Bookings through Amex Travel

[Isochronous]

I'm thinking of using my Explorer $400 credit to book the Conrad in London. If booked via Amex, do my Hhonors Diamond benefits get recognised and do I get the stay credit?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm thinking of using my Explorer $400 credit to book the Conrad in London. If booked via Amex, do my Hhonors Diamond benefits get recognised and do I get the stay credit?

Most reports are that provided you can link your HH membership to the booking, you will most likely get status recognition, however it is unlikely you'll get points/stays/nights. YMMV and I have had a third party booking gain points/stays/nights previously, but that seems to be an exception rather than rule. Officially, it's no to both questions.

 

[ftm]

The way Amex books it shouldn't be classified the same as an Expedia etc, so status recognition and points should all be the same as if you'd booked direct. At least that is my experience.

 

[opusman]

Pretty sure you don't get status benefits if booking through FHR, but not sure about a regular booking.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The way Amex books it shouldn't be classified the same as an Expedia etc, so status recognition and points should all be the same as if you'd booked direct. At least that is my experience.

Do they book it as an independent travel agency or do they give a cash back benefit like the recent HH/Amex $50 credit promo? If it's the later, than I can confirm I used that promo and got all HH benefits, however they were bookings direct to Hilton by me ... no third party involvement.

Are you able to confirm that you have used the $400 Amex credit and received full HH benefits?

 

[Ewing]

Do they book it as an independent travel agency

Every booking I've made though Amex Travel (FHR excluded) has appeared to the hotel as an Orbitz/Expedia booking. Even the Amex booking confirmations have an Orbitz confirmation number on them.

FHR goes through Sabre.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Pretty sure you don't get status benefits if booking through FHR, but not sure about a regular booking.

Every booking I've made though Amex Travel (FHR excluded) has appeared to the hotel as an Orbitz/Expedia booking. Even the Amex booking confirmations have an Orbitz confirmation number on them.

FHR goes through Sabre.

So fair to assume any accrual of points/nights/stays is just plain good luck?

 

[NZflygirl]

Pretty sure I saw a post from Rooflyer in the travel mistakes thread about needing to call Amex and have them book directly with Hilton to get HH recognition.

 

[Isochronous]

Pretty sure I saw a post from Rooflyer in the travel mistakes thread about needing to call Amex and have them book directly with Hilton to get HH recognition.

So does that mean Amex phone bookings with the explorer credit work for HHonors purposes but not Amex online?

I want to use my $400 credit for a night at Conrad London and just want to know whether i need to book $440 rate to get breakfast included, or if I can book at $420 and rely on Hilton diamond to get free breakfast

 

[NZflygirl]

So does that mean Amex phone bookings with the explorer credit work for HHonors purposes but not Amex online?

I want to use my $400 credit for a night at Conrad London and just want to know whether i need to book $440 rate to get breakfast included, or if I can book at $420 and rely on Hilton diamond to get free breakfast

Post 471 on p48 of travel mistakes thread under "your questions"

From his post it looks like online booking goes via something like Expedia so NO HH benefits but via phone booking with AMEX they book directly with HH so you do get benefits. I would call. Still use your credit.

 

[Isochronous]

Thought I'd make a booking through AMEX Plat travel services, since I haven't done that before. That was my mistake.


* The rate is actually about 15% higher than the best Hilton members rate I can get for the same room by booking direct via the Hilton web site;

* If you book through AMEX web site (as I did) you don't get Hilton status benefits! (Pretty odd, since I only got my Hilton status only through AMEX!);

* That's because I booked through the web site, which is actually booked via an intermediary wholesaler; and

* If I booked via the AMEX plat travel phone line, I would have gotten my Hilton status benefits, as they then book direct with the hotel.

Lesson learned.

When I called in the first place to het my HHonors number put into the booking (and after they explained why I wasn't able to put the HHonors number into the web booking in the first place!), they offered to waive the $50 :shock: cancellation fee. I would have done that in a flash but fortunately I checked the Hilton site first, and there are no rooms left for the dates I want.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....vel-mistakes-lately-50449-48.html#post1518958

Thanks NZflygirl. Will give it a go!

