Old Jul 8, 2013, 11:43 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: FLYGVA
Recent discussion (After January 01, 2016) could be found in this thread.

Most important points to consider for a valid BRG:

1. The comparison website MUST bill in the same currency as the hotel .

2. The cancellation terms must be equal or better, than the terms by the hotels.

3. The Website needs to provide INSTANT confirmation.

4. The room names should match, but if you can demonstrate, that the room is comparable, it will also work with discrepancies in the name.

5. The price difference has to be more than either USD 1 or 1% (whichever is higher).
5.b In regards to hotels located in australia and New Zealand the price difference must be greater than 3% .

Hotels for which you will get reimbursed:
(Note: There have been significant problems with getting full reimbursements from IHG, especially for reimbursements in other currencies than USD)

IC Istanbul ( BRG claim from the 17.05.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")

IC Frankfurt ( BRG claim from the 20.08.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")

Link to the Terms and Conditions : https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...rms-conditions
Print Wikipost

New IHG Best Rate Guarantee - Discussion & Feedback

Old Apr 23, 2015, 8:03 am
  #6781  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163
Originally Posted by lawyeraaron
I think I have found a BRG chance but I would appreciate some advice. The IHG lists the rates in euros and priceline has the lower rate in dollars. I don't think IHG converts the price into dollars until the final billing screen. Does that count as billed in dollars? Or is it billed in euros since the main search page shows the price in euros? Would using the currency convert feature matter or would I still have the same issue because the main page shows euros?
Thanks
It won't work - currency has to match.
jms_uk is offline  
Old Apr 23, 2015, 3:19 pm
  #6782  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 16,966
Originally Posted by lawyeraaron
The IHG lists the rates in euros and priceline has the lower rate in dollars. I don't think IHG converts the price into dollars until the final billing screen. Does that count as billed in dollars? Or is it billed in euros since the main search page shows the price in euros?
The hotel's currency is quite clear. If that currency is Euros then the third party site must not only display reservations in Euros but charge your card in Euros.

You can force the IHG website to display rates in currencies other than the hotel's chosen one. But that's purely cosmetic.
IAN-UK is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2015, 9:19 am
  #6783  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 244
My experience was they then claimed any

Originally Posted by freeman1993
Sent in claim right after my booking, and also for 2 other sites at the 18hr mark. 48 hours later, no reply from IHG. Emailed them, and they claimed that none was received.

Any possible resolution to this matter?
resubmission was beyond the 24 hour mark and denied the claim...
garygleck is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2015, 5:52 pm
  #6784  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: El Gouna , Hurghada (HRG)
Programs: BAEC:Silver ,IHG:Spire Amb ,QR:Silver,HH:Diamond
Posts: 374
IC Nairobi was almost double on IHG to other sites for my stay on 25th July .I Submitted a claim (well 6 as was on multiple sites.... just to be sure ) and claim was verified about 12 hours later . Nice start to my Mara safari
crombiestone is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 12:50 am
  #6785  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1
changes in reservation after BPG approval

Hello everybody! My first post.

I have an approved BPG for IC berlin for the upcoming weekend. Claim was accepted two days ago, still have not received the rate adjustment confirmation (I think reimbursement is more probable).
I logged in today to see the confirmation on IHG site and was surprised to see the number of guests has changed from 2 to 1. So now it states "1 room, 1 guest" while yesterday it was still "1 room 2 guests". Obviously I have not made the change - I know the rules. I talked with IHG rep. on chat - she said there was no mark in the system than anyone has made the change, offered to change it back - but I didn't want to risk invalidating my free night so I told her to leave it as it is.
Instead I wrote to BPG team who accepted my claim to sort it out and am currently waiting for a response.
Maybe I am being too suspicous but I have a feeling that staff (at the hotel?) are playing to make grounds for invalidating my claim.
Anyone with similar experience? Suggestions?
beyond112 is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 12:38 pm
  #6786  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25
JMS and Ian,

Thanks, I was afraid that would be the answer.
lawyeraaron is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 2:20 pm
  #6787  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 274
Hey folks,

I just had my first lovely BRG experience. Booked a refundable room, saw the identical refundable room on Hotels.com (same room description, same currency, etc). Submitted the BRG, and got denied (22 hour turnaround) because he said the Hotels.com room wasn't refundable, despite the big "Free Cancellation" in bright green writing on the website.

Sigh.

So, general question. Once you get denied, if you have all the facts on your side, how often does the decision get overturned on appeal? Somewhat often? Hardly ever?

Thanks!
MarcusBWI is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 3:08 pm
  #6788  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 16,966
Originally Posted by MarcusBWI
Hey folks,

I just had my first lovely BRG experience. Booked a refundable room, saw the identical refundable room on Hotels.com (same room description, same currency, etc). Submitted the BRG, and got denied (22 hour turnaround) because he said the Hotels.com room wasn't refundable, despite the big "Free Cancellation" in bright green writing on the website.

Sigh.

So, general question. Once you get denied, if you have all the facts on your side, how often does the decision get overturned on appeal? Somewhat often? Hardly ever?

You need to dig a bit deeper to see if you really do have the facts on your side.

OTA frequently say that cancellation is free, but there is usually a time limit - and that limit is very often less generous than the one included in IHG's flexible-rate.

For a successful BRG claim the cancellation terms must match, or be more generous under the OTA's regime.
IAN-UK is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 3:44 pm
  #6789  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 274
Originally Posted by IAN-UK
You need to dig a bit deeper to see if you really do have the facts on your side.

