Friends and Family discount at all IHG Hotels

Old Apr 8, 2009, 7:46 am
  #151  
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Astriker

Let me see I can simplify this as clearly I'm not making myself clear.

You are an IHG employee. This is no secret. You have a web-site with the same handle you use here. I assume therefore that you are confident that your employer knows that you and other senior people are cascading the offers to people who are not "your friends".

You have publicised the offer to FT'ers by posting a link. Even on your footer, you have a link to the F&F offer so that when you post on other forums you will know that non-IC forum users will use that rate. As far as I know, we are not related, so I am not your Family. You will also know that I am not your Friend. You do not know me. So how can I be your Friend? How can anyobdy else here be "your Friend".

Your employer has allowed you - I believe from the volume of these links encouraged you - to invite me and anyone else to use that rate. The T's&C's make clear that I will not earn points. Non-employees will be interested in points earning more than employees. It makes clear that I cannot have my money back once I have made a booking.

So how will people who use the rate that you have taken trouble to publicise know that they cannot use BOGOFs?

Last edited by uk1; Apr 8, 2009 at 7:54 am
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 7:53 am
  #152  
 
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Originally Posted by uk1
Astriker

Let me simplify this.

You are an IHG employee. This is no secret. You have a web-site with the same handle you use here. I assume therefore that you are confident that your employer knows that you and other senior people are cascading the offers to people who are not "your friends".

You have publicised the offer to FT'ers by posting a link. Even on your footer, you have a link to the F&F offer so that when you post on other forums you will nkow that non-IC forum users will use that rate. As far as I know, we are not related, so I am not your Family. You will also know that I am not your Friend. You do not know me. So how can I be your Friend? How can anyobdy else here be "your Friend".

Your employee has allowed you to invite me to use that rate. The T's&C's make clear that I will not earn points. It makes clear that I cannot have my money back once I have made a booking.

So how will people who use the rate that you have taken trouble to publicise know that they cannot use BOGOFs?
Instead of going back and forth on this, how can "anybody" else be my friend on here? Simple, I have met others in person and communicate with them here and outside of FTer as a result of meeting them on FT.

Whether I have a site, or my employer knows, etc, any click on the link for any of the Friends and Family Rates will give you the information of the person. I am not PR, nor guest relations, etc, and again, this is outside of the realm of myself, but thanks for the feedback, should someone inquire for feedback, I will be sure to pass on your thoughts.
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:00 am
  #153  
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Originally Posted by Astriker
Instead of going back and forth on this, how can "anybody" else be my friend on here? Simple, I have met others in person and communicate with them here and outside of FTer as a result of meeting them on FT.

Whether I have a site, or my employer knows, etc, any click on the link for any of the Friends and Family Rates will give you the information of the person. I am not PR, nor guest relations, etc, and again, this is outside of the realm of myself, but thanks for the feedback, should someone inquire for feedback, I will be sure to pass on your thoughts.
Well, let's try a stage or two at a time then.

1. Has IHG authorised you (or told you that they do not object) to share this rate with the world generally in the way that you have posted it here?

2. Has IHG publicised in anyway that you can point me to that people cannot use BOGOF's?

I genuinely do not think that my questions to you specifically as an IHG employee sharing the link with us are unreasonable and I feel they do deserve a serious answer.
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:02 am
  #154  
 
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Please read previous post about T&C, try to use the BOGO, book whichever rate you like, Best of Luck.
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:10 am
  #155  
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Originally Posted by Astriker
Please read previous post about T&C, try to use the BOGO, book whichever rate you like, Best of Luck.
The line has now gone very crackly as I do not understand your response, although I can see that you've edited out your footer link to the offer, so clearly I am hitting some mark.

You have referred me to the T's&C's. One last shot at this - and then I'll give up.

People need to understand which rate is best. To do this they need to understand the terms associated with the rates. Where does it say anywhere that the people you have invited to use the F&F rate cannot use a BOGOF please?
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:23 am
  #156  
 
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Originally Posted by uk1
The line has now gone very crackly as I do not understand your response, although I can see that you've edited out your footer link to the offer, so clearly I am hitting some mark.

You have referred me to the T's&C's. One last shot at this - and then I'll give up.

People need to understand which rate is best. To do this they need to understand the terms associated with the rates. Where does it say anywhere that the people you have invited to use the F&F rate cannot use a BOGOF please?
My note stated - "Agree, the wording could be more fine tuned, but no inclusions or components is highlighted. " Which does not highlight BOGO, and I noted, I agreed with your concern. Where it was in "fact" is not possible, and would be a matter of "opinion" as you stated. I have passed on your feedback.
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:30 am
  #157  
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Originally Posted by uk1
Where does it say anywhere that the people you have invited to use the F&F rate cannot use a BOGOF please?
I agree that it's not clear to me as a consumer. The two BOGO terms that could be used to deny BOGO use would be, I suspect, the exclusion of "employee rates" and specification of "publicly available rates".
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:41 am
  #158  
 
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The T&C regs clearly state when an IC BOGO certificate can be used:

Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate:

Upon purchase and renewal of InterContinental Ambassador status a Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate shall be awarded. Each Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate is valid for 12 months from the date of issue and is redeemable in conjunction with a minimum two-night weekend stay at any InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property hotel (not valid at any other IHG brands or for suite bookings). The Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate is valid for a complimentary room night on second night of paid weekend stays. Weekend is determined as follows: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, except in the Middle East where hotels may define the weekend as Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Certificates are valid only for the member who has InterContinental Ambassador status, and are not transferable. Certificate is valid for room and tax only. Certificate cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Rates openly available are not promotions. Where a member has made the reservation and purchased via Net Wholesaler/Inclusive Groups or through a web site other than an IHG web site, such as Priceline.com or Hotwire.com, or similar booking engines where the room rate is not viewable or publicly available at the time of booking, the hotel can decline the Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate. Reward Nights do not apply in conjunction with Complimentary Weekend Night Certificates.

