Hilton HHonors Delta-Northwest EQM Promotion for two-night stays
Offer: Earn one Delta or Northwest elite qualifying mile (EQM) and one bonus mile for every fixed or variable mile earned with minimum 2-night stay July 15 thru October 15, 2009 at Hilton brand hotels worldwide.
Registration is required. There are different registration links depending on whether you choose Delta or Northwest miles.
Promotion link: https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/processLanding2.aspx?lp=deltanorthwest&cid=OM,HN,deltanorthwest,Q309
Got it? So what does this actually mean for the miles collector? Loyalty traveler will take a stab at interpreting the terms of the promotion.
HHonors has three Double-Dipping earning preferences a member can choose:
a. Points & Points, (must change your earning preference to points & miles for this promotion)
b. Points & Fixed Miles, (Earn 500 EQM = 500 bonus miles per hotel stay, but only 100 EQM and 100 Bonus miles for eligible stays at Hampton Inn or Homewood Suites)
c. Points & Variable Miles (Earn 1 EQM + 1 bonus mile for every US$1 spent on eligible hotel stays regardless of hotel brand. This option limits EQM earning to a maximum 5,000 EQMs).
The rules cap the variable miles earning to 5,000 EQM. I guess this is to keep someone from earning Delta super elite status on one $100,000 hotel stay. I would think Delta wants an elite member who can spend $100,000 on hotel stays.
Loyalty traveler promotion rating = 3 hotel keys out of 5.
Loyalty traveler analysis:
Stays at Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites will earn more by switching earning preference to points and variable miles since fixed miles are capped at 100 EQM. You are likely to spend more than $100 for a two-night stay in these brands so earning 1 EQM per $1 will be better than the 100 EQM with points and fixed miles.
Fixed miles will be a better value with stays at other Hilton brands unless you plan to spend more than $500 for your hotel stay. 500 EQM and 500 bonus miles is a good bonus. A two-night stay will earn 500EQM and 1,000 redeemable frequent flyer miles. 2009 has been the year of hotel frequent flyer giveaways. Those airlines just keep churning miles out and Hilton HHonors is the premier mileage earning hotel program.
An expensive hotel stay like a week at the Hilton Waikoloa Village will earn more miles using Variable Miles earning preference since you will likely spend well over $500 for a multi-night hotel stay in Hawaii. A $1,500 eligible hotel stay with variable miles earning will earn 1,500 EQM with Delta or Northwest and 3,000 redeemable frequent flyer miles compared to only 500 EQM and 1,000 redeemable miles if you have your HHonors earning preference set to Fixed Miles.
Earning Preference Guidelines:
1. Hampton Inn or Homewood Suites hotel stays – choose Variable Miles and Points
2. Other Hilton brands when stay is less than $500 – choose Fixed miles and Points
3. Any stay where spending is greater than $500 – choose Variable miles and Points
You can change your earning preference to maximize your miles for different types of stays.
Hilton Hotel brands include Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Conrad Hotels, and Waldorf-Astoria Collection.
