Priority Privilege worth it?

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777

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Apr 14, 2009
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Hi Folks,

Just wanted people's thoughts on whether it's worth joining PP. I'm a Plat ambassador with 29 Qualifying night YTD - although probably only 1/3 to 1/2 of those were in Australia. Will probably do a similar number in the second half of the year with a slightly larger % in Au.

Reading through some old threads there seemed to be a bit of frustration with PP and a lot of people saying they wouldn't renew however there seems to be a lot of people around who are still happy members. So would you recommend it?

Also, specifically, are there still problems with points at PP rates being credited to PC? Also, if i use the 25% off voucher or the PP BOGO etc do the stays count for points and PC qualification.

Your experiences would be appreciated!

thanks,

777.
 
I'm just debating whether to renew right now.

The big factor is how much travel you do in the region covered and how lucky you get with the offers.

The BOGOs are nice, but unless you were going to stay in the better hotels anyway don't save money over cheaper alternatives such as using wotif.

In my experience the 25% off nights counted towards night qualification and points.

If anything, the real benefits of using PP is that it ensured I stuck to one chain and built up lots of points which helped me make Platinum and ensured I had enough for about 12 nights of PointBreaks stays over the last year (once again pure luck).

So for me, the debate is do I stick to the Intercontinental Hotel Group for the vast majority of my stays - the BOGOs are good, but when I've used 25% off I could have stayed other places for less. Platinum doesn't seem to have achieved much for me. Gold Amb got me an upgrade at the CP Adelaide once and nothing the other time, it got me into a nice suite at the IC Adelaide for another BOGO, but unlike the poster talking about their IC Rialto upgrade, it got me the absolute minimum Ambassador upgrade (a club room without club access). CP Canberra also got me nothing as well (as a gold, haven't been back since making Plat).

I'm aiming to cut back travel over the next year, so that means the odds of "getting lucky" as much as I did this year are fairly slim (probably the NT in August next year, Wellington NZ in Jan I think and probably a weekend or two in Mel & Syd) so things are looking more marginal (and looking at that list I'm not really cutting back much at all except if I don't have a trip to the USA). It is also frustrating that PP hasn't always worked as well as I'd liked - such as no availability at the IC Fiji via PP BOGO (let alone being able to keep it as the bonus that month which was listed - why it was listed with no availability in the entire month is beyond me - I checked both online and then a week later via phone) but it did have availability using my Ambassador BOGO (though it was very nice to stay there).

I try and avoid dining in hotels since it is rarely exceptional (plus is usually overpriced) and usually travel alone, so the whole dining benefit is largely nonexistent to me too.

So I guess for me, PP works as part of the larger package - BOGOs (especially if you get to keep it as I did a few times this year) makes the hotels competitive with wotif etc, provides points etc to use with PointBreaks (CP Auckland was great in Dec and HI Cairns was great in June but the places I stayed at with my recent US trip were out of the way enough that I did debate whether the money saved was worth the travel hassles) and probably about half the time (when not on PointBreaks) I had nice upgrades thanks to Amb (in ICs) or making Platinum.

I think I've convinced myself that I should renew now - even if I pull off half the benefits in 2012 as I got this year I should be well ahead. You'd really need to look at your traveling profile to work out if it works for you though. I'm single with most of my friends married with kids now, so when I'm not visiting them/family I can travel flexibly which sometimes lets me change plans to go with opportunities (eg. I'd been debating between Tasmania or NZ for a summer holiday and NZ comes up with CP Auckland as a PointsBreak, so it became my choice - a nice hotel at very little cost more than made up for the increase in ticket cost).

Back before signing up to PP I did a spreadsheet of a few chains and the options plus my likely use of them. Rydges was appealing initially, but after staying at a few hotels the fact that the bonuses you're supposed to get are never offered was annoying, Accor is hopeless with actually posting points and looked like more hassle than it would be worth, Hilton is good for US trips but often a bit more expensive than I'd like in Aus so ruled out (and I'm guessing Marriott is the same), SPG has expense issues like Hilton (though I never looked to see their value in the USA) though does look like a very nice chain (alas I can't see my pay ever doubling). GHA/Mirvac looked fairly good too, but also seems expensive at times and I was worried would be like Rydges and not be too good at actually providing the benefits.

Of course, the even more important factor is how much you like the actual hotels / nights sleep. I quite liked the Novotel chain (except for Nadi which was horrible), but the ICH group has fairly good hotels. Rydges I've found a bit hit and miss as far as the quality of the actual room, some being nice, others having issues.

Ah, and to think it was United Airlines which got me hooked on the whole point system etc when they had a DEQM offer going when I went to the USA with them two years ago and now I've made Plat with Qantas and the ICH group (which I'll probably ride next year and then lose in 2013 if I move back to Newcastle that year).
 
Thanks Verde. I think you're leaning me towards doing it given that i'm already pretty locked in with PC anyway. The maths seems to show i'll save some money so seems worth doing providing it still counts towards PC status, etc.
 
