Lollipop Mom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2003
It sounds like things are starting to become more uniform across departments now (FINALLY!) as far as answers go. Sounds like they have recently had some sort of meeting to hammer out some answers. Here are the details I now have answered per my sales rep:
(1) Is this going to be the only way to book AP rates?
Official answer on call in rates...they are not doing away with call in rates. They can not promise them either because it will depend on how many rooms are booked through best rate. If the rooms allocated for AP discounts are not sold out through best rate, then they will be available for call in. There may be a gap in booking time, as in at 121 days you can no longer book best rate but you may not be able to call in untill say 90 days (just an example, not new policy). The price for call in rates will be set based on how many rooms are still available. They will not be lower than best rate program rates. As of now call in rates will still have the same cancellation policy (an aside though, I wouldn't be surprised if it were changed to 45 days since the online booking cancellation policy is 45 days. They are hoping to encourage more online booking and it certainly doesn't encourage online booking if the cancellation policy is better for call ins!).
(2) Matching passholder rates...
There is still some discrepancy on what they consider to be a "general public rate" (does it include passholder rates or not? one department seems to say yes and another says no) but what everyone agrees with is that call in passholder rates will NOT be lower than online best rate prices. Depending on how many rooms are left to fill they will either be the same or slightly higher (think 6-10% higher). As my sales agent put it "if we call it the passholder best rate program and then we offer a better passholder rate later on we are going to have a lot of angry passholders! We want to see this program succeed and if word gets out that you can get a better rate by waiting then there is no point to offering the program at all." So far it sounds as though they are happy with the results of the program. I sincerely doubt it will ever be an issue. If they have difficulty reaching target occupancy they can offer rates to everyone that are slightly higher than passholder rates and people will jump on it faster than you can say pixie dust! In a year when discounts for the general public have been all but nonexistant, they aren't going to need to drop them lower than the best rate offers.
(3) Booking more than one room at best rate...
They aren't trying to prevent you from holding more than one room if you have a large party, it is just a limitation of the software they are using. You can book more than one, you just have to do them one at a time. They are aware of this issue and are working to improve it.
(4) If you book using the best rate program link but you book a rack rate room because a "best rate" room wasn't available then you are NOT in the best rate program. Your cancellation policy should be 45 days rather than non refundable and your rate will not be adjusted down. If you booked at rack, check your confirmation email carefully to make sure you are clear on what it says.
(5) Keep trying back if your date is sold out. As someone starts the booking process, that room gets pulled from inventory, if they abandon the process it may take a few minutes for the room to go back to available.
(6) Change fee...just confirming again that the change fee is waived if the total price of your reservation remains the same or is increased. The change fee will only be assesed if the total cost decreases. GUest services DOES have this in writing so it is not an "unofficial policy." This has been the case with package change fees for some time now.
(7) No payments can be made over the phone. Everything must be done online.
(8) Example of rates that won't be matched:
-pin codes
-travel industry discounts
-group rates
-AAA rates
-convention rates
-any discount offered by a certain emloyer
-cast member rates
-package discounts where the discount is on something other than the room
It sounds like they have received a lot of email about if they will match AP rates. They are basically telling us not to get hung up in the sematics of the description, that the bottom line is they will not release passholder rates that are less than these we are seeing through the best rate program. It is called "BEST RATE PROGRAM" for a reason.
Basically, assume the rate you are quoted is what you will pay. The "we will reduce your rate" thing is a great hook but do they really need to reduce it? not likely now that occupancy is up considerably from last year.
I had joked that I was going to make my blood pressure skyrocket worrying about recommending to certain clients that they take advantage of this program and having it come back to bit me. Our sales agent told me to "relax" over it; that provided that they are well informed of the cancellation policy, that clients booked with this won't be disappointed because there is not going to be a better room only offer. So now I just have to worry about people ordering a pass and having the room available when it arrives!
(1) Is this going to be the only way to book AP rates?
Official answer on call in rates...they are not doing away with call in rates. They can not promise them either because it will depend on how many rooms are booked through best rate. If the rooms allocated for AP discounts are not sold out through best rate, then they will be available for call in. There may be a gap in booking time, as in at 121 days you can no longer book best rate but you may not be able to call in untill say 90 days (just an example, not new policy). The price for call in rates will be set based on how many rooms are still available. They will not be lower than best rate program rates. As of now call in rates will still have the same cancellation policy (an aside though, I wouldn't be surprised if it were changed to 45 days since the online booking cancellation policy is 45 days. They are hoping to encourage more online booking and it certainly doesn't encourage online booking if the cancellation policy is better for call ins!).
(2) Matching passholder rates...
There is still some discrepancy on what they consider to be a "general public rate" (does it include passholder rates or not? one department seems to say yes and another says no) but what everyone agrees with is that call in passholder rates will NOT be lower than online best rate prices. Depending on how many rooms are left to fill they will either be the same or slightly higher (think 6-10% higher). As my sales agent put it "if we call it the passholder best rate program and then we offer a better passholder rate later on we are going to have a lot of angry passholders! We want to see this program succeed and if word gets out that you can get a better rate by waiting then there is no point to offering the program at all." So far it sounds as though they are happy with the results of the program. I sincerely doubt it will ever be an issue. If they have difficulty reaching target occupancy they can offer rates to everyone that are slightly higher than passholder rates and people will jump on it faster than you can say pixie dust! In a year when discounts for the general public have been all but nonexistant, they aren't going to need to drop them lower than the best rate offers.
(3) Booking more than one room at best rate...
They aren't trying to prevent you from holding more than one room if you have a large party, it is just a limitation of the software they are using. You can book more than one, you just have to do them one at a time. They are aware of this issue and are working to improve it.
(4) If you book using the best rate program link but you book a rack rate room because a "best rate" room wasn't available then you are NOT in the best rate program. Your cancellation policy should be 45 days rather than non refundable and your rate will not be adjusted down. If you booked at rack, check your confirmation email carefully to make sure you are clear on what it says.
(5) Keep trying back if your date is sold out. As someone starts the booking process, that room gets pulled from inventory, if they abandon the process it may take a few minutes for the room to go back to available.
(6) Change fee...just confirming again that the change fee is waived if the total price of your reservation remains the same or is increased. The change fee will only be assesed if the total cost decreases. GUest services DOES have this in writing so it is not an "unofficial policy." This has been the case with package change fees for some time now.
(7) No payments can be made over the phone. Everything must be done online.
(8) Example of rates that won't be matched:
-pin codes
-travel industry discounts
-group rates
-AAA rates
-convention rates
-any discount offered by a certain emloyer
-cast member rates
-package discounts where the discount is on something other than the room
It sounds like they have received a lot of email about if they will match AP rates. They are basically telling us not to get hung up in the sematics of the description, that the bottom line is they will not release passholder rates that are less than these we are seeing through the best rate program. It is called "BEST RATE PROGRAM" for a reason.
Basically, assume the rate you are quoted is what you will pay. The "we will reduce your rate" thing is a great hook but do they really need to reduce it? not likely now that occupancy is up considerably from last year.I had joked that I was going to make my blood pressure skyrocket worrying about recommending to certain clients that they take advantage of this program and having it come back to bit me. Our sales agent told me to "relax" over it; that provided that they are well informed of the cancellation policy, that clients booked with this won't be disappointed because there is not going to be a better room only offer. So now I just have to worry about people ordering a pass and having the room available when it arrives!
). So in January of 06 you may be able to book best rate rooms through say, June of 06 then in March you could book through August and in May through October etc. I am guessing that the best rate deals won't be released all at once for the whole year...but I could be wrong! Since this is new we can't be sure. In order to participate in the best rate program, you have to book throught he special link on the passholder site (or through a 