The Friends and Family Rate is not a "publicly available" rate, and I do not see any way that it can be interpreted otherwise.

Therefore, IHG is not required to honour a BOGO when using this rate.

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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:51 am
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Originally Posted by soitgoes
I agree that it's not clear to me as a consumer. The two BOGO terms that could be used to deny BOGO use would be, I suspect, the exclusion of "employee rates" and specification of "publicly available rates".
soitgoes, you are correct in the reference to "employee rates" , which makes the rate a non-qualifying rate, and, therefore no stay credit and/or points. I have already responded to the BOGO usage.

Some hotels will give points and stay credits and honour BOGO certificates, regardless, but there is no entitlement to these.

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Old Apr 8, 2009, 8:53 am
  #160  
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I'm well aware of the clause. But it is either a rate intended only for Friends and Family ie a perq or benefit OR it is a promotion.

The reality is that this is an experiment IHG are floating to test viral marketing and see whether they can fill incrmental rooms at lower cost without giving points but with a lower rate than APEX. If they see it important to mention that you do not earn points - a topic presumably of interest more to the non-employees audience - then equally they could have mentioned that you cannot use certificates. In my invitation to renew my wife's Ambassador membership I'm told that the certificate can be used for any weekend stay. It says nothing about restrictions. For that you wait until after you've handed over the cash.

I see nothing at all to justify or excuse not warning customers in the T's&C's of the F&F rate if as it seems it's intended to encourage the public into believing they have a special "secret" rate. It would only take a line.

Last edited by uk1; Apr 8, 2009 at 9:11 am
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 9:00 am
  #161  
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duplicate!
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 9:07 am
  #162  
 
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If I understood the Friends and Family program correctly than (taken from Springwise's report about this):
It goes without saying that higher sales and staff motivation have always been good for business. Currently merging the two is InterContinental Hotels Group with its new ‘Friends and Family’ programme, turning 330,000 staff members into customers, advocates and media outlets.

It’s essentially a discount scheme for staff and their networks, which employees register for through IHG’s intranet. They then receive a link to their own personalized booking page, which they are encouraged to forward to friends and family and publish on their social network profile.

Anyone who makes a booking through the link before 31 May 2009 receives a 20%-50% discount on reservations made up to a year in advance.
So I tool the link provided by Astriker and got myself a nearly 45% discount in the IC Singapore which means I now have a Executive Suite for cheap price.

This is as much about IC filling rooms that otherwise would get unfilled as it's about me making a gain here. Both IC and I benefit.

Sure I'm a RA but if I get a 45% discount than I don't expect an upgrade to another room, points or even to be able to use a BOGO. It's called common sense.

I get a benefical rate via a social network site (flyertalk) because I'm part of Astrikers "friends", so thank you for sharing it.

Last edited by sven60035; Apr 8, 2009 at 9:27 am
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 9:35 am
  #163  
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Originally Posted by sven60035
Sure I'm a RA but if I get a 45% discount than I don't expect an upgrade to another room, points or even to be able to use a BOGO. It's called common sense.

I accept what you say is good for you but with respect I think you are missing my point. I don't see that this is anything to do with common sense. Common sense says that you should expect IHG will tell you explicitly what to expect so you can make an informed decision rather than let you take a guess? Isn't that common sense?

In any event, the element of suprise works for you -so that's fine. But it may not work as well for others who may want to eliminate the element of suprise and rationally expect something different if they haven't specifically been informed otherwise.

Apparantly you do not know whether you will get your RA benefits or not and on the rates you have seen, and you're happy with that and you believe that you have made a satisfactory decision. You do not mind or care whether you receive RA benefits or not. I assume that you have compared the rate with the APEX rate and made a judgment based on the incomplete and insufficient information that you have. Others may simply want to know in order to decide.

As it happens I have confirmed upgrades at Singapore using these rates so I perhaps I have made a better more informed decision and therefore saving than you. Both of us are happy with our differing approach.

I know it is a non-qualifying rate because it says so. I do not know whether I can use a BOGOF or not - or get RA benefits because it doesn't say so. It needn't be so unclear. That's all I'm saying!
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 10:24 am
  #164  
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.............. there's actually a very easy cure for this if IHG chose to.

They could simply use the magic words "promotion" when they have an offer they want viewed as restricted. Without it, most customers are unable to differentiate because the word "promotion" is vague and means different things to different people.

For example this year I've stayed at IC VIE when there was a "special promotion" of a free glass of Sekt and free breakfasts. There was a sad one with free broadband. Quite a few others really. There was a special "Insider Culture" promotion. Arguably these rates became "promotions". But all of them you could use BOGOFs if you chose.

I think they should just make clear in a way that is clear to the majority what you can expect or not.
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Old Apr 8, 2009, 11:14 am
  #165  
 
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Hello

I fully agree with uk1. I am not a friend of too much fine print, but pointing out the hard facts in the T&C helps to avoid getting customers angry or upset. One can always twist and turn the wording of several T&Cs to either fit or not fit. Just write it down plain and simple, could't be too hard.

BTW, what is a "publicly available" rate anyway? Just type in google "intercontinental friends rate" and you get the link, isn't the internet publicly available??

@sven60035: You are not expecting an upgrade, cause you got a good room rate? No where in the T&C it is stated that A or RA benefits do not apply

IHG had good intentions, and for sure it is a win win situation, but please, make such promos waterproof, so that it does not turn out to be a win(IHG) loose (customer) loose (IHG) situation at the end.

Cheers
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