PTS: Is it worthwhile?

[Nugget]

As I mentioned in another thread, I did have a very good experience in booking my most recent Tokyo hotel visit via PTS. Ivo and I were upgraded to the business floors and given an all-around outstanding stay. I'm 100% confident that the treatment was the result of PTS booking.

However I've never found domestic bookings to be either price-competitive or beneficial in any way. With the recent buzz over a Plat card rate hike I decided that it's worth my time to evaluate PTS performance a bit more proactively.

Consequently, I gave PTS a chance to book my upcoming hotel stay in Alexandria next week. Unlike what I'd normally do, simply booking the room on hilton.com, I called up PTS to rate compare. I was offered the exact same rate as I was presented on the hilton web site.

I went ahead and let PTS make the reservation, although I'm highly skeptical that it will result in any difference when I arrive in Virginia.

Anyone out there with more experience using PTS that can offer some insight?

I'm also a bit concerned. Closing the call with the PTS agent I made sure that they had my HHonors # in the booking, but he mentioned already having some number I didn't recognize in the field that wasn't my HHonors number. Did I just inadvertantly tell PTS to wipe the part of the reservation that signifies it's a PTS booking?

[dbaker]

Originally Posted by Nugget

As I mentioned in another thread, I did have a very good experience in booking my most recent Tokyo hotel visit via PTS. Ivo and I were upgraded to the business floors and given an all-around outstanding stay. I'm 100% confident that the treatment was the result of PTS booking.

I've had this experience, too, but was never confident that it was as a result of PTS booking. I think that I was also a Gold Elite member of the Hotel's frequent stay program and.. well, you know how that goes.

However I've never found domestic bookings to be either price-competitive or beneficial in any way. With the recent buzz over a Plat card rate hike I decided that it's worth my time to evaluate PTS performance a bit more proactively.

We're in the same boat: http://www.ityt.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=894

Anyone out there with more experience using PTS that can offer some insight?

I think that your experience is pretty much right-on. I dislike that I don't talk to the same agent every time and that they don't seem to understand my travel needs. I try and explain to them what airlines I prefer and what airports I can travel in/out of for a particular trip, but they don't seem "with it" enough to make use of the information that I'm getting.

I'd miss the occasional hotel upgrade, but barely enough to notice. I haven't taken advantage of the International Airline Program (free companion biz/first class ticket), but that sounds like it could be worth something.

One very nice thing, though, is that they're open 24/7/365. Agents are hit or miss, although is more hits than misses.

If you're going to stick with Platinum, I don't think it should be becuase of PTS.

YMMV.

[Nugget]

Yeah, I guess bottom line my feelings on PTS are that they're a sub-standard travel agency (I get a quality of service from them that I would consider totally unacceptable if I were using a traditional travel agent) but I kinda like the gamble that booking through PTS will "earn" me treatment or an upgrade that I might not otherwise get.

I don't have nearly enough data to have a feel for if that gamble is warranted, though.

If AMEX wants to earn my loyalty with PTS, though, I don't think it would take much at all. Some english-as-a-first-language reps on the other end of the phone and a useful "traveller preferences profile" page in their computer that would save me the redundant transfer of information that takes place each time I call.

[dbaker]

Didn't you fill out a PTS travel preference form when you first got your Platinum Card?

I filled one out with all my FF numbers, preferred airlines for domestic vs international trips, local airports, frequent destinations, types of hotels, preferred pillow, etc, etc.

I haven't seen that they've made much use of that information, though.

[dbaker]

PTS now charges $29 per ticket when booking an airline ticket. How ridiculous.

[daa]

not suprising since the airlines (ex LUV) dropped base commissions ( which were about 5%) of ticket prices

[dbaker]

I understand that, but it's not like they're providing the service for free -- you have to pay $300 a year (now $395) for access to the agency via your Platinum Card.