Claim Missing Miles - if you're lucky!!

I travelled VS in April and stayed at a partner hotel booked through Virgin Holidays. Being a Flying Club member, I got my usual air miles credited to my account but didn't get my promised miles for my stay in the hotel.

I filled in the claim missing miles form and sent it off with the hotel invoices for the incidentals that I had used ie. restaurant bills which showed my room number etc.

I got them sent back to me with a covering letter saying I had to get an invoice from the hotel showing the room rate paid (even though I booked and paid for it through Virgin Holidays). I then have to send the invoice to Flying Club who in turn (wait for it!!!) will send it back to the hotel to prove that I stayed there so that I can have my miles creditted. What's the point in all that then!!!!

[Nottingham Nick]

I didn't think you got points for hotel stays unless you pay the hotel direct?

I seem to remember a similar thread a long, long time ago, probably too late to find it with a search. I stand to be corrected, but I thought rooms booked at part of a package didn't qualify for FC points.

I also seem to remember that this rule wasn't set in stone though. [:I]

Nick

Thanks for the reply Nick.

I have been booking my hotel stay since 1996 this way and have always received my flying club miles. The hotel in question is Hyatt Regency and the Flying Club say you will earn 750 miles per stay if booked through Virgin. I have no idea why I am having this problem this year as it's always been an automatic credit to my account previously.

They of course are not saying at the moment that they will not give the miles to me but how stupid to have to get an invoice from the hotel that FC are going to send back to them as proof.

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by thelaceys

I have been booking my hotel stay since 1996 this way and have always received my flying club miles.

In that case, I gladly stand corrected. [8D]

Nick

[Decker]

It all sounds confused but from problems with Hilton stays being credited in the past I can confirm that VS miles are like a sort of currency and they have to be paid for them by the hotel. So until the hotel "pays" they can't credit them. The question is of course, why is the hotel insisting on this level of proof - they should be able to check their own booking system!

Well I did it. I wrote off to Hyatt and they duly sent me the copy invoices that I needed showing the room rate for my stays. I sent them off to FC and expected to see the miles credited to my account. Wrong! I got a letter back saying that Hyatt still would not accept their own invoices because I had not paid a qualifying rate for my rooms. How can this be. FC say they will credit 750 miles per stay and offer no conditions and only charge one set price for rooms in the brochure. So that means then that no-one will get the make believe miles doesn't it. I telephoned FC and the bemused person who answered my call said she would pass my problem on to another department to investigate. I'm not holding out much hope but watch this space, I don't intend to go down without a fight even if it is only for 1500 miles.

I had a similar problem with Le Meridien in LA last year. They refused my FF card as they said it was a non-qualifying rate. I wrote to VS on my return and they coughed up the miled.

Phil (Buffy)

P.S. Notice you've become 'The Laceys' rather than 'Thelaceys' - hope you're feeling suitably spaced out

[Decker]

Regretfully FC T&C say

g) Hyatt Hotels and Resorts

Earning miles:
Miles will be earned per stay when paying a qualifying rate.

So looks like you might be between a rock and a hard place as Hyatt say 3. Airline miles will be awarded on only one airline frequent flyer program per stay where member pays an Eligible Rate, regardless of the number of rooms member personally pays for during the stay or the length of the stay.

All very Catch-22 as nowhere does it list what constitutes a qualifying/Eligible rate.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone else booked Hyatt as part of a Flydrive through Virgin Holidays and been able to get their air miles this year?

thelaceys