Category Archives: Choice Privileges

How to Keep your Hotel Points from Expiring Without Staying in a Hotel!

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Hotel Points expiration

I’ve written about how to keep your airline miles from expiring without flying.  Here’s how to keep your hotel points from expiring without staying in a hotel!  Points expire in most US based airline program after 12 to 24 months of no earning or redemption activity.

Some programs like Choice and Wyndham hotels expire after 2 and 4 years and there is nothing you can do to extend the expiration, so you might as well use them before they expire.

Award Wallet is a good tool to track your miles and points balances and expiration dates.

Hotel
Expiration Policy
Choice Hotels On December 31st, 2 years after you earned the points.
Club Carlson24 months of not earning or spending points
Hilton 12 months of not earning or spending points
Hyatt Gold12 months of not earning or spending points
Marriott24 months of not earning points
Priority ClubPoints Never Expire
Starwood Hotels12 months of not earning or spending points
WyndhamPoints expire after 4 years and you can't do anything to extend them beyond 4 years.

However, they will expire sooner (in 18 months)of not earning or spending points

But it is really, really easy to keep your hotel points active WITHOUT staying in the hotel!

Sometimes, all you need to do is to make an award booking and cancel it later, for free!  This will generate redemption activity when you make the award and earning activity when you cancel the award and reset the point expiration clock.  But be sure to check the cancellation policy when you book!

You can easily extend the expiration by buying something cheap or making a $1 donation from the airline’s online shopping mall, or using a credit card to keep your points active!

1.   Choice hotels International

hotel points expiration

10% Bonus on Choice Hotel Points – Stock up for Southwest Companion Pass or Cheap Hotels in Europe

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Via Loyalty Traveler, Choice Privileges is offering a 10% bonus for buying Choice hotel points up to December 31, 2012.

Choice Privileges is the loyalty program for Ascend Collection, Cambria Suites, ClarionComfort Inn, Comfort Suites, EconoLodge, MainStay Suites, Quality Inn, Rodeway Inn, Sleep Inn, and Suburban brand hotels.

1.   Southwest Companion Pass

I wrote earlier, that you may be able to fly for free – for close to two years – if you apply for 2 Southwest credit cards.  That’s because the 50,000 Southeast point sign-up bonus is currently (this could change any time) counting towards the 110,000 points needed for a Companion Pass within 1 calendar year.

Choice hotel points are among the cheapest way to get an extra 6,000 Southwest Companion Pass qualifying points to get to the 110,000 points needed for a Southwest Companion Pass. Continue reading

May 3rd Only: Buy Choice Points for $34+ Hotel Nights in Europe or Southwest Points at a 25% Discount

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I wrote earlier about buying Wyndham hotel points at a very cheap rate through the Discover America promotion.  The points sold out in minutes and many folks were disappointed that they couldn’t get any.  Readers on the West Coast requested me to post similar deals the night before, so here goes!

On May 3, 2012 at 12:00 pm (pre-sale) or 1:00 pm (regular sale) EST, you can buy Choice hotel points via the Discover America promotion for about 0.42 cents per point with an extra 10% discount for using an American Express card compared to the regular price of 1.1 cent per point.

As always, Travel by Points has a great spreadsheet summarizing the different point options. Continue reading

50% Discount for Converting Choice Privilages Points to United Air Miles!

 

Choice Privileges is offering a 50% discount or double the miles if you convert Choice Privilege points to United Mileage Plus Miles by June 6, 2011.

Here’s how I am using this promotion to have Big Travel with Small Money! Continue reading