RA new criteria now is under review
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Shanghai, China
Posts: 10
RA new criteria now is under review
Yesterday I emailed the Ambassador Customer Service to ask about when to renew my RA. The staff mentioned that IHG is now reviewing the new criteria in order to maintain or achieve the Royal Ambassador status.
I do believe the new criteria will be 75 nights - 30 nights at IC - 3 ICs.
Below is the original content from the email.
Warm greetings from the InterContinental Ambassador Service Center!
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Royal Ambassadors will be evaluated for re-qualification during day before its actual expiry date. Please know that Royal Ambassador status will be reinstated if an existing member was able to meet the required criteria in maintaining the status. Otherwise, member will be given a Complimentary Ambassador status for one whole year.
On the other hand, since a new Elite Level was introduced by IHG Rewards Club, our corporate office is now reviewing the new criteria in order to maintain or achieve the Royal Ambassador status. Rest assured that once new criteria has been decided, it will be published on our website for member's reference.
We assure that once a member met the requirements, status will be automatically renewed for free and will be valid for another 12 months. You may contact our service center by last week of February 2016 to confirm if you will qualify for another year as Royal Ambassador.
Thank you Mr. Hong, and we hope this information have assisted in clarifying your query. Please let us know if you need further ssistance by sending us an e-mail to [email protected].
I do believe the new criteria will be 75 nights - 30 nights at IC - 3 ICs.
Below is the original content from the email.
Warm greetings from the InterContinental Ambassador Service Center!
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Royal Ambassadors will be evaluated for re-qualification during day before its actual expiry date. Please know that Royal Ambassador status will be reinstated if an existing member was able to meet the required criteria in maintaining the status. Otherwise, member will be given a Complimentary Ambassador status for one whole year.
On the other hand, since a new Elite Level was introduced by IHG Rewards Club, our corporate office is now reviewing the new criteria in order to maintain or achieve the Royal Ambassador status. Rest assured that once new criteria has been decided, it will be published on our website for member's reference.
We assure that once a member met the requirements, status will be automatically renewed for free and will be valid for another 12 months. You may contact our service center by last week of February 2016 to confirm if you will qualify for another year as Royal Ambassador.
Thank you Mr. Hong, and we hope this information have assisted in clarifying your query. Please let us know if you need further ssistance by sending us an e-mail to [email protected].
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,758
Yesterday I emailed the Ambassador Customer Service to ask about when to renew my RA. The staff mentioned that IHG is now reviewing the new criteria in order to maintain or achieve the Royal Ambassador status.
I do believe the new criteria will be 75 nights - 30 nights at IC - 3 ICs.
Below is the original content from the email.
Warm greetings from the InterContinental Ambassador Service Center!
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Royal Ambassadors will be evaluated for re-qualification during day before its actual expiry date. Please know that Royal Ambassador status will be reinstated if an existing member was able to meet the required criteria in maintaining the status. Otherwise, member will be given a Complimentary Ambassador status for one whole year.
On the other hand, since a new Elite Level was introduced by IHG Rewards Club, our corporate office is now reviewing the new criteria in order to maintain or achieve the Royal Ambassador status. Rest assured that once new criteria has been decided, it will be published on our website for member's reference.
We assure that once a member met the requirements, status will be automatically renewed for free and will be valid for another 12 months. You may contact our service center by last week of February 2016 to confirm if you will qualify for another year as Royal Ambassador.
Thank you Mr. Hong, and we hope this information have assisted in clarifying your query. Please let us know if you need further ssistance by sending us an e-mail to [email protected].
I do believe the new criteria will be 75 nights - 30 nights at IC - 3 ICs.
Below is the original content from the email.
Warm greetings from the InterContinental Ambassador Service Center!
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Royal Ambassadors will be evaluated for re-qualification during day before its actual expiry date. Please know that Royal Ambassador status will be reinstated if an existing member was able to meet the required criteria in maintaining the status. Otherwise, member will be given a Complimentary Ambassador status for one whole year.
On the other hand, since a new Elite Level was introduced by IHG Rewards Club, our corporate office is now reviewing the new criteria in order to maintain or achieve the Royal Ambassador status. Rest assured that once new criteria has been decided, it will be published on our website for member's reference.
We assure that once a member met the requirements, status will be automatically renewed for free and will be valid for another 12 months. You may contact our service center by last week of February 2016 to confirm if you will qualify for another year as Royal Ambassador.
Thank you Mr. Hong, and we hope this information have assisted in clarifying your query. Please let us know if you need further ssistance by sending us an e-mail to [email protected].
I would assume that the old rules (60/20/3) stand until the new rules come into force in any event. I should meet the higher requirement anyway though.
#3
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: N/A
Programs: 100m swimming certificate level 5
Posts: 1,456
If they move the goalposts significantly they should give good advance warning or exceptional renewal at old levels on a one time basis. Anything else would be pretty rough.
