompany.com website.

Notes regarding reward query methodology: Booking queries for a party of two travelers (one night stay)were made at hotel loyalty program websites during July 2015. 18 specific dates were selected for queries for Mondays (6 dates), Thursdays (6 dates), and Saturdays (6 dates) from July 2015 through February 2016. Hotel properties from three major brands (based upon global room count) for each hotel loyalty program were selected for the survey. US destinations in the survey: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. International destinations in the survey: Beijing, Dubai, London, and Paris. The lowest point level and the associated cash room rate were recorded for each query.

The survey is based upon non-elite members accruing and redeeming points. Bonus points related to elite status and co-branded credit card use were not included in the calculations. In addition, some programs provide a free 5^th night when 4 reward nights are booked. All of these would increase reward payback for a hotel guest program above the levels listed in the survey. Sometimes hotels were completely sold out, or rooms were not available for reward night stays. These queries were not included in the results. No reward night incidence (over and above completely sold out dates) was noted for each hotel loyalty program: Hilton HHonors 0% (rewards always available), IHG Rewards (8.6% not available), Marriott Rewards (3.3% not available), and Starwood (1.9% not available).

Note regarding US airline reward payback: Calculations are based upon accrual methods used by American, Delta, Southwest, and United. Assumptions include $390 roundtrip fare ($274 for Southwest), 1,100 mile average flight length, and non-elite accrual level (Delta and United), and Wanna Get Away fares for Southwest. Reward payback for premium class fares and elite-status members will be higher.

About Switchfly: Switchfly, Inc. is a global technology company that powers travelcommerce and loyalty program engagement for some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Leading airlines, hotels, financial service providers and even retailers depend on Switchfly to power their omnichannel travel and loyalty experiences because it uniquely combines a highly scalable and secure SaaS architecture with deep product and content inventory. Powerful analytics and real-time decision engines allow them to foster contextually-rich customer engagement, even as they benefit from Switchfly’s continuously evolving SaaS platform. Headquartered in San Francisco, Switchfly generates more than $1.25 billion USD in revenue for its clients annually and facilitates the redemption of more than 35 billion reward points and miles each year. The company’s global client roster includes American Airlines, Emirates, JetBlue and LAN Airlines; IAG Avios, Lufthansa Miles & More and United MileagePlus; InterContinental Hotels Group and Starwood Hotels; Expedia, Priceline and Groupon. For more information, visit http://www.switchfly.com.Hotel Rewards Payback

Page 5

About IdeaWorksCompany.com: IdeaWorksCompany was founded in 1996 as aconsulting organization building brands through innovation in product, partnership and marketing, and building profits through financial improvement and restructuring. Its international client list includes airlines and other travel industry firms in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. IdeaWorksCompany specializes in ancillary revenue improvement, brand development, customer research, competitive analysis, frequent flier programs, and on-site executive workshops. Learn more at IdeaWorksCompany.com.

Travelore News: Hotels Make Internet Free But Tighten Cancellation Policies

Big changes are coming in 2015 for hotel guests, one will save travelers lots of money and another may cause a few headaches.

First, the good news: The big chains, those mega-hotels that cater to business travelers during the week, are finally following suit of the budget, side-of-the-road properties and offering free Wi-Fi.

And the bad news: Starting Jan. 1 two of the largest hotel chains in the world are making it harder for travelers to cancel reservations.

PRO: FREE WI-FI

Among the expected changes, free access to the Internet will affect the most guests. Possible savings of $10 to $15 a night, can really add up over a week long vacation. But there are a few strings attached. The majority of chains will require guests to sign up for their free loyalty programs. Basically, if you share a little more personal information, they'll let you surf the Web for free.

At the beginning of 2014, InterContinental Hotels Group, the parent company of Holiday Inn, became the first major chain to offer free Internet to all members of its loyalty program. That's a benefit that had been generally limited to frequent guests who have elite status.

None of the competition followed until a few weeks ago when Marriott International announced that all members of its rewards program would get free, basic Wi-Fi starting Jan. 15 as long as they booked directly with the company. Elite members of Marriott Rewards will continue to get a faster, premium Internet service for free.

The move is part of a long-term push by hotels to get guests to book through their own websites and call centers instead of services like Orbitz and Expedia, to which they have to pay commissions.

When Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide followed suit, it too had a similar change: free Internet starting Feb. 2 for anybody booking directly; complimentary premium service for elite members.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. was the next big chain to offer free Internet. But unlike the others, its product will be free staring in February no matter what. Guests won't have to sign up for a club and can book through any channel they wish.

"Internet connectivity is no longer an amenity. It has become an integral part of travelers' daily lives and a basic expectation," Kristine Rose, vice president of brands for Hyatt said in a statement. "Travelers shouldn't have to remember which brands or locations offer it for free or the strings attached to get it."

Hilton Worldwide remains the biggest chain not to offer free Internet at all its properties.

The savings can be substantial. For instance, the San Francisco Marriott Marquis charges $14.95 a night for Internet; the Sheraton Atlanta, $12.95 a night; and the Hyatt Regency Chicago charges anywhere from $9.95 to $39.95 a night, depending on the connection speed.

CON: TOUGHER CANCELLATION POLICIES

Not all of the expected changes will be good for travelers in 2015.

Hilton and Marriott are rolling out new cancellation policies, forcing guests to abandon plans earlier on. Many hotels currently allow guests to cancel as late as 6 p.m. on the night of arrival. That's about to change.

Both hotel chains will, as of Jan. 1, require guests to cancel by midnight the day before they arrive in order to avoid a cancellation fee, typically equal to one night's room rate. Hilton and Marriott both justified the change saying it will make more rooms available for travelers needing last-minute accommodations.

Some travelers have been making reservations long in advance for stays, but then use last-minute deal apps from HotelTonight, Priceline and others to book cheap rooms hours before checking in and then cancel the original reservation. Hotels feel undercut and are left with unused rooms. This change, while not great for deal seekers, will help the hotels better manage inventory.

__

Contributed by Scott Mayerowitz, AP.

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport