9,500 Easy Points – Thank You Club Carlson!

Like many others who have Club Carlson credit cards, I booked a number of 2-night award reservations at Club Carlson hotels before June 1, 2015, the last day to take advantage of the free-second night-award-benefit for Club Carlson credit card holders. Some of these reservations were for trips that I am definitely planning, such as Lima, Peru in August, and Capetown, South Africa in September.  Other bookings I’d classify as wishful thinking trips, such as London in April for the London Marathon.

The Lima, Peru award reservation is for a 2 night stay at the Radisson Hotel Decapolis Miraflores, which receives consistently positive reviews.  Since I booked this stay before June 1st, the award price for one night – 38,000 points, will actually cover two nights.

On June 1st, Carl Rezidor Hotel Group (the parent company of Club Carlson) began a new 25% off promotion on Latin American properties for award bookings.

I noticed that, with this promotion, an award night at the Lima hotel is currently 28,500 points, instead of the 38,000 points I was charged. However, I can’t cancel and re-book my reservation because I would lose the valuable second night free award.

Still, 9,500 points is 9,500 points.  So, what did I do?

I called and inquired about this . . . .  I said that I understood that I couldn’t re-book the reservation without losing the second free award night, and that perhaps I wasn’t technically entitled to the promotion award rate.

After reviewing this, we agreed that the reservation couldn’t be re-booked without losing the second night, but it was in Club Carlson’s discretion to place some amount of points – or even the 9,500 points (i.e., the difference between the 38,000 points charged and 28,500 point promotion) – in my account as a good faith courtesy.

The kind representative put me on hold to discuss the matter with her supervisor.

When she returned to the call, 9,500 points were already added to my account!

Yet again – it never hurts to ask!

Another case of excellent customer service! Thank you, Club Carlson!