Wyndham Rewards Deal: Over 20,000 United or AA Miles for 0.7 Cents Per Mile

10/29 Update:

Wyndham is honoring the promo: 16,000 points for each eligible hotel stay made before the terms changed. See Wyndham 16,000 Points For Each Stay Honored and Best Redemption

10/22 Update:

Well, Wyndham still hasn't responded definitively publicly as to whether people who booked hotels prior to them changing the terms will get the 16,000 points per hotel. That said, at least one person on FT reports having gotten some kind of favorable response from higher management via a couple of posts: “I think it will be honored….” and “…don't take it as fact however that is my outcome“

I don't know about you, but I plan to keep my non-refundable reservations and request my points. If Wyndham ultimately refuses to honor the promotion, I won't be shy about requesting a chargeback. Believe me as a business owner when I say that tons of credit card chargebacks within a short time period can get senior management's attention fast. I believe they will ultimately honor the points for those who booked prior to the retroactive change in terms, though Wyndham may certainly be hoping that the longer they dally the more people will get nervous and cancel.

10/19 Update:

Well, Wyndham has now updated the intro paragraph of the offer page to say that only members who received the direct mail invitation are eligible. It's still unclear whether, if you already booked non-refundable reservations, Wyndham will honor the deal. I believe they'll either honor it or allow you to get a refund for non-refundable reservations made in reliance on this offer, but we'll have to see how it plays out.

10/18 Update:

Lots of angst and confusion now, since apparently Wyndham intended for this promotion to be targeted, even though the official terms don't restrict it to targeted users. Here are the current terms, as of 10/18/12. As you can see, all that is required is that you're an active Wyndham Rewards member and you book a stay of one of the 20 participating properties between 9/12/12 and 12/31/12 for stays completed by 1/3/13. Nowhere does it say you must have been targeted for this promotion:

“* To qualify for the “16,000 bonus Points” promotion (the “Promotion”) and earn 16,000 Wyndham Rewards® points, the member must (i) be an active member (ii) book a stay at any of the 20 participating properties at a qualifying rate between 9/12/12 and 12/31/12 and complete their hotel stays by 1/3/13 (the “Promotion Period”). Members will receive 16,000 Wyndham Rewards points for up to three stays within the Promotion Period at any of the 20 properties regardless of the number of rooms booked. 16,000 bonus points is redeemable for one free night stay at a Tier 4 hotel. Member stays with check-out dates after 1/3/13 will not be counted towards the Promotion. Members should allow six to eight weeks after completion of stay for the enrollment points and stay bonus points to be credited to their account.

** Rates are based on our Best Available Rate and are limited and subject to availability. Higher rates may apply. Rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply. Rates, availability, and restrictions, if any, will be confirmed at the time the reservation is booked. Unless otherwise noted, rates do not include taxes and other incidentals.”

Here's the screenshot (very small font, unfortunately) in case you need it to get your points. Just click on it to see the larger version:

On the one hand a Wyndham rep posted on FlyerTalk that the promotion is targeted via direct mailing and that those who were not targeted won't get points; on the other, Wyndham reps have confirmed to at least one FT member that even though it was intended to be targeted, those who book via the 20 New Properties link will receive points.

So what now? Well, I've already made some non-refundable bookings, and they haven't been cancelled yet. I plan to press firmly for my points. That said, I've decided to not do this promotion for my husband, as I don't want the hassle of more calls apart from those needed to get my points. You do have to keep in mind what your time is worth. It wouldn't surprise me if Wyndham revamped their promotional marketing and vetted their terms and conditions a little more closely after this!

Original Post on Wyndham Rewards 16,000 Points “Revere” Promo

Wyndham Rewards points aren't points I go out of my way to collect, since I never stay in Wyndham hotels. But I'm definitely paying attention to this promotion, which makes it pretty easy to pick up about 56,000 Wyndham points = 22,400 United or American miles for about $163, or even less. That's less than 0.7 cents per mile, and I value United and American miles at about triple that. Best of all, you don't even have to stay at the hotels in question (which for the most part aren't ones you'd want to stay at anyway)–more on that below. This isn't quite as good as the Daily Getaways promo when you could Buy Wyndham Points to Get United or AA Miles at 0.6 Cents Each but it's close. Nor is it quite as good as maximizing BankDirect to Acquire AA miles for Half a Cent Per Mile, but the Wyndham promo is easier and more practical for most people.

