How long for complimentary hotel status to come through

[rockyroad]

Received a reply from the VFF platinum desk today that we should get an initial Welcome email from the VFF partner with-in 20 business days of opting-in and then the physical Welcome Kit in another 20 to 30 business days.

For me it has been +30 business days since opt-in and no initial Welcome emails received.

 

[KitKat]

Received a reply from the VFF platinum desk today that we should get an initial Welcome email from the VFF partner with-in 20 business days of opting-in and then the physical Welcome Kit in another 20 to 30 business days.

For me it has been +30 business days since opt-in and no initial Welcome emails received.

no news for me either... Hilton program

So have booked in Starwood for 30 nights for Nov-Dec-Jan, their loss

 

[rockyroad]

no news for me either... Hilton program

So have booked in Starwood for 30 nights for Nov-Dec-Jan, their loss

Likewise I also have hotel rooms and cars to book. VA / VFF need to put a bit of pressure on their program partners to deliver as otherwise this may turn sour for them.

Sure there were a lot of status matched Golds and Platinums but please 1 month from the opt-in date for the partner to send out a "Welcome" email and then another 1 1/2 months from the "Welcome" email receipt for the delivery of the "Welcome Kit". Sure makes you wonder if the VFF program partners really want our business?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Likewise I also have hotel rooms and cars to book. VA / VFF need to put a bit of pressure on their program partners to deliver as otherwise this may turn sour for them.

The wait is problematic, granted, but they do eventually get there. That's the good news.

The bad news for you Hilton people is that I've found Hilton to be the worst accomodation house to book with. The product is great, but booking is so problematic that so far H has lost over $2000 from me in bookings that have gone elsewhere in just the last month and a bit (That's not long, it's the time they take to process your HH), and more are at risk.

I guess this really belongs on a different thread, but here's some of my booking issues so far;

• All bookings (telephone) divert through to a central call centre rather than the hotel you wish to deal with. This may be wise for H bottom line, but I find the call centre staff unable or unwilling to help at all.....basically, they just seem vocalise what I can see on the web bookings.
• I was booking an AP fare for HSW (just under $1000 for 2 nites in a 2 bed apartment) and during the booking the web site froze. I telephone reservations (believing I was speaking to HSW...hey Melbournians have all kinds of accents) and was told they too had the same problem and couldn't make the booking. The web site was not able to make the booking until the next day when the AP fares had finsished. The prices for the "Best Available" rate had also increased and the booking would have cost over $200 more. I contacted reservations again to ask that their AP fare be honoured from the previous day as the error was not mine, but theirs and they simply stated that was not possible. They lost that booking.
• A stay in Cairns was not credited to my HH account despite it showing up as a stay under my summary. Claim was slow to be processed and it appeared I only got it actioned when H Cairns intervened on my behalf.
• A stay in Sydney was lost due to high cost. I do NOT begrudge H this as they should be able to charge what the market will bear, but over $600 for an AP fare for the cheapest available room for a nite is not good value at all to me.
• A booking I required for the Surfers Paradise Residences for a 3 bedroom for 7 adults for 2 nites (over $1300) was attempted on the web. The booking engine only goes to 4 adults, yet HSP confirmed 8 max. is the room capacity. They put me throught to reservations (it was now I realised it was a central reservations) who stated 4 max. capacity for a 3 bedroom apartment :evil:. I rang HSP back who said that was not correct and when I asked to speak to the hotel reservations, they said that wasn't H policy and I needed to speak to central reservations. When I pushed the point, HSP reception tried to put me through to the hotel reservations counter, but they were busy and the reception lady said she'd have them phone me back. I'm still waiting, weeks later and the booking has been made and paid with a H competitor.
• After the SYD H was too expensive (this is for the DJ Appreciation Run, night), I had a brainwave, that we'd try the new Hilton Surfers Paradise. We live here, but never go to SP so it sort of made sence and help me get my min 4 stays to retain Diamond. As it turns out, the date in question coincides with "schoolies week" (shudder) and the H web site shows the HSP availablity for 2 adults only in the hotel and the residences totally booked out :shock:. There are a lot of residences and my logic goes that if I book one of them, we can fly back into OOL, pick up the kids and have a nite and the Sunday at HSP!! So I telephone HSP (again) to check whether that "sold out" status was correct, only to be told there are plenty of residences available and the "unavailability" as shown on the web is to stop schoolies from booking in :shock:.......Wot the??? Sure, nice idea, but what about all their other potential guests who aren't schoolies? What, keep the hotel empty just to keep schoolies out? Where's the logic in that? Ahhh I think there's an upside in this. Low bookings (due to web showing unavailable) and we'll have the hotel to ourselves......great, now to book! "Put me through to reservations, please" I politely ask the reception. "Yes sir" and through I go to central resevations....."Sorry Sir, there is no availabilty for that night." :evil: I ring back, "Please put me through to the HOTEL RESERVATIONS, not the central resevations"......."Sorry Sir, that's not H policy"........."YES I know that, explain, explain, etc etc"......"Sorry sir, reservations are busy, if you leave me your number, I'll get them to return your call"..............I'm still waiting for that call a week later and thinking seriously about forgetting Hilton forever!
• Let's not mention the "Extend Your Stays" 25% discount promotion. I searched 3 hotels in the first week of that promotion using the flexible dates option and those hotels (HSW, H SYD & HSP) had no available dates thoughout the promotion date range. Funny enough, when I've been searching HSP recently, there they are (but surpise, surprise, not on the dates I want). It appears to me (and I may be wrong) that Hilton released that promo BEFORE they had configured the web site to take those bookings! I won't even start to go into the conversations I've had over that (promised, not promised etc)

Well, all I can say, is I've tried. The simple reality to me is that I love the H product, the hotel themselves are very obliging (Cairns is great and helpful) but the amount of time I've wasted trying to make a bloody reservation is ludicrous. I've come to the realisation that I made an enormous mistake by nominating HH over IHG and it seems I'll struggle to make even 1 booking with Hilton in the next 6 months! Shame really!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Update on my above (lengthy ) post.

