A-Club Membership

[Dr Leo Spaceman]

I recently received a Platinum A-Club membership card in the mail, delivered to my work address.

I do travel a lot for work but I do not recall staying at an Accor hotel (certainly not enough to earn Platinum status) and I don't remember signing up for this program.

Does anyone have an explanation for this?​

 

[samh004]

Welcome to AFF!

Perhaps if you did stay at an Accor hotel, they took your details from checkin and sent you a card. If it’s a real card, you’ll have membership details allowing you to log in to your account. There you can find out if there’s any recent activity

 

[bossreggie]

I like 30 Rock too!!

Welcome. Apparantly they have been giving platinum memberships to some ppl. My +1 received a card earlier this year and had only stayed 3 - 4 times.

 

[Mal]

No idea. The work address is a little strange.

Friendly travel agent? Perk of a corporate credit card? Company wide promotion?

 

[markis10]

One of the Westpac cards includes it from memory.

 

[oz_mark]

One of the Westpac cards includes it from memory.

Th Krisflyer platinum does, however, unless they have changed the process, you had to apply separately for the card. Sofitel have sometimes given them out (I got my gold membership through Sofitel).

 

[Gold Member]

Congrats, but I wouldn't be too excited. Accor is probably among hte worst for top tier status benefits and rewards. I avoid Accor properties unless I have no choice.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I avoid Accor properties unless I have no choice.

+1

Hotels are very Mc.. especially Ibis. Strange but not wonderful experiences with Mercure. Sheraton BNE went Sofitel and killed off the seafood buffet.

Abandoned Advantage Plus after a few years because they always sought out the worst rooms for the free nights, and the half price nights were marginal value.

The clincher was their lies about what I'd get from A club membership.:evil:

Cheers skip

 

[Sprucegoose]

I like 30 Rock too!!

Welcome. Apparantly they have been giving platinum memberships to some ppl. My +1 received a card earlier this year and had only stayed 3 - 4 times.

I would call that brand devaluation. A tactic for market share maybe?

 

[Ewing]

I would call that brand devaluation. A tactic for market share maybe?

It seems to be.

There are also coupons floating around that give new signups Platinum status - it's how I got mine:

I haven't stayed in an Accor hotel for about 5 years though

I originally signed up because I wanted another hotel program in addition to SPG due to the limited number of SPG properties, but after doing more research the program didn't look that good.

-Shaun

 

[samh004]

It seems to be.

There are also coupons floating around that give new signups Platinum status - it's how I got mine:

Ooh, time to go looking, I signed up and got Gold but Platinum sounds much nicer, and seeing as I haven’t used it, no loss creating a new account

 

[Sprucegoose]

It seems to be.

There are also coupons floating around that give new signups Platinum status - it's how I got mine:

I haven't stayed in an Accor hotel for about 5 years though

I originally signed up because I wanted another hotel program in addition to SPG due to the limited number of SPG properties, but after doing more research the program didn't look that good.

-Shaun

SPG lost me years ago. I was Plats and loyal but the amount of properties diminished and so did my loyalty.

looking to move to Hilton. If they have a top tier promo i would be very interested.

IHG doesnt have all the properties either.

 

[serfty]

...
looking to move to Hilton. If they have a top tier promo i would be very interested.

IHG doesnt have all the properties either.

Look at this MVP thread (4 stays for Gold*):

• http://www.australianfrequentflyer..../hilton-hhonors-mvp-programme-fast-23171.html

FWIW, A-Club may work well in Europe, however out here in Oceania recognition is minimal.

I have generally had to put in a claim for points when staying - it's been more of a shock when they post automatically than otherwise.


* HHonors Gold Status can guarantee complimentary continental breakfast at a minimum.

 

[PineappleSkip]

IHG doesnt have all the properties either.

But they're extraordinarily easy to requalify Platinum. Just did it off 19 room nights at pretty cheap rates. Amazed

Cheers skip

 

[Sprucegoose]

Look at this MVP thread (4 stays for Gold*):

• http://www.australianfrequentflyer..../hilton-hhonors-mvp-programme-fast-23171.html

FWIW, A-Club may work well in Europe, however out here in Oceania recognition is minimal.

I have generally had to put in a claim for points when staying - it's been more of a shock when they post automatically than otherwise.


* HHonors Gold Status can guarantee complimentary continental breakfast at a minimum.

thnxs I need to do this!!

What will it cost to do in realistic terms?

 

[Mal]

thnxs I need to do this!!

What will it cost to do in realistic terms?

4 Hilton stays in Australia - between $900 and $1500 depending on the timing and hotels used.

 

[Dr Leo Spaceman]

I got to the bottom of the Platinum A-Club card mystery. It was comped as part of a promotion by our corporate travel agent.

Now I just need to decide whether it is really worth using it.

 

[Buck]

I'm usually a Hilton person - but I had snagged a deal at Sofitel at Queenstown for next year. As a consequence of the booking they signed my up to A-Club.

First email I got showed that I had paid an unnecessary $100AUS premium for my accommodation. On contacting Accor with a view to getting some form of correction they said 'too bad - sucker', original booking stands. I've since writen to A-Club asking to have my membership withdrawn.

Crazy company! They want you to become a loyal customer and encourage you to sign up to their scheme. Then once you point out their scheme has the risk of actually destroying customer loyalty - they choose not to take any corrective action.

I'm going back to Hilton.

 

[samh004]

I'm usually a Hilton person - but I had snagged a deal at Sofitel at Queenstown for next year. As a consequence of the booking they signed my up to A-Club.

I'm going back to Hilton.

Not to rain on your parade but the Sofitel in Queenstown, while being in the centre of town, doesn’t have great views due to other buildings in front of it (it was built last, at the back) and had the Hilton been ready by next year (and I’m not sure it will be), it’s based near the airport well out of town, not an ideal position at all.

 

[thewinchester]

I tell you, the hotels in APAC are pushing A|Club membership something cruel.

One hotel, the Grand Ambassador Seoul (a Pullman assoc. property), marketed it to me no less than four times during a four day stay. Twice on check-in, and they could see right there on the property management screen they were looking at I was already a member.

Needless to say, when the Guest Book feedback email arrived I explained my annoyance with this in reasonable detail, and it's given rise to an email from the Lobby Manager at the property.

And here at the Novotel Clarke Quay in Singapore, more of the same. I've counted three times so far, and on check-in at the Premier Lounge I short-circuited the pitch by asking if my A|Club number was on the booking.

I'll go into more detail about this when I finally post the TR from that stay, but I was not impressed by this incessant marketing.