While browsing on social media yesterday, an odd petition popped up in a airline crew-related group where members want to push Marriott to honor Elite Perks on stays when the crew member is on duty.
I found that a rather strange request and skimmed a bit through the commentary while getting the impression that the majority of crewmembers don’t understand the background of crew stay rate composition and how these rates are negotiated.
The gist of the matter is that the petition, which was filed on change.org by an airline employee (apparently a pilot) who has supposedly clocked in 1011 nights in Marriott properties and has secured legacy Lifetime Titanium membership which was briefly offered following the merger between Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest.
You can find this petition here.
It reads:
I am a military veteran who has spent more than an impressive total of 1011 nights in Marriott properties. Throughout my journeys, my family and I have remained loyal to the Marriott brand. We hold four Marriott credit cards and consistently choose Marriott hotels for our accommodations. However, there is an issue that leaves me deeply disappointed – the non-recognition of my loyalty status when staying in rooms purchased by my airline.
Among airline crew, many of us have cultivated a significant status with Marriott, a testament to our years, often decades, of loyalty. Yet, when we stay at your hotels during our trips, this status – a symbol of our lengthy and dedicated relationship with your brand – seems to be unacknowledged.
This lack of recognition is not only disappointing, but it also undermines the respect and appreciation we believe should be associated with our loyalty status. This is especially poignant in my case, as I am a proud Titanium for Life member – a rank illustrating my unwavering allegiance to Marriott.
Our request is simple: Please reconsider your policy regarding lounge access for those of us in the airline industry. We urge you – as valued members and lifelong supporters of your brand – to acknowledge our loyalty status at your hotels, as you do in your airline. Our loyalty to Marriott has not faltered; we just ask that you return the gesture.
Please honor our loyalty, respect our status, and allow us the enjoyment of our earned privileges across all platforms of your brand. Show us that our commitment matters. Sign this petition to stand with airline pilots around the world in urging Marriott to reconsider its policy.
I think the phrasing of the petition is done very well, and I don’t have a problem with it per so (the most ridiculous statements are in the comments), but I think it fails to highlight or acknowledge a few points.
For one, there are different types of stays and ways how employees of an airline can book a hotel.
It goes without saying that crew members spend a lot of time on the road and especially pilots often don’t live in the immediate area where they are stationed and commute frequently. For example, a pilot who is stationed in Los Angeles often times lives in cheaper urban areas such as Arizona and then commutes between the two cities, requiring to often getting a hotel room to be properly rested and to report on time. And while many pilots make a fortune, not all of them do especially in the early stages of their career.
This is a different kind of stay, though, compared to a layover stay where the entire crew checks in at a hotel. In this case, a pilot/crewmember would pay out of pocket personally at whatever rate the hotel can offer him.
And here is the crux: Not all rates are benefit, stay credit, and points eligible – and for good reason.
If you’re employed with a major airline, usually the company has an official corporate code under which you can book hotel rooms with a chain such as Marriott. Let’s say you work for United, which uses a typical abbreviation for the code and you want to book the Sheraton LAX for next week.
Here is what you can book:
The rate description is: United Airlines Rate, includes buffet breakfast for 1 guest daily, WiFi, 20 percent food and beverage coupon daily, 1500 Bonus Points per stay, airport transportation.
This is a flexible rate at $145 with several inclusions compared to $166 Standard rate without any inclusions or likewise a $146 prepaid rate without any inclusions. Prepaid rates are usually a no-go for crews, considering how often they incur changes or delays. As such, the United rate at $145 is pretty good.
This rate would earn full points, stay credit, and also come with lounge access. It’s pretty typical across all chains. BUT: This is not the cheapest rate, it’s simply the corporate travel rate with negotiated benefits.
What this petition and several commentators request is that hotel chains honor these loyalty benefits on ALL stays, even the very low crew rates, which the airlines negotiate directly with individual properties at rock-bottom prices.
I once saw a document lying around at the front desk of this Sheraton showing the crew rate for a particular airline at just $64. This might be outdated now, as that was two years ago, but still. To expect hotels to honor elite perks and points/stay credit at these rates is unreasonable. These things cost money, and the airline simply doesn’t want to pay for them. They prefer to pay as little as possible.
There are some comments who highlight that crew members who carry status have “earned it” (I would suggest that is only correct in some cases considering how many people hold status via credit cards) and that hotels “owe it to them” to honor the benefits.
The fact is that the terms and conditions of loyalty programs are very clear that elite status perks and earning abilities do not apply to non-eligible rates, which typically include Crew Rates, Third-Party Bookings, Travel Industry Discounted Stays, and Employee Rates. As such, the hotels don’t owe a crew member staying on a $64 rate any more than I do staying on a $64 Priceline rate. Both are excluded.
And then there are comments like these:
All I can say is good luck with Hilton. They have the same rules and won’t grant you perks, either. These two ladies also fail to recognize that their rates are simply too low to confer them any perks. Book the official corporate rate, and you get all the perks you earned — if you earned them.
You can compare this to what the airlines do themselves. Assuming I’m an airline employee and travel on ID90 discounted travel, employee free rides, or a buddy pass. Under none of these circumstances will the airline honor my elite status, no matter how I got it. Famously, airlines such as Delta won’t even let you into the lounge anymore, even if you have a paid Delta Club membership.
I previously wrote about there already being way too many elite members and highlighted what problems this causes:
Status Member Gluttony Among Hotel Loyalty Programs – What Should Hotels & Management Do?
This is already persistent related to members who pay fully eligible rates. Can you imagine even more customers in the elite pool who pay a fraction of the rates?
Some hotels such as the Hilton Narita have designated special areas as a “Crew Lounge” where they can lounge and warm up meals with microwaves, ovens and where vending machines sell food and beverage at much lower prices than to regular guests. They also receive discounts and special deals at restaurants.
What is interesting, though, is that sometimes, a few airlines have negotiated with the individual property that pilots and, in some cases, pursers do have lounge access. Not as part of their elite benefits but based on the contract. This doesn’t extend to the general cabin crew, though.
Conclusion
While we all love to enjoy the benefits and earn points, we also have to be reasonable and realize that these only apply at prevailing rates. If the company has a general corporate rate, then all benefits fully apply.
But this rate is, in any case, much higher than a crew rate, a negotiated crew layover rate, or in some cases, even a distressed passenger rate, which are still popular in the U.S. as airlines aren’t mandated to accommodate stranded passengers like in the EU.
I strongly disagree with this push that hotel chains (Marriott or others) should honor elite status on layover rates or crew rates just because they are working in the airline industry. There is already an Elite Gluttony among the hotel chains, and this would only pour oil into the fire. Lastly, I can’t help but find some irony in the fact that airline employees, many of which treat their passengers (including elites miserably), now demand some kind of justice from hotel chains. That’s pretty rich if you ask me.
