Instant Priority Club Platinum Status – New Member’s Opportunity?

Here is one of those promotional offers that run across the internet like a mistake fare. Priority Club sent out a targeted offer in several countries for instant Priority Club Platinum status for new enrollees. The offer has been posted on FlyerTalk and SlickDeals and a variety of other “deals†websites.

US code http://www.priorityclub.com/NP10A (instant Platinum elite for a full year. Plus US$25 Priority Club Any Hotel, Anywhere reward card after 5 nights.)

UK code www.priorityclub.com/NP10B (instant Platinum elite for a full year. Plus 75GBP Priority Club Hotels Any Hotel, Anywhere reward card after 15 nights)

Germany code http://www.priorityclub.com/NP10J (instant Platinum elite for a full year. Plus 25€ Priority Club Hotels Any Hotel, Anywhere reward card after 5 nights.)

Loyalty Traveler Analysis: Promotion Gone Wild

This Priority Club instant Platinum elite offer is the loyalty program equivalent of YouTube ‘gone viral’!

FlyerTalk “Odd offer in the post this morning†thread started Saturday, November 13.

Priority Club Insider “Platinum opportunity for new joiners†November 13

MilesQuest BoardingArea blogger “Priority Club Platinum Status for new enrollees after 5 nights†November 13

One Mile at a Time BoardingArea blogger “New members: Priority Club Platinum Status after five stays†November 14

SlickDeals.net “Complimentary Priority Club Platinum Elite membership for a full year. Plus, stay 5 nights and earn $25†November 15 about 6 hours ago. (110 comments in Hot Deals forum already.)

 

Priority Club Platinum Elite

Priority Club Platinum is the top-tier level above Gold. Platinum elite benefits include 50% bonus points and potential complimentary upgrades.

Will Priority Club let new members who were not targeted keep their Platinum status?

If you are truly a new member to Priority Club, then you have little to lose and potentially plenty to gain by trying your luck at a new Priority Club instant Platinum elite membership. Earning the Hotels Anywhere gift card should be an easy task too.

Priority Club has the highest value hotel loyalty promotion currently running through December 31, 2010 for one free hotel stay at any hotel worldwide (except Asia) after every two hotel stays at any Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Hotel Indigo or InterContinental Hotel worldwide (except Asia).  You can earn a maximum of five free nights.

50% bonus points are the primary assured benefit of Priority Club Platinum elite status. Spend $100 at a Holiday Inn and you earn 1,500 points with 1,000 Priority Club points + 500 Platinum elite points (50% elite bonus).

The Priority Club Sweet Dilemma free night after two stays promotion terms state free nights are in lieu of any base points or bonus points during your hotel stays so Platinum elite will not earn additional points for the Priority Club member earning free nights through the remainder of 2010. You can also earn double points or miles which is the meaning behind the promotion name Sweet Dilemma. In this case you would earn 2,500 points after $100 hotel spend with 1,000 Priority Club base points + 1,000 bonus points (Double points) + 500 Platinum elite points.

Forget the double bonus points and go for free nights for the higher value choice for most Priority Club members. Your platinum elite status will not earn you more points for the remainder of 2010, but you do have the potential for complimentary room upgrades. Impress your friends over the holidays with your deluxe digs.

My Sweet Dilemma

I generally avoid posting about hotel mistake fares due to the impact on an individual hotel of hundreds of reservations flooding in over the course of a couple of hours due to an internet rate entry mistake. I am a small business owner and I dread the impact of a rate glitch in terms of the labor hours to rectify something never meant to happen.

On the other hand, I am a long-time FlyerTalker who has flown to Europe for under $100 on mistake fares and I have booked suites for $15 per night.

On this Priority Club instant Platinum elite offer the word is already widespread across the web, so I am sharing the information. Let your moral compass decide whether you want to take advantage of this offer.

Two possible outcomes I foresee:

1. You receive Priority Club Platinum elite membership instantly and hold your newly granted elite status through December 2011. From Priority Club Rewards Member Guide: “Once a member attains an Elite level, it will remain in effect through the end of the subsequent calendar year.”  Enjoy your hotel stays and the benefits of the Priority Club program. My Loyalty Traveler analyst sentiment is Priority Club is the hotel loyalty program of 2010. These IHG people are working hard to attract hotel loyalty members and free nights in Priority Club rival Hyatt Gold Passport for ease of earning.
2. Your Priority Club Platinum elite membership is changed to a general membership when Priority Club decides too many people took advantage of a promotion gone viral.