The BOGOs no cert required make it very good value, I generally use around 30 of these a year so I am well in front. I have never had issues with points posting of the PP rates, with the exception of IC Melbourne, which was soon sorted by a call to the service centre. The last couple of weekends I have stayed at the ICs in MEL and SYD for $200 a night using PP, so its pretty good value IMHO.
 
I find I get the PP value out of dining at the hotels, same with Accor.
 
The BOGOs no cert required make it very good value, I generally use around 30 of these a year so I am well in front. I have never had issues with points posting of the PP rates, with the exception of IC Melbourne, which was soon sorted by a call to the service centre. The last couple of weekends I have stayed at the ICs in MEL and SYD for $200 a night using PP, so its pretty good value IMHO.

Markis do you mean the BOGOs on the monthly promotions?
 
I renewed in June. This year I received $150.00 in hotel credit vouchers. One $100.00 dining voucher (the renew bonus) that can be used any time and one $50.00 general voucher that has to be used during a stay.

Those two alone cover more than half the cost of the card.
 
I am also tossing up the idea of renewal of my PP, I only became a member last year about this time, so they have been sending me renewal emails almost daily !

The only offer was for the $100 hotel dining voucher, which I'm not sure if I will use with Mrs Ricardo preg with #2 due mid Jan 2012, so not sure if we will get any use from it this coming year. I have to also say that the BOGO's are good value. Used one at the CP in CHCH over Christams before the CBD was flattened by the quake in Feb, my wife and I had a great stay there and were upgraded to a suite and got the use of club lounge facilities. I still have one BOGO (hopefully to be used at CP Pelican ?? Sunny coast before end of Aug, and two 25% off vouchers which I might need to 'give away'. So not sure what to do as yet, maybe a few extra vouchers will make the deal more appealing from PP??
 
I have been a member of PP for 3 years now. I love the BOGO's and the extra benefits when renewing. ($100 dining voucher) Also $50 hotel credit and free breakfast for two make it good value. I have always earnt points on PP stays. I am also AMB with PLAT status and love the benefits with this. We have booked several Holiday Inn stays @ 5000 points plus $60 - most recently in Jabiru. When combined with the PP card for dining it made for a very cost efficient and enjoyable holiday.
 
... We have booked several Holiday Inn stays @ 5000 points plus $60 - most recently in Jabiru. ...
Note that any Priority Club member can do this if they have the points (and $).

Unlike what was implied to me by a Priority Privilege salesman earlier this your: "I'll also get you free enrolment into Priority Pass" - WTF; I was already Platinum!
 
I took the plunge and joined. Does anyone know when the next month's newsletter/ special offers are advertised?

I have a stack of travel in August (pretty much every state and the NT). Looking at this month's specials i will probably be wise to hold off until they come out but some of it is early in the month and i will risk losing the advance purchase rates to do it.
 
Does anyone know when the next month's newsletter/ special offers are advertised?

Next month's offers tend to be announced from a few days before the end of the current month to a few days after.

Sometimes the PP website is updated a few days before the email is sent.
 
Next month's offers tend to be announced from a few days before the end of the current month to a few days after.

Sometimes the PP website is updated a few days before the email is sent.

Thanks. That's what i figured/ hoped.
 
It was a somewhat no-brainer for us (although I did need Markis10's hlep to confirm I wasnt going crazy!).

Heading to Fiji IC, PP got me: $400pn x 2 free nights on BOGO, plus food discount whilst there (somewhat isolated so not a huge number of non-resort eating options) all for the annual fee added to quite a saving. Add Ambassador for another BOGO ($400 room for $200 fee) and it all added up.
 
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but couldn't see the answer anywhere else, apologies if I missed it.

Are you meant to get points and qualifying nights when using the BOGO? just completed a stay at the IC Melbourne and it came back as non-qualifying.

Cheers,
poz
 
The BOGOs no cert required make it very good value, I generally use around 30 of these a year so I am well in front. I have never had issues with points posting of the PP rates, with the exception of IC Melbourne, which was soon sorted by a call to the service centre. The last couple of weekends I have stayed at the ICs in MEL and SYD for $200 a night using PP, so its pretty good value IMHO.


is the BOGO just for one night? ie if I stayed 4 nights, would only 1 night be complimentary or would there be 2? or is it unlimited? thanks
 
is the BOGO just for one night? ie if I stayed 4 nights, would only 1 night be complimentary or would there be 2? or is it unlimited? thanks

The certs are good for two nights one free in total, I'd the hotel has a BOGO no cert required, they are good for the whole month of the offer.
 
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but couldn't see the answer anywhere else, apologies if I missed it.

Are you meant to get points and qualifying nights when using the BOGO? just completed a stay at the IC Melbourne and it came back as non-qualifying.

Cheers,
poz

Give PC a call, you should get it as a qualifying stay.
 
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