The post refers to the Amex Platinum travel line though - is that different from Amex Travel for mere mortals on the Explorer?

 

[ishe]

Australian Frequent Flyer

Thanks NZflygirl. Will give it a go!

The post refers to the Amex Platinum travel line though - is that different from Amex Travel for mere mortals on the Explorer?

Hi, I wonder how did you go with Amex? did you able to call them to book on your behalf using your credit and did the hotel recognise your status?

thanks

 

[n7of9]

I used the Amex Explorer travel credit recently so read a lot of the T&C's. That specific travel credit cannot be used for bookings made over the phone, and can only be used in a single transaction (so book $300 worth of travel, forfeit $100).

One other annoying thing is that you can't book accommodation for part of the dates you choose, for example, if search for experiences over a 5 day period, any accommodation requires the same 5 days to be booked

 

[Isochronous]

Hi, I wonder how did you go with Amex? did you able to call them to book on your behalf using your credit and did the hotel recognise your status?

thanks

Conrad London St James recognised my Hilton Diamond and gave me a room upgrade, lounge access, and free breakfast. No points or stay credit though.

 

[dsotm]

Researching an upcoming Europe trip, I noticed that AmEx Platinum travel was more expensive on virtually all hotels; often 25% more costly.

 

[turtlemichael]

Researching an upcoming Europe trip, I noticed that AmEx Platinum travel was more expensive on virtually all hotels; often 25% more costly.

From my recent experience I got several hotels in South Africa and Italy quite a bit cheaper through Amex Travel over going direct. It does seem to vary. I was using Amex card credits otherwise I wouldn't have even looked.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Slightly different tack, but I recently noticed Amex Travel to be presumably offering a 10% discount on airfares (based upon searches of VA prices with 10% discount via Virgin Mobile). I'll be looking closer at the fares tomorrow, but it's a regular of mine and it is cheaper than normal. Whether it's actually 10% I'm yet to determine, but it would be nice to think Amex had a permanent 10% off VA.

 

[jazzleg]

Hi folks. Sorry if this has been asked before, as I couldn't find any answer after doing various search in the forum.

I wonder if anyone got any previous experience booking Hilton via a physical Flight Centre store? Do you know if such bookings are eligible to receive the Hilton Honors points and status benefits?

I'm looking to book Conrad Bali, but I have a slight preference to book via Flight Centre due to the current Amex offer.

I understand bookings via online travel agents are not eligible for points, but bookings through some traditional travel agents may be eligible (e.g. in my experience I usually earn points when booking via my corporate travel agent).

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I wonder if anyone got any previous experience booking Hilton via a physical Flight Centre store?

Some members have reported getting them to credit, some have reported the opposite. The Ts&Cs that I see, speak of ineligibility being:

• travel agency discount rates; and
  
• third party websites bookings (irrespective of rate paid)

I actually though any third party booking was technically ineligible, but in reading those (14-8-2018) terms, it appears that some travel agency bookings may be OK as long as they are not discounted. I'm also not sure whether an AMEX offer would class as a "discounted" booking.

If you go ahead with it and it works out, please let us know!

 

[jazzleg]

Some members have reported getting them to credit, some have reported the opposite. The Ts&Cs that I see, speak of ineligibility being:

• travel agency discount rates; and
  
• third party websites bookings (irrespective of rate paid)

I actually though any third party booking was technically ineligible, but in reading those (14-8-2018) terms, it appears that some travel agency bookings may be OK as long as they are not discounted. I'm also not sure whether an AMEX offer would class as a "discounted" booking.

If you go ahead with it and it works out, please let us know!

The Amex offer is a cash back / statement credit offer. Therefore, it wouldn't have any effect on the reservation rate type at all since Flight Centre wouldn't know anything about it.

Will report back if I end up going ahead with the booking.