InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - RA renewal

hi guys, one questions.
just received my RA gift-box including an RA referral certificate. but, the expiry of my RA status is earlier than the RA referral certificate expiry.
in any case, i will be downgraded at the end of my ra status period, do you think i could use my own referral certificate to get a new RA status (on the same pc account)? on the certificate, i cant see anything how ambassador service can see, from whom i get the voucher.

The RA cert MUST be used before the 6 month expiry date, so keeping it for your own use in 12 months is not an option.

You have 2 choices - in six months time, you need to either a) open a new PC account in your own name or b) open one in your partners name.

The snag with a) is that PC may ask who the cert came from, which could cause problems. The problem with b) is that you may not always travel with your partner.

My strategy would be to open another account in 6 months time in your partners name, then upgrade them to RA at the last possible minute before the certificate expires. They will get another referral cert in their box, which they can use to upgrade you back to RA in 12 months time.

RA is not a perpetual referral process as you thought it might be. Referral certs are for 6-months and intended to be used by someone other than the referring RA. You must meet the renewal criteria, or attempt another referral with a cert you pick up from a third party.

the expiry of my RA status is earlier than the RA referral certificate expiry.
in any case, i will be downgraded at the end of my ra status period, do you think i could use my own referral certificate to get a new RA status (on the same pc account)?

I think the last two posters missed the point. I assume your referral cert is valid till May 2007 and your Ambassador year (and hence the current RA status that you have been granted for the first time) expires earlier - for purpose of illustration lets say in March 2007. I think you should wait until March to see if you get a new card or your online status shows RA expiration extended to March 2008. If it doesn't, tell Ambassador services that you earned RA (assuming you weren't referred) and that to give RA for a few months only is not really helpful. In all likelihood, they should extend it till March 2008. If they don't, and downgrade you to Ambassador, the answer to whether you can use your own referral cert (as long as its still valid, which is is if its valid till May 2007) to refer yourself back to RA is Yes. Many people have done so successfully.

*Note: all dates are used for the purpose of illustration only....

I don't think Raffles or Shareholder did miss the point.

You might not have been following others who have gone through a short period of RA before.

The experience is roughly that they might extend for a few months if there is only a month or two left - but rarely extend to over a full year - say 14 months - and rarely extend if there is 3 or more months left of the RA membership overlayed onto the existing standard Ambassador membership.

In your scenario, if the OP has an Ambassador that expires March, and therefore his RA expires in March or later I think it unlikely that they will extend.

Raffles was illustrating how to deal with the situation based on that scenario.

That's my understanding of the intelligence shared so far.

I don't think Raffles or Shareholder did miss the point.

You might not have been following others who have gone through a short period of RA before.

The experience is roughly that they might extend for a few months if there is only a month or two left - but rarely extend to over a full year - say 14 months - and rarely extend if there is 3 or more months left of the RA membership overlayed onto the existing standard Ambassador membership.

In your scenario, if the OP has an Ambassador that expires March, and therefore his RA expires in March or later I think it unlikely that they will extend.

Raffles was illustrating how to deal with the situation based on that scenario.

That's my understanding of the intelligence shared so far.

You don't get anything if you don't ask. In my experience, the Ambassador desk has been very receptive to requests if you ask nicely and have something to back it up. If the OP had enough nights over 9 months to be upgraded to RA during his current Ambassador year (but for only 3 months), its unfair and the Ambassador desk would see that if you laid out your case well. Of course, if the OP was referred, then he would not be renewed if he didn't have enough nights. Then he can follow the rest of my advice. I think I covered that in my earlier post. :)

You don't get anything if you don't ask. In my experience, the Ambassador desk has been very receptive to requests if you ask nicely and have something to back it up. If the OP had enough nights over 9 months to be upgraded to RA during his current Ambassador year (but for only 3 months), its unfair and the Ambassador desk would see that if you laid out your case well. Of course, if the OP was referred, then he would not be renewed if he didn't have enough nights. Then he can follow the rest of my advice. I think I covered that in my earlier post. :)


You said that Raffles and Shareholder misunderstood, when they understood perfectly.

In fact you are still missing the point.

The Ambassador desk is helpful as you suggest, but as I said, if you had followed other people's experience on earlier threads who have tried before and have asked in the past, most have found that 2 or 3 months seems to be the tipping point. It isn't unfair because it is in the terms and conditions.

To me, the OP gave the impression that he himself had been referred, since he said that he had no chance of requalifying. My advice is therefore, I think, the best thing to do (and what I did myself!).

Once again, if that is the case, the rest of my advice below still stands.

If they don't, and downgrade you to Ambassador, the answer to whether you can use your own referral cert (as long as its still valid, which is is if its valid till May 2007) to refer yourself back to RA is Yes. Many people have done so successfully.

*Note: all dates are used for the purpose of illustration only....

To me, the OP gave the impression that he himself had been referred, since he said that he had no chance of requalifying. My advice is therefore, I think, the best thing to do (and what I did myself!).

.... and your interpretation was perfectly correct.


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