I would assume that the old rules (60/20/3) stand until the new rules come into force in any event. I should meet the higher requirement anyway though.
I would assume that the old rules (60/20/3) stand until the new rules come into force in any event. I should meet the higher requirement anyway though.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,758
The 1st Jan is meaningless since AMB years are dispersed across all months and consequently so are RA renewals. It would be very unfair to make a change like this just before someone's year ended when they were too late to do anything about it.
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,438
Originally Posted by Member Terms and Conditions
Royal Ambassador status is granted to Ambassador members by invitation and at IHG Rewards Club sole discretion
#7
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Memphis, TN
Programs: IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 105
Just ~2 months ago I could log in and it gave the 60/20/3 rule the eligibility requirements.
See here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...ter-spire.html
Royal Ambassador Criteria: Royal Ambassador status is by invitation only. To qualify for invitation to Royal Ambassador status, an Ambassador member must: During their membership year, stay at least 60 qualifying nights in any IHG properties including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, HUALUXE, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. At least 20 of these qualifying nights must be at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties. The member must also stay at 3 or more different InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties. SCH reserves the right to change these criteria at any time and without prior notification. Existing Royal Ambassador members must meet the criteria listed within the last 365 days from the expiry date of the status. Rewards Nights do not qualify towards Royal Ambassador status.
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,438
Not when your quotation is itself a change to the terms and conditions.
Just ~2 months ago I could log in and it gave the 60/20/3 rule the eligibility requirements.
So they've already changed the published criteria. The question here is when do those changes go into effect for existing members who were potentially at the end of the qualification period and were under the belief they've done enough to qualify?
Just ~2 months ago I could log in and it gave the 60/20/3 rule the eligibility requirements.
So they've already changed the published criteria. The question here is when do those changes go into effect for existing members who were potentially at the end of the qualification period and were under the belief they've done enough to qualify?
#9
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
Simply said to qualify for an RA invitation one must stay minimum match of 20/60 nights
Does not say you will get RA at 60nights, just that is a minimum needed before one is considered for RA
Does not say you will get RA at 60nights, just that is a minimum needed before one is considered for RA
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,758
Now as others have said IHG may well be that stupid but time will tell.
#11
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
Well you can question the enforceability of such "we can do anything we like" clauses especially in Europe but fundamentally these schemes exist to encourage customer loyalty and repeat purchases. So it would be a very stupid organisation which made huge changes to the scheme without giving reasonable notice considering the potential legal and commercial downsides.
Now as others have said IHG may well be that stupid but time will tell.
Now as others have said IHG may well be that stupid but time will tell.
Trouble with a big increase to nights needed for RA status is the lack of a common start month so which ever month in a year is chosen to up the required nights for RA, choice will give some RAs much less notice than others, in some cases too little notice
many RAs participate in multiple hotel programs so just book about the known minimum of one part of the known circa 60/20 nights equation to obtain/renew RA.
No valid reason to make RAs 75nights due to now getting Spire with RA as we will all easily reach 75k points now the ridiculous 2k/stay is gone
This year I am one of those as only just hit my 20x IC nights over last weekend with RA my year ending 31st August, but also have 90 paid qual nights just in 2015 so if changed to 75/30 which I met in the past I would struggle this year. If changed mid July with my RA year ending August I'd simply have dropped my RA and used Hilton's more
this year it would have caused me issues on IC nights front, except I am lucky to be renewing right now for period Sep2015-Aug2016 before IHG announce the now expected change and hopefully my next 12months will be a more even mix of IC/IHG nights again
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PARIS (France)
Programs: AF/KLM Club 2000 | InterContinental Diamond RA |AMEX Plat | Visa Infinite |Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 10,898
Now that RA qualifications rules are not written anymore, I am afraid that such threads posted by people having no historical activity on Flyertalk are going to flourish...
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 16,971
Discussion based on assumptions built on rumours isn't going anywhere .
What is clear is that PC/IHG owns the game and can do whatever it chooses with the structure and rules. Fairness may be something they aim for, but it's likely not their guiding light.....
The other thing to remember is that Ambassador and the rest of the PC programme are quite separate.
Ambassador grades of membership are mostly useless for those who don't stay more than a few times a year at ICs.
And by that same token, PC/IHG are likely more concerned with IC stays when handing out RA. I don't really understand why they should give a hoot about stays at Holiday Inns etc: they have the Spire business to take care of that.
What is clear is that PC/IHG owns the game and can do whatever it chooses with the structure and rules. Fairness may be something they aim for, but it's likely not their guiding light.....
The other thing to remember is that Ambassador and the rest of the PC programme are quite separate.
Ambassador grades of membership are mostly useless for those who don't stay more than a few times a year at ICs.
And by that same token, PC/IHG are likely more concerned with IC stays when handing out RA. I don't really understand why they should give a hoot about stays at Holiday Inns etc: they have the Spire business to take care of that.
#15
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
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