Here's how it works:

1. Make sure you're enrolled in Wyndham Rewards. If not, Enroll in Wyndham Rewards

2. Register for Wyndham's promo to receive 5500 bonus points after your second stay, for stays before November 26, 2012

3. Book 3 separate stays (not consecutive nights) at one of these 20 New Properties. You'll get 16,000 bonus points per stay for a total of 48,000 points, in addition to points earned for the amount spent on each booking. Make sure all 3 stays are before 11/26/12 if you want to receive the additional 5500 bonus.

4. Triple Dipping: When booking, use your Chase Freedom Card to pay, since you get 5X for hotel spend in Q4. You unfortunately can't book any of the 20 New Properties through the Ultimate Rewards Mall for a quadruple dip, but even without that this is a great promotion.

5. While booking, you may see a chat window come up and offer you an additional 1500 bonus Wyndham Rewards points, which turns into a 2000 bonus Wyndham Rewards points if you do a trial of Great Fun. Now, the only problem I see (apart from the hassle of cancelling the trial it to avoid being charged monthly) is that it says “good through 8/26/12” on it, so your mileage may vary. But it could be a way to earn another 2000 points, thus bringing your total points above the 56,000 threshold to easily transfer all your Wyndham points, since they transfer to miles in increments of 8000, at a 2.5:1 ratio: so 56,000 Wyndham points = 22,400 miles in most of the partner airline programs

6. Repeat with family members!

Wyndham Rewards Promo FAQ

Is This Promo Targeted? Do I Need to Have Received an Email?

Nope, not targeted, you don't need to have received an email.

Update: On FlyerTalk, a Wyndham rep claims that this promotion is targeted and that you should have received a direct mailing to be eligible, even though there's nothing in the offer terms and conditions about needing to be targeted. That said, there is conflicting information coming from Wyndham. Here's what FT member sargenet reported:

“I called Wyndham again and spoke to a rep. This rep once again told me that the promo is open to ANYONE booking through the link. She said this one is not targeted like the other. I made her aware that I was getting different answers and even read her what our “Wyndham” rep posted on here. I had her let me talk to a supervisor directly.

The supervisor was well aware of the issues. She once again said the other offer was “targeted” but this offer in now open to anyone who books their rooms using the link that was on the website. They call it the “Revere” promotion (not sure why) but that is their internal promotion name.

She confirmed to me it was not their intention to make this available to everyone…but that because of “behind the scenes” reasons that anyone who books through the link will receive the 16K points.”

Can I Use an AAA or Other Promotional Rate to Book the Hotel?

Others have received points and the 16,000 bonus points while using an AAA or other promotional rate in a similar recent Wyndham promo, but as always, your mileage may vary. I personally decided not to use any promotional rates (and especially not my travel agent rate) since I'll be doing no shows, and I don't want the risk of not getting points, simply because I didn't actually check in and present credentials for that rate. But others have managed to use promotional rates even for no-shows.

Do the Terms Actually Say That Even If I Don't Stay at a Hotel, I'll Still Get Points?

Amazingly, yes. Here are the Wyndham Rewards Terms and Conditions

Go to 2. Earning > Earning at Participating Hotels and Participating Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Properties > 8.

8. If the property requires a credit card for a reservation, the Member is a no-show, and the hotel charges his/her credit card for the first night of the no-show stay, the Member will receive points for such night as if he/she had stayed.

What are the 20 Hotels Eligible for 16,000 Bonus Points Each Per Stay?

Wyndham Irvine Orange County Airport (CA)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Denver Tech Center (CO)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Hartford Meriden (CT)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Orlando Altamonte Springs (FL)

Wyndham Atlanta Galleria (GA)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Chicago-Hoffman Estates (IL)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Northbrook Wheeling (IL)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Chicago Schaumburg (IL)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Louisville (KY)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Detroit Auburn Hills (MI)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Detroit Farmington Hills (MI)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Omaha (NE)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Charlotte-Coliseum (NC)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Greensboro (NC)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Raleigh (NC)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Cincinnati Blue Ash (OH)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Dallas Park Central (TX)

Wyndham Dallas Suites – Park Central (TX)

Wyndham Houston West Energy Corridor (TX)

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Salt Lake City – Fort Union (UT)

When Will the Points Post?

This has ranged widely in the past Wyndham promotion: everything from almost instant after being allowed a check-in by phone (see TravelbyPoints‘ experience) to getting no bonus points at all. Wyndham says you need to wait 8 weeks, and if points still haven't posted, they'll manually credit, but of course given there are less than 6 weeks left in this promotion, if points don't post soon after your stay, I'd call Wyndham customer service at 866-996-7937 to check.

What are the Wyndham Rewards Airline Partners?

I personally prefer to transfer to United or American, but Wyndham has many other airline partners, and also transfers to Amtrak:

Domestic Partners