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Club Carlson (the loyalty program for the likes of Radisson Blu, Park Plaza etc..) has come out with a flash sale in which it’s offering a 100% bonus on all Gold Points purchases regardless size.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a 100% Club Carlson points bonus so it’s definitely worth looking closely at this promotion to see how good or bad it is.
Club Carlson Flash Sale – Headline T&Cs
- The Points Flash Sale Offer is valid for points purchased between Monday, November 27, 2017 at 12:01 am EDT through Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 11:59 pm EDT.
- Participants will earn a bonus equal to 100% of points purchased during the Offer Period (e.g., 1,000 bonus points for each 1,000 points purchased).
- Bonus points will not count toward the annual 40,000 points purchase maximum.
- Bonus points and purchased points will be posted to the member’s Club Carlson account or the gift recipient’s Club Carlson account, as applicable, as one transaction within 24 hours of purchase.
It’s worth noting that Club Carlson points purchases are handled by Points.com so there’s no scope for a travel/hotel bonus with a credit card that offers these – make sure you use a credit card whose points you value the highest.
Club Carlson Flash Sale – The Math
Club Carlson is offering a 100% bonus on all points purchases regardless of how many points you buy and, rather unusually, Carlson hasn’t played around with the pricing so you’re always paying the same per Gold Point – buying more Gold points makes no difference to the cost per point.
Here’s how much you’d pay for a 1,000 points (which would net you 2,000 points after the bonus):
$7 for 2,000 points works out to 0.35 cents/point.
If you decide to go for the full 40,000 points that would net you 80,000 points (after the bonus) and would set you back $280.
$280 for 80,000 points works out to 0.35 cents/point (again).
Is the Sale Worth It?
I stopped being a fan of Club Carlson after it raised the cost of top-tier awards by 40%, put most of the hotels I’d like to stay at in the top-tier category and then removed my free 2nd night benefit that came with my Club Carlson Visa……but I don’t hold a grudge 🙂
I value Club Carlson points at around 0.04 cents each so straight away this promotion has got my attention.
The properties Carlson offers in the Americas are mostly very ordinary (that’s being polite) so that’s not where you’re likely to get the best value….but Europe is a whole other matter.
Club Carlson has a decent size footprint in Europe (especially in Scandinavia and the UK) and, during the popular summer months, prices in these locations can get exorbitant – that’s where Club Carlson Gold points can come in useful
Take the Radisson Blue Hotel Champs Elysees in Paris as an Example:
A randomly selected night in July costs $364/night….and that’s the fully pre-paid rate with no changes or refunds allowed:
But, if you take a look at all the available rates, you’ll find that the same night can be booked for 70,000 Gold Points:
Buying 70,000 Gold Points in this promotion would cost $245 so that would see you save over $120 (once you add in taxes to the cash rate).
If Paris isn’t on your list of places to visit the perhaps London is?
The May Fair hotel is probably one of the better hotels in the Club Carlson portfolio around and its location can’t be bettered if you’re looking to stay in the very centre of London (you have Mayfair, Piccadilly and Green Park on your doorstep). In the summer the night I selected randomly would cost $521…..
….but the exact same night can be booked for 70,000 Gold Points:
In this promotion those points would set you back $245 so, if you used them for this particular say you’d be saving an incredible $276!
How To Get More Than 80,000 Points
Don’t forget that although individuals are limited to buying 40,000 points per calendar year (before bonuses), you can always buy points for more than one account and then combine the points into one account without having to pay a cent more.
Everyone at your address is allowed to have a Club Carlson account and members of the same household can pool their points without charge.
If you happen to have Club Carlson elite status you can add your points to anyone’s account (even if they’re not in your household) but you cannot freely receive points from outside of your household.
Bottom Line
Here’s the best way forward:
- If you know which city (cities) you’d like to visit then go check out how much a room costs for your preferred dates and, more importantly, if award nights are available.
- Work out if buying points would save you cash on your reservation
- You should now have your answer if buying points is a good idea or not.
If you’re not sure where you’d like to visit or if you can’t see award availability for the dates you want to visit then don’t be tempted to buy points speculatively.
It may have been a while since we’ve seen a 100% bonus on Club Carlson points purchases but who’s to say that this isn’t because the award chart is about to be devalued? They’ve done it before!
