New RA rules after SPIRE
Jul 9, 2015, 7:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: I hate my location and hope to flee from it soon.
Programs: Hyatt PL, PC Spire/RA, HH GOLD, SPG Green, Marriott Silver, Skywards B, CSA Gold, Lufthansa Paper,UA
Posts: 1,211
New RA rules after SPIRE
Royal Ambassador Criteria: Royal Ambassador status is by invitation only. To qualify for invitation to Royal Ambassador status, an Ambassador member must: During their membership year, stay at least 75 qualifying nights in any IHG® properties including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, HUALUXE™, EVEN™ Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. At least 30 of these qualifying nights must be at InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts properties. The member must also stay at 3 or more different InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts properties. SCH reserves the right to change these criteria at any time and without prior notification. Existing Royal Ambassador members must meet the criteria listed within the last 365 days from the expiry date of the status. Rewards Nights do not qualify towards Royal Ambassador status/...
Jul 9, 2015, 7:42 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Memphis, TN
Programs: IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 105
I guess it's expected, but that sucks. Between a few vacations I have planned and my honeymoon next year I was just barely gonna hit RA at the previous terms. Now it's much more unlikely and I'll have to plan it out much more carefully.
Those extra 10 IC nights will be a bit of a pain in my wallet.
Those extra 10 IC nights will be a bit of a pain in my wallet.
Jul 9, 2015, 8:07 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Programs: UA 1K, DL Gold, IHG Diamond AMB, MR Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, National EE
Posts: 1,083
Where did you copy this from?? When I look at T&C the criteria are completely gone now. It just says "by invitation" again.
Jul 9, 2015, 8:09 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Memphis, TN
Programs: IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 105
Jul 9, 2015, 8:21 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Brisbane Australia
Programs: QANTAS Club Silver, PC Royal Platinum Ambassador
Posts: 107
Would not be happy if they made this change, but would be even more annoyed by the fact that my status is up for renewal at the end of August and the closest I would get is 71 nights.
Jul 9, 2015, 8:24 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Programs: UA 1K, DL Gold, IHG Diamond AMB, MR Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, National EE
Posts: 1,083
I agree. I'd be furious. I'm 1 IC night away from re-qualifying now and I really don't want to be 11 away.
Jul 10, 2015, 10:16 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: WORLD
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, Flying Blue (KLM) Platinum, Oneworld (BA) Sapphire, *A (Aegean) Gold, IHG Spire RA,
Posts: 555
I'm not happy with this at all.
but how i read this, and Always have "To qualify for invitation to Royal Ambassador status"
is with 60/20 or 75/30 or what it will be is that you only qualify for INVITATION.
is it correct that this does not 100% mean you WILL GET the status of Royal? they can still deny it.
correct?
PS> i'm up for renewal in April again 2016. so I have some time. but this is getting harder of course especially if reward nights will not count.
but how i read this, and Always have "To qualify for invitation to Royal Ambassador status"
is with 60/20 or 75/30 or what it will be is that you only qualify for INVITATION.
is it correct that this does not 100% mean you WILL GET the status of Royal? they can still deny it.
correct?
PS> i'm up for renewal in April again 2016. so I have some time. but this is getting harder of course especially if reward nights will not count.
Jul 10, 2015, 11:16 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: IC RA, AA EXP
Posts: 128
If they bump to 75/30, that will be the last straw for me. I spend between 60-70 nights a year in IC hotels, and I'm not looking to travel more.
Given that I mostly travel to Asia, where they removed the club benefit for RA's years ago, I might as well just hop over to Hyatt or SPG.
I would really miss my stays at the ANA in Tokyo though
Given that I mostly travel to Asia, where they removed the club benefit for RA's years ago, I might as well just hop over to Hyatt or SPG.
I would really miss my stays at the ANA in Tokyo though
Jul 10, 2015, 1:46 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PARIS (France)
Programs: AF/KLM Club 2000 | InterContinental Diamond RA |AMEX Plat | Visa Infinite |Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 10,964
I do not see any changes (yet?) in the T&Cs 
https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental...rms-conditions
Royal Ambassador Criteria: Royal Ambassador status is by invitation only. To qualify for invitation to Royal Ambassador status, an Ambassador member must: During their membership year, stay at least 60 qualifying nights in any IHG® properties including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, HUALUXE™, EVEN™ Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. At least 20 of these qualifying nights must be at InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts properties. The member must also stay at 3 or more different InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts properties. SCH reserves the right to change these criteria at any time and without prior notification. Existing Royal Ambassador members must meet the criteria listed within the last 365 days from the expiry date of the status. Rewards Nights do not qualify towards Royal Ambassador status.
Jul 10, 2015, 5:13 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: I hate my location and hope to flee from it soon.
Programs: Hyatt PL, PC Spire/RA, HH GOLD, SPG Green, Marriott Silver, Skywards B, CSA Gold, Lufthansa Paper,UA
Posts: 1,211
SCH reserves the right to change these criteria at any time and without prior notification.
They changed it back to 60\20. (So far...)
They changed it back to 60\20. (So far...)
Jul 11, 2015, 2:39 am
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
Or it is the typical IHG IT. They somehow manage to leak everything and anything in any given time and then revert to the original format as soon as they discover the mistake been made.