Originally Posted by
Land-of-Miles
No I am done with it, if they don't want my business it is what it is. I am beyond begging for status, I can live with my benefits elsewhere.
Please do not get me wrong, but I'm not sure if we are talking about loyalty and of being worth it, to be invited to an unpublished tier, if you spend only 19 nights as expensive as possible in high-priced rooms / houses just to reach a supposed limit, and all other nights are distributed in other programs.
Sure, doing 11,000+ USD of business in only 19 nights is very high value for IHG. But I have understanding for it, that IHG wants to avoid this behavior of borderline RAs.
On the other hand, it is absurd and incredible that every year, all sorts of senior management have to be asked to review accounts manually due to adjusted stays and they still have not solved this problem. They are well aware of it and nonetheless, they urge their most valuable individual customers every year to beg by writing to them. I had the pleasure that IC Düsseldorf posted a non-qualifying night for no reason during a 2000€-stay in another city, which implied more than 2100 USD of overlapping net spend
I am ok with an unpublished criteria and with the uncertainty associated with it, as long as 2000+ USD stays don't go out the window for no reason and as long as the benefits compensate the uncertainty.
But what's left of the program, if the whole $ 50 credit, does -not- get me even a *single* mini-bottle of champagne in Lisbon... as a SOLO traveler? What's left? ... That the credit is good for snacks? Most of ICs I visit, don't charge for snacks anyway, like IC Lisbon.
What's left? Check in as early as 10am, which was never denied when I was Spire Ambassador? I prefer doing without the new night certificate and free breakfast as minimalist "compensation" for no lounge offering, than getting the new mini-bar and early check in "enhancements".
Given that the hurdle and uncertainty is getting higher and higher and the total number of RAs becomes more and more limited (according to someone here less than a few hundred in Europe), I would have to assume that Royal Ambassador and its benefits is getting more exclusive.
Even if I could do it again as RA in 2019, I am no longer maximally motivated to overcome the invisible RA-hurdle.
A friend, first time RA in 2017, has already moved a significant amount of his >150 nights/year, he used to spend in only 4 ICs. He just does not care that he is still RA for whole 2019.
I am not sure, if this is the "behavior" the hotel owners, the Vice President, Global Loyalty Programs, LuxuryLoyalty and the Head of Luxury are looking for...
But I am sure, that the behavior of the mentioned person stealing 7 champagne bottles and 70 miniatures of a premium suite may be a result of an amateur at corporate office, that invited accidentally demoted RAs with less then 6,000 USD spend due to an email sent in error on Jan 12, 2018
