AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

right. But your hotel is the only one that I've heard of that doesn't
take American Express or Diners. I don't have a Visa card
(just a debit card)

Yeah, we took a stand against the machine. By my count, since August of
2002 it has cost me 3 customers.

American Express is dying -- and Diner's Club barely exists. 92% of our
guests use Visa/Mastercard (they really *are* the same, BTW), 4% use
Discover, and 4% pay cash.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Yes... basic values used to be taught at home by parents and family.
Since they are not (in general), it sure seems they should be taught in
school.

It always puzzled me that there is emphasis on learning that the "Battle
of Hastings was fought in 1066" and how to solve quadratic equations
(When will you EVER use this information in real life?) and nothing
taught about REAL life skills kids lack and really need.

Rich


Matt Whiting wrote:
Unfortunately, our schools and often
our parents simply don't teach people good financial management skills.


Matt

I don't know of a single hotel (or even small B&B in our market) that
doesn't pre-authorize guaranteed reservations on a credit card. It's
the only way a hotel has of protecting itself against bogus reservations
and no-shows.

From what you wrote earlier, it doesn't sound like the CC even gives you
protection from no-shows, so why bother?

Because most people still think it does.

I've let the cat out of the bag here, though, haven't I?

;-)

Luckily, we've never been stiffed by a pilot -- ever. Unfortunately, there
aren't enough of us to go around.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Srcqd.164139$R05.153882@attbi_s53...

um, does making a reservation at your place require a credit card?


If you want a "guaranteed" reservation, yep.

If you want a "contingency" reservation -- where anyone who walks in the
door with cash can bump you -- nope.


So what's the difference between a "contingency" reservation and no
reservation?

So what you're saying then, is that you basically don't accept anything BUT
guaranteed reservations. Do you understand that this sounds kind of like a
racket to me? You get guaranteed reservations and HOPE the people don't show
up so you can collect their money without providing anything. You can also
collect double for the room if they don't show up and somebody else comes
along and takes the room. Is this even legal?

I can see getting a night's fee if they don't show up and you keep their
room available for them anyways, but, like I said, if I make a "contingency"
reservation and get there on time, I expect to have a room. If I don't show
up on time, I expect I MAY have a room, but then again I may not. That would
be my fault.

mike regish

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:n3eqd.164904$R05.161886@attbi_s53...
That ain't right. I can see the guarantee thing during a known busy
weekend, but if I make a reservation (contingency) and show up at or
ahead of the reservation time just to find out you don't have a room
because somebody else showed up before me with cash, I'm hauling somebody
into court.

With only 27 suites to rent, we're in no position to play the "will they
show up?" game.

Which is why, if you want a guaranteed reservation, you've got to
guarantee that you're gonna show up. Since wiring money in advance is
pretty awkward, we must do it the credit card way -- even though I
absolutely despise the credit card companies, and it pains me to no end
that I must pay those *******s 4% of everything I take in.

But, if we didn't accept credit cards, our longevity would be measured in
weeks. Sadly, very few guests actually pay with cash.

(P.S. Hey, while I'm bitching, let's talk about the 5% I've got to pay to
the State of Iowa, and the 7% I've got to pay to Johnson County. Yep, a
whopping 16% of everything we bring in, off the top, goes to someone other
than Mary and me. Remember that next time you wonder why it costs so
damned much for a hotel room.)

(P.P.S. Of course, it would be much worse if we were part of a chain, or
used on-line booking agencies like Travelocity. Then we'd be giving away
upwards of 46% of everything we earned.)

(P.P.P.S. Which, by the way, is why we can afford to *include* a
delivered breakfast on a suite for which we only charge $59.95 per night,
while the chains cannot. That same breakfast, delivered to your suite at
the Sheraton, by itself will set you back over $40!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Basic values" was perhaps a poor choice of words for what I meant.
"Life skills" better describes it.
Rich

Rich wrote:
Yes... basic values used to be taught at home by parents and family.
Since they are not (in general), it sure seems they should be taught in
school.

"mike regish" wrote in message
news:HYlqd.167344$R05.107812@attbi_s53...
So what you're saying then, is that you basically don't accept anything
BUT
guaranteed reservations. Do you understand that this sounds kind of like a
racket to me? You get guaranteed reservations and HOPE the people don't
show
up so you can collect their money without providing anything. You can also
collect double for the room if they don't show up and somebody else comes
along and takes the room. Is this even legal?

I can see getting a night's fee if they don't show up and you keep their
room available for them anyways, but, like I said, if I make a
"contingency"
reservation and get there on time, I expect to have a room. If I don't
show
up on time, I expect I MAY have a room, but then again I may not. That
would
be my fault.

mike regish

You don't travel much do you Mike.

Nope.

What's your point?

mike regish

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
...

You don't travel much do you Mike.

"mike regish" wrote in message
news:0Mmqd.679756$8_6.515475@attbi_s04...
Nope.

What's your point?

Hotels are like airlines they overbook in the expectation that there are no
shows and everyone gets sorted. Often though everyone shows up and some one
gets stiffed.

Do they still charge the no shows for the flight?

mike regish

"Chris" wrote in message
...

"mike regish" wrote in message
news:0Mmqd.679756$8_6.515475@attbi_s04...
Nope.

What's your point?

Hotels are like airlines they overbook in the expectation that there are
no shows and everyone gets sorted. Often though everyone shows up and some
one gets stiffed.