OTA frequently say that cancellation is free, but there is usually a time limit - and that limit is very often less generous than the one included in IHG's flexible-rate.

For a successful BRG claim the cancellation terms must match, or be more generous under the OTA's regime.
Thanks for the heads up. I did check, and IHG allows for cancellation up to 4:00 pm two days before the reservation. Hotels.com allows for cancellation up to 6:00 pm two days before the reservation.

I thought it might be possible that they would reject me for Hotels.com having a more generous policy, but it seems that they are rejecting me for Hotels.com not even having a policy, which I thought was strange.
MarcusBWI is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 6:37 pm
  #6790  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 84
Originally Posted by MarcusBWI
Thanks for the heads up. I did check, and IHG allows for cancellation up to 4:00 pm two days before the reservation. Hotels.com allows for cancellation up to 6:00 pm two days before the reservation.

I thought it might be possible that they would reject me for Hotels.com having a more generous policy, but it seems that they are rejecting me for Hotels.com not even having a policy, which I thought was strange.
I think IHG is basically always a YMMV. That's why I stay away from non-refundable rates, even when they seem to match up perfectly. At least you can always cancel if it never goes anywhere with the BPG department. I can say, however, that I positively have had approvals on claims where the OTA was more generous with their cancellation policy. So it does work sometimes.
JDavis625 is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 11:15 pm
  #6791  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 827
Originally Posted by MarcusBWI
Hey folks,

I just had my first lovely BRG experience. Booked a refundable room, saw the identical refundable room on Hotels.com (same room description, same currency, etc). Submitted the BRG, and got denied (22 hour turnaround) because he said the Hotels.com room wasn't refundable, despite the big "Free Cancellation" in bright green writing on the website.

Sigh.

So, general question. Once you get denied, if you have all the facts on your side, how often does the decision get overturned on appeal? Somewhat often? Hardly ever?

Thanks!
Reread their response again. My guess is they denied you not because of the cancellation terms, but because hotel.com rates are often prepaid (even if it's able to be cancelled) where as IHG's are not. So all terms being equal, if the OTA requires prepayment (again, regardless if you can still cancel it) - it will be denied and you will have to compare to a prepaid (and non-cancellable) rate.
FlyingHigh20 is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 11:28 pm
  #6792  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,809
Does anyone know of a Chinese OTA that would fit the requirements for IHG's BRG claim? From my understanding, sites like CTrip don't qualify since they don't provide an instant confirmation. Seems like IHG is off the hook with BRG claims in China due to the currency and instant confirmation requirements.
Jimgotkp is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2015, 11:35 pm
  #6793  
yus
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 77
Originally Posted by lawyeraaron
I think I have found a BRG chance but I would appreciate some advice. The IHG lists the rates in euros and priceline has the lower rate in dollars. I don't think IHG converts the price into dollars until the final billing screen. Does that count as billed in dollars? Or is it billed in euros since the main search page shows the price in euros? Would using the currency convert feature matter or would I still have the same issue because the main page shows euros?
Thanks
From my experience you should compare currency used on the main search page against the competing web sites. It even works in the countries where actual local currency is different from the IHG main search page, such as Mexico(IHG currency - US dollars), Bulgaria(IHG currency - euro), Turkey(IHG currency - euro)
yus is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2015, 5:30 am
  #6794  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Antwerp
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 166
Originally Posted by beyond112
Hello everybody! My first post.

I have an approved BPG for IC berlin for the upcoming weekend. Claim was accepted two days ago, still have not received the rate adjustment confirmation (I think reimbursement is more probable).
I logged in today to see the confirmation on IHG site and was surprised to see the number of guests has changed from 2 to 1. So now it states "1 room, 1 guest" while yesterday it was still "1 room 2 guests". Obviously I have not made the change - I know the rules. I talked with IHG rep. on chat - she said there was no mark in the system than anyone has made the change, offered to change it back - but I didn't want to risk invalidating my free night so I told her to leave it as it is.
Instead I wrote to BPG team who accepted my claim to sort it out and am currently waiting for a response.
Maybe I am being too suspicous but I have a feeling that staff (at the hotel?) are playing to make grounds for invalidating my claim.
Anyone with similar experience? Suggestions?

I've had a couple BPG's change without my doing, and I'm not just talking about upgrades. For instance, one of my very first BPG's was modified and showed a 50 extra person charge for a third guest. When I contacted the hotel by e-mail they claimed that they couldn't see that change from their end. Inexperience left me a bit uncertain, so I decided to bring a print of my original reservation... at check-in everything was as it should be. So my advice, don't worry to much about it but bring a print of the original booking with you incase something would be off.

However, be sure to always check the check-in form before you sign it coz once you put your signature on a paper that shows different info than your booking this may be considered as if you gave your conscent to change the reservation, which may result in making your BPG approved free night void! Not saying that they will respond that way, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Stealthmode is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2015, 7:04 pm
  #6795  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP...couple hotels and cars too
Posts: 4,548
Question if I may.... I have read 170 pages, but did read the wiki?

The BRG rules say: "A guest must book the lowest available hotel room price through the Best Available price search - for the type of accommodations sought - in order to qualify for the Best Price Guarantee."

This seems to always be a non-changeable, advance purchase rate.

Is this the correct interpretation?

So even if I book a refundable/changeable rate, and find another site that is a perfect match, it will be denied as I didnt select the cheapest rate (which will be an advance purchase or non refundable)

Yes?

Thx!
Exec_Plat is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.