Hawaiian Reward Cards and Marriott Improvements
by Jason SteeleConsider Hawaiian
Hawaiian Airlines has become a major player to the islands recently with the failure of Aloha and ATA as well as the major airline’s cutbacks to their leisure routes. Hawaiian is emerging as good choice in selecting a reward card for a few reasons. Their Bank of America HawaiianMiles cards offer 20,000 in sign up bonus for their personal card, and 10,000 for their business card. The HawaiianMiles program also is unique, to the best of my knowledge, in allowing members to combine points into one account through their ShareMiles program. Anyone can distribute miles to friends or family online with no fee. You and your travel partner can quickly sign up for both cards and transfer the mileage into one account. Furthermore, you also get a %50 off companion fare voucher.
Once you are a member of the HawaiianMiles program, you can earn and redeem miles on Delta, Continetal, Northwest, and Virgin Atlantic. I even found that some of their redemtion rates on their partners are lower than the rates offered to members if their own program. On the other hand, I cannot determine if availibilty of rewards is good or not.
Marriott Ups The Ante
It is rare these days that there is any good news to report about reward programs. While airlines have consistently downgraded and devalued their ‘loyalty’ programs, hotels have not followed suit. The best explanation is that the downturn and cutbacks in the airline industry have hurt the hotel industry. Since a hotel can’t be taken out of service like a gas guzzling airplane, and the marginal cost for a hotel guest is near zero, hotels are scrambling to reduce prices and attract customers.
For example Marriott recently announced that they will improve their Marriott rewards program. While they are eliminating blackout dates, although it is unclear if they are offering true last room availability like Starwood. They are also increasing their Platinum Elite Member bonus from %30 to %50. Finally, they are matching the Starwood program of offering a 5th night free when you redeem an award for four nights. The changes take effect January 15, 2009. Bravo to Marriott!
First USA offers a Marriott rewards Visa with a 25,000 point sign up bonus and a coupon for a free night stay.
Reader Questions Wanted
I am anxiously looking to assist you, the reader, in making the best choices in reward cards. It is a very confusing world of constantly changing reward cards and loyalty programs. Everyone has unique needs that dictate unique choices. Allow me to help you find the reward that will give you the greatest value for your time and effort.
There are no bad questions, there are only bad answers.
October 22nd, 2008 at 16:50
I was looking at the new reward structure vs. the old and it seems that the old program is a better deal in some cases. For example if you currently want to book a Category 7 for five nights it will cost your 130,000 points. Under the new system, it will cost you 140,000 points. The only advantage is that there are supposedly no black out dates. Plus they are moving some hotels up to the new “Category 8″ which will cost 40,000 points per night (this includes the fifth night free).
October 22nd, 2008 at 21:47
I have a question! *sheepish*
Ok, what credit score should you have before you start applying for reward cards?
and also, What is a good “starter” reward card for someone who has just recently rebuilt their credit?
Thanks!
Jenna
October 25th, 2008 at 05:36
You need to do your homework before you get in bed with a vendor. This Marriott Rewards program “enhancement” is nothing of the kind. Most redemptions under the new program are going up, and not just a little. a 7 night stay in a Category 7 hotel used to cost 150,000 points, but now will cost 210,000 points, an increase of 40%! And that includes the fifth night free! Further, it instantly devalues ALL of the points that have been previously earned by its members (as of 1/15/09). The Marriott program members are livid over these changes in the program. Just go to Marriott’s own message board for this topic and read all the posts:
http://www.marriottrewardsinsiders.marriott.com/forum/2009-Program-Changes/14000000001?&sort=sortOrder
You’ll need to have a Marriott.com login. Well more than 95% of the posts are critical of the change, and some feel very strongly about the betrayal.
October 25th, 2008 at 05:43
Oh, and the “No Blackout Dates” is not truthful either, because each property can still decide how many rooms they will offer for redemption. So they can offer one room on any given date, and when it’s gone, too bad. A true No Blackouts Dates program would allow a redemption as long as there were ANY standard rooms available. So that enhancement claim is bogus also, but Ed French rationalizes it on the message board by saying that’s what other competitors do. That’s not true either, because Starwood’s loyalty program has a true No Blackouts policy….If there’s any available Starwood standard room, you can reserve it with points.