This thread reminded me to try again for the night of 19 Nov. This time I got an exceptional lady at HSP who helped me ever so easily!

Booked the residences (that are now miraculously showing on the web site), upgraded me instantly from a one bedroom to a two bedroom, on a high floor the Hotel (rather than the lower residences building). Put in a request for late check out and advised me the Executive Lounge will be available to us even though we're in the resisdences!

Hooray, a booking at long last ......and at a respectable tariff

 

[MrJetset]

Update on my above (lengthy ) post.

This thread reminded me to try again for the night of 19 Nov. This time I got an exceptional lady at HSP who helped me ever so easily!

Booked the residences (that are now miraculously showing on the web site), upgraded me instantly from a one bedroom to a two bedroom, on a high floor the Hotel (rather than the lower residences building). Put in a request for late check out and advised me the Executive Lounge will be available to us even though we're in the resisdences!

Hooray, a booking at long last ......and at a respectable tariff

I'm at the Hilton Surfer's Paradise now. Any Diamond in the Residences or the hotel are entitled to Executive Lounge access. We chose the hotel because because we wanted to avoid families.

Also, you can speak to in house reservations at any property by simply requesting to do so.

 

[LiamR]

I'm at the Hilton Surfer's Paradise now. Any Diamond in the Residences or the hotel are entitled to Executive Lounge access. We chose the hotel because because we wanted to avoid families.

Also, you can speak to in house reservations at any property by simply requesting to do so.

I hope you came into town to see the V8 race cars... Otherwise the sound of Engines revving for the past 12 hours would be a tad annoying!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Also, you can speak to in house reservations at any property by simply requesting to do so.

From my experience, there is a huge Hilton chasm between requesting to speak and actually getting to speak.............................

I get the feeling the 2 and 3 bedroom apartments are specifically targeting families, sorry about that Jock.

How's the hotel? I haven't been near it but I'm expecting it to be pretty good. I was toying with the buffet breakfast package (I love the Hilton buffet breakfast) but have decided to stay with the continental b'fast in the exec. lounge. Is it OK?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I hope you came into town to see the V8 race cars... Otherwise the sound of Engines revving for the past 12 hours would be a tad annoying!

Not to mention the gaggle of FA18 Super Hornets that flew past this morning

 

[stark]

Just to share my experience, my priority club status took exactly three weeks to come through.

 

[LiamR]

Not to mention the gaggle of FA18 Super Hornets that flew past this morning

View attachment 4275

Ahhh Yes. I was lucky enough to get a good view of them, I just wish I could have gotten a good picture of them.

I dare say you've accidentally captured two "stereotypical Gold Coasters" there as well, with the gentlemen in the appropriate Gold Coast attire.

 

[Major]

Not to mention the gaggle of FA18 Super Hornets that flew past this morning

View attachment 4275

Gee!!!

Only 16

 

[sweens]

I hit the wall today...I needed to book some Hilton accommodation in November and it has been 7 weeks since the SM application for HH plat went in....no feedback as yet!

So I rang the VA plat desk and suggested that they act! They finally put me through to the HH people in the US and guest what? I am now a diamond HH!

It was hard work...there must be an easier way but I am there!

 

[DC3]

As soon as I saw those two on the balcony I though of this thread:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ntas-club-dress-standards-stubbies-28470.html

Maybe they were about to head off to the BNE QC.

 

[DC3]

... So I rang the VA plat desk and suggested that they act! They finally put me through to the HH people in the US and guest what? I am now a diamond HH!

Well done. Would they have mentioned the expiry date, at all?

 

[sweens]

Well done. Would they have mentioned the expiry date, at all?

I understand it is valid for six months...any other input on this?

 

[DC3]

I understand it is valid for six months...any other input on this?

Because the usual HHonors status ends on 31st March each year (based on status earning to 31 December), I'm curious as to what expiry dates are being applied under this offer.

 

[colcha]

Because the usual HHonors status ends on 31st March each year (based on status earning to 31 December), I'm curious as to what expiry dates are being applied under this offer.

I just rang up Hilton Honors in the US and was advised that my complimentary Diamond status ends on 31 Mar 2013 (ie. more than a year’s time)!!!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I just wish I could have gotten a good picture of them.

I dare say you've accidentally captured two "stereotypical Gold Coasters" there as well.

Opps, mistake made here.......

I should add that is not my photo, I pinched it from www.goldcoast.com.au

All accolaides need to go to them for catching the beer gut on the balcony

 

[straitman]

Gee!!!

Only 16

Other photos show 20 aircraft :!: