Apr 17, 2017, 8:50 am
Last edit by: FLYGVA
Most important points to consider for a valid BRG:
1. The comparison website MUST bill in the same currency as the hotel .
2. The cancellation terms must be equal or better, than the terms by the hotels.
3. The Website needs to provide INSTANT confirmation.
4. The room names should match, but if you can demonstrate, that the room is comparable, it will also work with discrepancies in the name.
5. The price difference has to be more than either USD 1 or 1% (whichever is higher).
5.b In regards to hotels located in australia and New Zealand the price difference must be greater than 3% .
Hotels for which you will get reimbursed:
(Note: There have been significant problems with getting full reimbursements from IHG, especially for reimbursements in other currencies than USD)
IC Istanbul ( BRG claim from the 17.05.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
IC Frankfurt ( BRG claim from the 20.08.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
Link to the Terms and Conditions : https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...rms-conditions
Older Thread (Prior to December 31, 2016) could be found here. The Wiki was taken from this thread.
1. The comparison website MUST bill in the same currency as the hotel .
2. The cancellation terms must be equal or better, than the terms by the hotels.
3. The Website needs to provide INSTANT confirmation.
4. The room names should match, but if you can demonstrate, that the room is comparable, it will also work with discrepancies in the name.
5. The price difference has to be more than either USD 1 or 1% (whichever is higher).
5.b In regards to hotels located in australia and New Zealand the price difference must be greater than 3% .
Hotels for which you will get reimbursed:
(Note: There have been significant problems with getting full reimbursements from IHG, especially for reimbursements in other currencies than USD)
IC Istanbul ( BRG claim from the 17.05.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
IC Frankfurt ( BRG claim from the 20.08.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
Link to the Terms and Conditions : https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...rms-conditions
Older Thread (Prior to December 31, 2016) could be found here. The Wiki was taken from this thread.
New IHG Best Rate Guarantee - Discussion & Feedback from January 2016
Feb 22, 2016, 3:25 am
#211
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: 60137
Posts: 10,498
Submitted 2 claims yesterday. Both were denied because the 3rd party site had "more restrictive" cancellation terms. 3rd party's drop-dead date was 1 day sooner than IHG's. Promptly cancelled both IHG reservations.
Feb 22, 2016, 4:27 am
#212
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
Instead of booking two nights with ihg in NYC one of which was a BPg I cancelled and booked two BRGs with Hilton and Starwood
no issues.
Feb 22, 2016, 7:34 am
#213
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
Booked a best flexible rate. Found lower same room, on Priceline.
Claim was denied saying that the "advance purchase" rate was cheaper on the IHG website.
HUH? This is specifically (and I mean specifically) not how to compare rooms. It says so word for word in the terms:
Matching Terms. All terms of the comparison room reservation, including, but not limited to pre-payment, deposit, number of guests, or other requirements must be equal in all respects to the terms found on an IHG website for your claim to be valid. For example, when you book a room that may be cancelled without penalty on an IHG website, you may not compare it to a room with a pre-paid or non-refundable price on a non-IHG website. At all IHG hotels globally, pre-paid rates on non-IHG sites will be compared with the IHG hotel's lowest available rate on IHG websites. The Guarantee is not available for bookings on websites where the booking details are unknown until after purchase. Sites that do not reveal the hotel brand name until after the payment has been completed (including bidding sites) do not qualify for this Guarantee.
Claim was denied saying that the "advance purchase" rate was cheaper on the IHG website.
HUH? This is specifically (and I mean specifically) not how to compare rooms. It says so word for word in the terms:
Matching Terms. All terms of the comparison room reservation, including, but not limited to pre-payment, deposit, number of guests, or other requirements must be equal in all respects to the terms found on an IHG website for your claim to be valid. For example, when you book a room that may be cancelled without penalty on an IHG website, you may not compare it to a room with a pre-paid or non-refundable price on a non-IHG website. At all IHG hotels globally, pre-paid rates on non-IHG sites will be compared with the IHG hotel's lowest available rate on IHG websites. The Guarantee is not available for bookings on websites where the booking details are unknown until after purchase. Sites that do not reveal the hotel brand name until after the payment has been completed (including bidding sites) do not qualify for this Guarantee.
Unfortunately you can't choose just one paragraph/restriction in isolation, in above case the other terms instead, requiring you to book cheapest roomrate on IHG.COM excludes your flex bpg attempt if an advance rate is less.
I am more pissed that only cheapest room category on IHG is now a candidate for BPG, guarantee used to, (and still should based on any literal interpretation) apply to all room categories, although just BAR if less than Flex
IHG's ballgame, their rules, you don't have to play. The newwer more recent IHG interpretation has been documented in this thread for some weeks now
Last edited by scubaccr; Feb 22, 2016 at 7:44 am
Feb 22, 2016, 8:41 am
#214
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 827
I believe you are mistaken. There's nothing to suggest this is the case just yet. All we've seen (and my personal experience) is that they expect that you book the most restrictive rate which is not part of a package. It can be a deluxe room or suite, as long as the rate is the lowest/most restrictive that's available on IHG.com and does not include breakfast/parking/etc.
Feb 22, 2016, 9:28 am
#215
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
And if the cheapest rate on IHG.COM was a flex rate (as sometimes happens in last 2-weeks before arrival date when sometimes no advance rates), the hilited terms would apply so you could indeed bpg an ihg flex rate
Unfortunately you can't choose just one paragraph/restriction in isolation, in above case the other terms instead, requiring you to book cheapest roomrate on IHG.COM excludes your flex bpg attempt if an advance rate is less.
I am more pissed that only cheapest room category on IHG is now a candidate for BPG, guarantee used to, (and still should based on any literal interpretation) apply to all room categories, although just BAR if less than Flex
IHG's ballgame, their rules, you don't have to play. The newwer more recent IHG interpretation has been documented in this thread for some weeks now
Unfortunately you can't choose just one paragraph/restriction in isolation, in above case the other terms instead, requiring you to book cheapest roomrate on IHG.COM excludes your flex bpg attempt if an advance rate is less.
I am more pissed that only cheapest room category on IHG is now a candidate for BPG, guarantee used to, (and still should based on any literal interpretation) apply to all room categories, although just BAR if less than Flex
IHG's ballgame, their rules, you don't have to play. The newwer more recent IHG interpretation has been documented in this thread for some weeks now
I would have NO problem booking a non refundable rate with IHG IF I could trust that they would honor the BPG but so far they have given me nothing but doubt!
Obviously YMMV.
Feb 22, 2016, 12:17 pm
#216
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: N/A
Programs: 100m swimming certificate level 5
Posts: 1,456
I believe you are mistaken. There's nothing to suggest this is the case just yet. All we've seen (and my personal experience) is that they expect that you book the most restrictive rate which is not part of a package. It can be a deluxe room or suite, as long as the rate is the lowest/most restrictive that's available on IHG.com and does not include breakfast/parking/etc.
Feb 22, 2016, 7:40 pm
#217
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,677
Someone please clue me in on how to interpret this language. The boneheads at IHG are insisting that if "Advance Purchase" is lower (which it always is most of the time), then I would have had to use Advance Purchasse to even qualify.
I booked a best available rate that had free cancellation and compared it to same. They say that doesn't count because I could have booked "Advance Purchase" (which I didn't want).
Is this the correct interpretation?
I booked a best available rate that had free cancellation and compared it to same. They say that doesn't count because I could have booked "Advance Purchase" (which I didn't want).
Is this the correct interpretation?
Feb 23, 2016, 6:28 am
#219
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,677
I'm going to try and take this to corporate (don't laugh). I certainly don't believe that the BRG is the "Advance Purchase" BRG.
I wonder if they are getting paid a spiff per declined BRG, and that is why they are twisting the language and making it harder.
I wonder if they are getting paid a spiff per declined BRG, and that is why they are twisting the language and making it harder.
Feb 23, 2016, 6:03 pm
#222
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Accor Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, Hilton Diamond Elite, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 3
Don't bother... I've been given the run around with the BRG.
this is what they've responded back to me with.
We have noted your feedback and appreciate the time you have taken in discussing your claim with our department. While it is not our intention to cause any frustration or inconvenience on the part of our guests, please know that our decision will not change with regard to the result of your claim. The Terms and Conditions of the Best Price Guarantee were not met in full as required and the claim remains ineligible for the program.
If you wish to find more information about the program, please visit www.ihg.com/bestprice.
Best Regards,
Miguel Locsin
Subject Matter Expert
Best Price Guarantee Helpdesk
IHG
this is what they've responded back to me with.
We have noted your feedback and appreciate the time you have taken in discussing your claim with our department. While it is not our intention to cause any frustration or inconvenience on the part of our guests, please know that our decision will not change with regard to the result of your claim. The Terms and Conditions of the Best Price Guarantee were not met in full as required and the claim remains ineligible for the program.
If you wish to find more information about the program, please visit www.ihg.com/bestprice.
Best Regards,
Miguel Locsin
Subject Matter Expert
Best Price Guarantee Helpdesk
IHG
Feb 24, 2016, 7:21 am
#224
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,677
"advance purchase" brg
I got that too.
Welcome to IHG's "ADVANCE PURCHASE" BRG. That's not what it is. That's not what the terms dictate. But that's what they are going to tell us it is.
In addition, not many will take them up on it (as Advance Purchase) because we don't trust them in the first place!
I bet these lously dweebs get a commission on each one they turn down.
Welcome to IHG's "ADVANCE PURCHASE" BRG. That's not what it is. That's not what the terms dictate. But that's what they are going to tell us it is.
In addition, not many will take them up on it (as Advance Purchase) because we don't trust them in the first place!
I bet these lously dweebs get a commission on each one they turn down.
Feb 24, 2016, 11:52 pm
#225
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
Just to pour salt in the wounds I just completed my 6th BRG with SPG for Q1 all approved. 7th one was denied due to currency issues which was ok. Fixed later.
But what a refreshing difference to IHG.
That said I do enjoy IHG hotels but they make it difficult to stick with them using games like these! ��
All these stays were due to be IHG stays that turned into SPG stays instead.
I just completed my 6th BRG with SPG for Q1 all approved. 7th one was denied due to currency issues which was ok. Fixed later.But what a refreshing difference to IHG.
That said I do enjoy IHG hotels but they make it difficult to stick with them using games like these! ��
All these stays were due to be IHG stays that turned into SPG stays instead.