Mar 13, 2020, 1:19 am
Last edit by: FLYGVA
Change in Requalification Requirement for IHG Status
In regard to the situation with the ongoing Coronavirus, IHG Rewards Club changed the requirment for earnng and requalification of Rewards Club Status
Gold: 7000 points / 7 nights (regular 10000 points / 10 nights)
Platinum: 30000 points / 30 nights (regular 40000 points / 40 nights)
Spire: 55000 points / 55 nights (regular 75000 points / 75 nights)
Link: https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/customer-care/travel-advisory
(Royal) Ambassador Programm
The impact on Royal Ambassador is not quite clear now. We know about the following extension:
Ambassador Status: extended for 3 months (China seems to be 6 months). This is discussed here
Royal Ambassador: reviewed on an ongoings base (not quite clear what this means in regad to spend). This could be discussed in thread.
Links to discussion regarding cancelatios of bookings
For discussion on cancelations of stays (general bookings) see here.
For discusson on cancelations of stay in regard to events, conference, etc which are canceled, see here.
In regard to the situation with the ongoing Coronavirus, IHG Rewards Club changed the requirment for earnng and requalification of Rewards Club Status
Gold: 7000 points / 7 nights (regular 10000 points / 10 nights)
Platinum: 30000 points / 30 nights (regular 40000 points / 40 nights)
Spire: 55000 points / 55 nights (regular 75000 points / 75 nights)
Link: https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/customer-care/travel-advisory
(Royal) Ambassador Programm
The impact on Royal Ambassador is not quite clear now. We know about the following extension:
Ambassador Status: extended for 3 months (China seems to be 6 months). This is discussed here
Royal Ambassador: reviewed on an ongoings base (not quite clear what this means in regad to spend). This could be discussed in thread.
Links to discussion regarding cancelatios of bookings
For discussion on cancelations of stays (general bookings) see here.
For discusson on cancelations of stay in regard to events, conference, etc which are canceled, see here.
Coronavirus: New / Changed rules for Royal Ambassador Status / Requalifcation
Apr 16, 2020, 6:25 am
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
I am sure IHG Salt Lake will be quite aware that if an existing high spending multi-year RA loses RA through covid, they may well (probably) not book IC's without the status, and once gone won't be back. IHG will need to recognise us multiyear RAs and keep us somehow or risk losing us forever.
Of course I shifted almost all my business across to other chains, as I'm sure many others did. Limping on as Ambassadors, hoping for the occasional free breakfast, really isn't an attractive option. In my case the cost to IHG brand hotels is easily $15K a year. A drop in the ocean for IHG, but those drops add up, and the cost for individual hotels could be significant.
But still the cull of RA's continues, while the benefits get stripped away.
Apr 16, 2020, 7:07 am
#32
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: London
Programs: Infinity Milage Lands Gold,Star Alliance Gold, IHG Diamond RA, Kimpton Inner Circle
Posts: 370
I hope they consider carefully what has been going on as they cancelled 31 nights on me so far not the other way around, I have a fairly set travel pattern each year which only slightly changes by the odd few days so yes some will have had the first 10 weeks of this year but that does not apply to all, I think my next 18 nights will most likely be cancelled as well so that will leave around 40 nights towards the end of the year to re-qualify if they are still monitoring spend with a target in mind.
I want to be loyal but there are none I can stay at currently even for a weekend break as they are closed where I could access without crossing borders.
I want to be loyal but there are none I can stay at currently even for a weekend break as they are closed where I could access without crossing borders.
Apr 16, 2020, 8:19 am
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
So it's not as simple as saying "there's still lots of time in the year left" - aside from folks who spend $10K of their own money, I will venture a guess that many RAs are corporate travellers, and those will be heavily affected for the entirety of the year, imho. Whether they are worth retaining as customers or not is a question that IHG would need to answer, and I would be quite surprised if one were to argue that they aren't, just because their travel budgets for the year have disappeared.
Apr 16, 2020, 2:16 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
I don't think it should be a blanket requal. They should just do the top 1% as the program suggests. If the top 1% means $5K, then it is $5K. Or if the calculations come to $7K then it is $7K. Giving away RA to people who don't earn it cheapens the program. But rewarding people who are loyal even in difficult times really means something.
and could IHG IT actually calculate it?
Last edited by Tim O'Brien; Apr 16, 2020 at 2:27 pm
Apr 23, 2020, 2:42 pm
#36
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: BAEC GGL, LTG & CCR; IC RA; Hilton D (free from BA)
Posts: 401
I just got a great email from the ceo saying that my RA is extended to Jan 2022 with the free night and stuff in 2021 as well. I wonder if it is for all? I had spent about £10k up to the end of March when it all stopped
Apr 23, 2020, 4:08 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Yes and the email also says we will get another free night in 2021.
Oooh. I just noticed this line item in my account. I didn't get this before. Maybe I will try out a Kimpton later this year.
04/23/2020 Upgrade to Inner Circle
Oooh. I just noticed this line item in my account. I didn't get this before. Maybe I will try out a Kimpton later this year.
04/23/2020 Upgrade to Inner Circle
Last edited by stimpy; Apr 23, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Apr 23, 2020, 5:03 pm
#42
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Amsterdam&Stuttgart& Edinburgh
Programs: IC Amb.,FB,Hertz,Sixt
Posts: 776
I just got the same , another free night and a BOGO, very nice of them. Only issue now is I have a free night and two BOGOs to use hope I am allowed to stay somewhere before too long .
