moretimeoffguy

Several Chase cards have great anniversary one-night-free benefits (Marriott, Hyatt, IHG). My wife and I have IHG cards and keep them for the annual free night certs (redemptions @ ICs are well worth the AF).

Here's the problem: both our annual fees are due around August; so by the time we receive the certs, it's often too late to redeem at popular European IC properties in late Sept. The other time we like to travel to Europe is mid to late May. So we're find for IC stays with our current AF dates.

If we asked, can Chase change the AF date to one that gives us more lead time to book IC free nights for either Sept or May?

We've got two free IC night certs that expire in August. My wife asked if there was any way to make the bookings for Sept now, then swap-out once we get our new IC certs. Is that conceivably an option?

Anyone else find themselves in the same dilemma, e.g. realizing too late what a great CC benefit a free-night-per-year cert can be; and wishing you'd chosen a more suitable time to apply based on the seasonality of your travel?

We'd rather not cancel and reapply during the optimal month. We're far over 5/24, so it's possible--I believe the IHG doesn't card yet have that restriction. So I suppose it's something I'd consider. But who knows if it might get automagically added to the 5/24 list while we're waiting to reapply.

garykung

I am almost certain that it is a no. I don't believe it is even possible.

I would change the approach instead - asking for the cert. to be issued early.

Happy

No going to happen.

OP - your IHG cert can be used after the expiration provided you make booking BEFORE the cert expires, AND do not change your booking after the cert expires. Else the cert will become invalid.

You can fix your timing dilemma once you have passed the 2 years mark from previous receipt of bonus - do a rinse and repeat to sync up your timing and meantime get a new sign up bonus. IHG card is not subj to 5/24. Read the Wiki of the STICKY of this Forum!

moretimeoffguy

Thanks Happy! Never heard you could book IHG cert nights for *stays* beyond the 12 month cert dates; again, as long as you made the booking before the cert expires. That's good news. Having the cert become invalid if one tried to change the book after the expiration date seems reasonable.

By "change", do you mean changing the date or property of the stay? Hoping the certs wouldn't go invalid if I requested a room upgrade for the same stay date at the same property. Any other "gotcha" scenarios / limitations you can think of in this regard?

I already knew the IHG card was not under 5/24 as I hinted at above. Just concerned that it might go on the 5/24 list between cancelling, then reapplying at optimal time AF time. I'm far beyond 2 years after earning the initial sign-up bonus. Wife and I got the IHG card in 2012 when the program was named Priority Club. But I don't know how many days / weeks / months one might need between cancelling the IHG card and reapplying--again, knowing, for me, that I'm far beyond the 2 years after bonus.

Don't want to lose my IHG-card afforded elite privileges, so I wouldn't want there to be much of a lapse between cancelling and reapplying. Are you saying I could cancel an IHG card on a given day, then reapply (with good chance for approval) a day later? A week later? A month later?

I'll check the wiki sticky you mentioned to see if there's something I missed that you were referring to (if it's only that IHG is not presently under 5/24 rules, I already knew that).

Thanks again for your help! The fact that I can book beyond a stay beyond the expiration date of the cert (knowing my travel date / property can't change) is gold in and of itself.

Happy

Once you booked your stay BEYOND the cert expiration date, any change beyond the cert expiration would FORFEIT your cert.

There are successful DPs in using the cert for stay beyond expiration, confirmed by both IHG and the hotels involved - and warning about forfeiting the cert on any change beyond the cert expiration. As you can see, that is a reasonable condition for anyone wants to use their certs beyond expiry.

Research the Free Night Cert thread in the IHG forum to learn more.

For reapply, you should see the offer pops up in your IHG account a week or 2 after you X the current card. Of course you only receive bonus when you meet the restriction imposed by Chase. That you already know about.

As for your Plat status, sure you could time that too to avoid stays during the lapse time.

moretimeoffguy

Thanks Happy. Wish the verbiage in the T&Cs for free night usage didn't state that the stay must also be completed by 12 months from issue:

https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/us/e...e-night-status

"Anniversary Free Night is valid at hotels in the IHG® Rewards Club Family of Brands and must be redeemed, and stay must be completed, within 12 months from date of issue."

Gives me the willies. These certs expire in August, and I want to use them in Sept in Tokyo, arriving directly from the U.S.

moretimeoffguy

Made my cert reservations beyond the expiration date. May book the same days with points just to be on the safe side. This is for a Fall trip to Tokyo where nearly all the good points hotels don't have award space for my dates (the Hyatts, Hiltons, etc). At least according to a search using the Hotel Hustle web site. Strange, but happy, that the 3 ICs in Tokyo *did* have award space for the nights I wanted. Glad I have a diverse portfolio of hotel points.