drpopper

I joined IHG in January this year when I got disillusioned with Hyatt and since then I have had 63 nights at 5 properties (3 IC's) and accumulated 600k points. I am currently showing Spire Elite Ambassador status and have had a spend of approx $45K. My question is shouldn't I have been promoted to RA status by now or not ?

TravelTheWorld66

They just switched to a calendar year program, so your 2017 stay history will most likely be reviewed in late November with RA invitations sent out in early December. I don't believe they do mid-year sweeps to upgrade people from AMB to RA.

Current RAs have an expiration of Dec 1 2017, so I assume I will be renewed or downgraded on that date.

Tim O'Brien

i believe most RA's are until end of Dec, 2017.

see this thread for data points:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...l#post28165907

TravelTheWorld66

Interesting. I would have thought all RAs have the same expiration given the new calendar year system.

My expiry is Dec 1 2017.

Tim O'Brien

yes, you'd think so, initially, there were some variations being reported. mine originally was showing Dec 29th. i thought it was because it was the last business day of the month, but then i saw others were reporting Dec 30. mine later changed to Dec 30. would be interesting if you called in to ask if yours is correct. there were reports that the app was showing the correct year end date.

TravelTheWorld66

Well isn't that weird. My physical card says Dec 1 and the app says Dec 30. It would make more sense for it to be Dec 30, so I'll go with that.

Thanks for the info.

scubaccr

Yes everyone was wondering about future promotion of first time RAs for 2017 onwards, and whether Ambassadors stays will only be recognised in a yearend December) review.

What is your ytd IC only total of paid qualifying nights and related EQPs/Spend (room plus f+b) ? It is this $$$ figure that is important since 1st Jan2017

The current requirement for promotion from Ambassador -> Royal Ambassador is now purely your paid-qualifying-rate pretax $$$ spend (room plus f+b) at IC brand hotels only, ie EQP's earned from IC hotel stays

Unlike old RA requirement for 60 or 75 nights (across all brands) you can now qualify on say 30x costly Suite Room nights (along with costly f+b at some IC inhouse Michelin * restaurants counting too)

There are still probably old caviat(s) of 3x different IC hotels needed and long stays ie 90nights lus don't count.

All RAs will have had their membership year changed to Jan-Dec period. Those of us RAs who requalified Jul2016-Dec2016 never got our 12month RA extension, but were extended to first Nov2016 then Dec2016. Finally we were renewed for Jan2017-Dec2017 12month cycle.

At this time (june2016 onwards) no new RAs were created. Those new to be RAs had to wait until 3rd Jan2017. At the time us exiring RAs/Ambs put that pause down to IHG having not yet decided what the new TA target would be.

RAs who requalified in Jan-June2016 (thus expiring Jan-June2017), who hit 12month renewal were renewed early in Jan2017 to also Expire Dec2017

The remaining Jan-June2016 renewed RAs, who had not stayed/spent enough for renewal come Jan2017 were left as expiring at normal 2017 month. Come that month they were either extended to Dec2017 or reduced to plain Ambassadors.

drpopper

63 paid qualifying nights at IC's and about $45k of spend ....

TravelTheWorld66

Where were you staying at an average nightly rate of $715? Or do you book high end suites?

And don't worry, you'll make it ^

Tim O'Brien

scubaccr, re the 30 nights in costly suites, that may be one avenue, but i thought the consensus is just IC spend, whether that be USD10K or other threshold.

if USD10K is the number, i believe any configuration of nights/cost that results in USD10K spend satisfies the new criterion. caveat minimum of three IC's unknown.

drpopper

IC Sydney mostly in a corner club suite....

scubaccr

In that case with 60 nights and usd50k spend you should already have met and know the Sydney IC GM. Actually is also the area manager for Australia, ie IC's in both Sydney+Melbourne and also Melbourne HI + CP

Even if you have yet to meet, ask for a chat on next visit, outline you are new convert to both IHG + Ambassador programs since Jan2017, have in 5months spend us$50 on 60nights (at average $700night) and that you are frustrated as IHG Ambassadors program has yet to recognise you as an RA despite your spend.

The IC Sydney GM will contact IHG on your behalf. In the good old days, IC GMs could recommend guests to be upped to RA, but not so sure now
(Your 2017 IC spend id 3x different ICs and us$45++ has gone well past any goalposts needed for you to be given RA status)

Also, if you make the GM aware, assuming GM is not aware yet of your spend+loyalty, GM may well advance you RA privileges anyway at his IC Sysdney hotel, so give foc i)room upgrade ii)minibar iii)lounge access and thus in effect agree a special rate much lower rate for your room until IHG gives you RA.

drpopper

Yeah I know Jorge ....he seems ok and they do frequently give me quite a few things but honestly apart from a few really good staff service there is actually quite mediocre.