Apr 14, 2015, 7:18 pm
Last edit by: beltway
What points count towards status?
"Base points earned from Qualifying Rates paid for hotel stays, points collected from partner transactions, IHG® Rewards Club Bonus Points Packages and Meeting Rewards are considered Elite Qualifying Points and counted towards membership elite status."
What activity resets the one-year point expiration clock (i.e., prevents points from expiring)?
"Base points earned from Qualifying Rates paid for hotel stays, points collected from partner transactions, IHG® Rewards Club Bonus Points Packages and Meeting Rewards are considered Elite Qualifying Points and counted towards membership elite status."
- The bonus points received for the credit card sign-up are nonqualifying towards status.
- Points from credit card spend are qualifying points and will count toward a member's status qualification.
- Bonus Point Packages are qualifying points and will count toward a member's status qualification.
- Bonus points received through promos, including credit card offers, are nonqualifying points for status.
What activity resets the one-year point expiration clock (i.e., prevents points from expiring)?
- Maintaining elite status (including via the credit card, if your card offers that benefit)
- Any earning activity that increases your balance (including nonqualifying or bonus points), such as transfering points from programmes like e-rewards
- Any redemption activity that decreases your balance (including an award booking that is subsequently canceled)
- Being a dining rewards member
Change to IHG Rewards Club 2015
May 29, 2015, 2:20 am
#391
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,095
May 29, 2015, 4:50 am
#392
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in Europe
Posts: 3,362
May 29, 2015, 5:30 am
#393
Join Date: May 2009
Programs: VS Silver, Kris Silver, IC Amb, HH Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 386
I half expected it to be that, will still be interesting to see the announcement. Hopefully no one at the property gets in trouble.
May 29, 2015, 6:01 am
#394
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.4.2; en-us; LGL31L/V100 Build/KOT49I.L31L10d) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/30.0.1599.103 Mobile Safari/537.36)
Hopefully the new status includes free or discounted membership to Ambassador.
Originally Posted by MagicWok
I half expected it to be that, will still be interesting to see the announcement. Hopefully no one at the property gets in trouble.
May 30, 2015, 9:59 am
#395
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
May 30, 2015, 11:57 am
#396
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, Club Carlson Gold, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond Select, BA Blue
Posts: 1,335
Given that Platinum is now much easier to attain, what's the point of it? Even Gold is easier, I believe. I really cannot see any tangible benefits of being Gold or Platinum after July. Pretty much everyone is going to Gold or Platinum.
May 31, 2015, 2:17 pm
#397
Join Date: May 2009
Programs: VS Silver, Kris Silver, IC Amb, HH Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 386
May 31, 2015, 4:21 pm
#398
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MAN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, IHG Spire, UA Silver, Dennis The Menace Fan Club
Posts: 1,457
IHG Rewards is about point accumulation leading to free nights. The entire scheme has to be seen in that light awarding a base 10 points per $ spent. IHG has now set the elite level criteria to pretty well reflect its principal giant competitors at Hilton and Marriott.
1. Gold......... 10% extra points. A 10 night pa giveaway level conferring little more than a title.
2. Platinum... 50% extra points. Mid-tier. Others give real benefits with mid tier. Plat will continue to be upgrades subject to availability and little else. Mind you it will retain its 50% points bonus, now the best-in-class for any mid-tier.
3. Diamond.. (OK, so I'm playing the name-the-top-tier game too). 100% extra points, again best-in-class, and 25k points on attainment.
This sticks with IHGs longstanding practice that it's reward program is about free stays via pointearning.
It is clear from past behaviour that IHG isn't convinced that in-stay benefits drive membership but if Diamond is to gain any benefits such as breakfast, parking, lounge access, guaranteed suites, etc, I would expect IHG to trial them during the next few months whilst the number of Diamonds are relatively few, ready to make final decisions in time for the promised reveal of benefits for Diamonds in 2016. In my opinion however IHG doubts the value of benefits in driving stay behaviour (other than at ICs) so unless any trials over the next few months provide radical results I would expect the new benefits announced for Diamonds in 2016 to be redemption linked, reduced-price redemption certs, 5 night for 4 redemptions etc, etc.
In other words the new levels very much match the competition and the newly minted diamonds may well see new promotional options on checkin over the Summer as a doubtful IHG trials possible in-stay benefits...
Last edited by BrightlyBob; Jun 1, 2015 at 7:08 am Reason: Readability
Jun 1, 2015, 1:03 pm
#399
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,598
I would be interested to go for Diamond, but what I do not value that much is the 100% bonus as far it is only points bonus and not elite qualifying bonus
Jun 1, 2015, 1:16 pm
#400
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
Once you have achieved the new highest status, what does it matter that the extra points are not qualifying points? There is nothing more to qualify toward.
Jun 1, 2015, 1:48 pm
#401
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,598
if you know what I mean 
Jun 5, 2015, 10:27 am
#402
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: RSW
Programs: Delta - Silver; UA - Silver; HHonors - Diamond; IHG - Spire Ambassador; Marriott Bonvoy - Titanium
Posts: 14,185
As someone who pays out-of-pocket, and would otherwise need a slew of mattress runs to get to 75 nights, the 5000 point "upgrade" rate has been steadily racking up the qualifying points nicely.
However, I only select the ones that say, with a logo'ed banner, "For IHG members!"; I was burned on a hotel-specific breakfast rate last time instead of an IHG system code that would have been recognized (cust service said no dice when I asked for promo credit). I have a stay coming up where I could've selected a 10K package for only a few bucks more than 5K, but it was fairly clearly property-specific.
I think it was Hill Street Blues that admonished: "Be careful out there!"
However, I only select the ones that say, with a logo'ed banner, "For IHG members!"; I was burned on a hotel-specific breakfast rate last time instead of an IHG system code that would have been recognized (cust service said no dice when I asked for promo credit). I have a stay coming up where I could've selected a 10K package for only a few bucks more than 5K, but it was fairly clearly property-specific.
I think it was Hill Street Blues that admonished: "Be careful out there!"
Jun 7, 2015, 3:58 pm
#403
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: 6E Westbound, 4E Eastbound
Programs: AA EXP & 3MM, Priority Club Plat since 1984
Posts: 6,293
Jun 7, 2015, 11:10 pm
#404
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
Jun 10, 2015, 1:31 pm
#405
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: IHG Plat, Marr Plat, Hilton Diamond, Flying Blue Ivory
Posts: 1
New date for program launch?
News to me, but two of the IHG call centre staff told me today that the July launch of the new level is about to be put back to Jan 1. After talking to one of the Philippines team, I was put through to some guy in the US and I asked him whether or not it was true. He agreed and said, "this is the latest information I have."