Accor Debuts AIClub Loyalty Program
Accor -- Hotels, 9/12/2008 8:57:00 AM
Operational as of September 15 in more than 2,000 hotels in 90 countries, AIClub will enable customers to earn points in Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis and all seasons hotels.
The points can be converted into gift vouchers and used throughout the year in Accor hotels. They can also be used with partners like Club Mediterranee and Europcar, or converted into miles with leading airlines, including Air France KLM, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, US Airways and Qantas.
The AIClub program leverages all the strengths of Accor's brand portfolio - which covers every segment from economy to luxury - to meet the needs of an increasingly fragmented and mobile clientele looking for recognition and personalized solutions.
Because it is entirely web-based, the program also lets members manage their accounts whenever and wherever they like, while providing more personalized service.
Easy to use
The AIClub card is easy to use, and members can join after just one night in an Accor hotel or on the http://www.a-club.com website. Then, with each night spent in a participating hotel, they can earn points and exclusive benefits.
Depending on the number of hotel nights or the number of points earned in a year, members will be upgraded from one program tier to the next, with the points earned increasing significantly with each tier.
- The AIClub card:
- 2 points for each euro(1) spent in a Sofitel, Pullman,
MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel.
- 1 point for each euro(1) spent in an Ibis or all seasons
hotel.
- The AIClub Silver card
- Awarded after at least 10 hotel nights or 2,500 points earned in a year.
- 3 points for each euro(1) spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel.
- 1.5 points for each euro(1) spent in an Ibis or all seasons hotel.
- The AIClub Gold card
- Awarded after at least 30 hotel nights or 10,000 points earned in a year.
- 3.5 points for each euro(1) spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel.
- 1.75 points for each euro(1) spent in an Ibis or all seasons hotel.
- Exclusive Services(2)
- The AIClub Platinum card
- Awarded after at least 60 hotel nights or 25,000 points earned in a year.
- 4 points for each euro(1) spent in a Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel.
- 2 points for each euro(1) spent in an Ibis or all seasons hotel.
- Exclusive Services(2)
Points earned never expire, provided that the member spends at least one night a year in a participating hotel.
Considerable development potential
Designed to combine and replace the Group's existing loyalty programs, the AIClub will help to increase customer preference for Accor brands.
Like the Group's marketing initiatives, booking, sales and distribution systems, and pricing strategy, it will support Accor's growth momentum, with the objective of having at least five million active members within three years.
Accor, a major global group and the European leader in hotels, as well as the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 150,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in two core businesses:
- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenotre.
- Services, with 30 million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in employee and public benefits, rewards and loyalty, and expense management
(1) Or the equivalent in the local currency.
(2) 3-day (Platinum) or 5-day (Gold) guaranteed availability, welcome drink and gift, late check-out until 4:00 pm and room upgrades (depending on availability), at MGallery, Pullman and Sofitel.
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I learned about A|Club when I visited a Suitehotel in France. I joined on-line when I returned to UK and was given a number. That's the good bit. The bugbear has been the (non)-transfer of points. I am so fed up with hearing nothing from A|Club that I wrote to Accor-Mouvango today (but in French!)as follows:
‘Dear Accor-Mouvango, please help me. I am losing the will to live. I joined A|Club and included my Accor-Mouvango Compliments card number so that my Compliments points could be transferred to A|Club. That was 16th October and so far, nothing. I have tried a migration request on the A|Club site, but their system will not accept my Compliments card number. I have left messages to that effect on their site several times but never receive a response, despite one being promised (‘Thank you for your request. We will reply by e-mail within 48 hours’). There is no point in me leaving any more messages on the A|Club site, so can you help me? Are Compliments points actually being transferred to A|Club?’
The A|Club customer service is atrocious but I do have my 1194 points so far so I guess I will stick with it. Its good to read other folks experiences. Thank you.
Rodger Dinsdale - 2008-4-12 09:29:00 PST -
I'm just coming to the end of my year's membership of the Accor Favorite guest Program. Will I be upgrading to A|Club? No! This has the been quite the worst program it's ever been my unfortunate experience to have to deal with.
My points were almost never credited. The "support" staff answered emails on the 3rd or 4th chaser, and tried to put me through hoop after hoop to get my points - only eventually did the hotels in question manage to get my points.
In August I broke the habit of a decade and wrote a physical letter to the head of guest services in France - at that point 2 of my 8 stays had been credited without chasing, and 3 were still outstanding. Needless to say I have never received a response.
Having accumulated enough points, I requested my credit token. After it failed to arrive in 4 weeks I wrote chaser after chaser trying to find the address to which it had been sent. I got Head of Guest Relations in Portugal to write, and to phone - even they could get no response. It's nearly 7 weeks now. They tell me I have to sue them under French Law - how blessed I feel to be an Accor "Favored Guest"!
Roger Long - 2008-4-11 08:09:00 PST -
You should not recommend this becuse it is not actually any use. In fact this is NOT easy to join at all. It is the most difficult to join hotel loyalty programme I have ever encountered. When I tried to activate my membership, the link from my email message directed me to the paying version that I cannot afford. When I went to the main website, it said "Email already in use" despite the fact that I do not belong to any other Accor programme. I think it is because I am registered to get emails for special offers from Ibis. Now the site is saying it is too busy (for a whole week??)
I emailed the Accor technical support about 2 weeks ago but so far no-one has had the manners to reply. There is a phone number on the A-club site but it is an expensive international number. They have no email provision except for the press.
I think you shuld give this scheme the thumbs down not so much for having problems or making mistakes, (who hasn't?) but for their lack of customer care or even basic good manners and having no proper provision for sorting out problems.
S. McDowell - 2008-19-10 09:20:00 PDT
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