Extending Diamond status by purchasing Ambassador?
 

I got IHG Spire status by signing up for an IHG credit card; having put in 15 odd nights so far in 2017, obviously I have no illusions of my status being renewed.

However, my seatmate on a flight this weekend suggested that if I bought Ambassador status, my Spire status would remain for all of 2017, the paucity of stays notwithstanding. Is this correct or is it some kind of myth?

And if correct, does it matter whether I acquire Ambassador by paying $200 or 34,000 IHG points?

Extending status
 

My experience is that my ambassador renewal does extend my platinum status regardless of not earning the points or nights required to renew, so I'd say that your odds are good, but I can't speak directly to the renewal of spire.

I purchased AMB using points back in June and once it showed on my account the elite expire date moved on to December 2017 and another choice option dropped into my account.

You get gold with AMB anyway which might explain the status date moving on to 2017 so I assume the spire date is extended as I wouldn't have received the choice benefit otherwise.

I was only on 40k in points and about 16 nights when I purchased AMB so was nowhere near qualifying.

1. If you buy Ambassador (initially , not renew ambassador) during Dec2016, you get the part month of December and 12 full months as Ambassador so eg 13Dec2016-31DEC2017

2. Initial purchase of ambassador , you get GOLD if no status, OR your current status if Platinum or Spire for the "12 months" span of your Ambassador year. If you are Spire now, then you will become a Spire Ambassador for "12 and a bit months"

3. This "trick" doesn't work on Ambassador renewal , when Ambassador resets to reflects your true "earned" status.

4. No guarantees, but recent reports are that this trick as wel as giving Spire for 2017 also gets you the 25k Spire amenity.

There have been reports of spire being extended with renewals of AMB in the spire thread so it looks like it is happening with purchases and renewals.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...spire-124.html

Can be found around Post #1650 if anyone wants to read.

Thanks for clarifying my questions and I do hope you are correct!

"Hope" because I called the Ambassador line and got connected with one of the lovely Pilippinas that IHG employs over there and she insisted that buying Ambassador status would NOT requalifyme for Spire in 2017, unless I have the minimum nights /points that are required for Spire.

Anyone think waiting until January for AMB purchases / renewals will extend spire out to Dec 2018??

I started to talk with this Spire upgrade and I see now several discussion about it and also on Loyaltylobby :)

So as I said I have renewed in July my AMB. I never noticed the end of my spire status until September when I saw 31 dec 2017...
I called them several time to check the validity of Spire and they told me 2017. So one day I asked them why do I have it one extra year as complimentary and they informed me that during the renewal of my ambassador I got it. But the agent told me it is a one time only offer...

Right now I achieved 75K but I want to see if it will be extended to 2018.
Upon reading the terms I found this :

" Upon purchase of InterContinental Ambassador status, IHG® Rewards Club members who are Club or Gold Elite members will receive Gold Ambassador status upon enrolment. All InterContinental Ambassador members can earn Platinum Ambassador or Spire Ambassador or be invited to Royal Ambassador status. "

But now I believe with all the discussion on different website they will stop doing like that.

All that says is the obvious that anyone who signs up for AMB gets Gold AMB automatically and that additional status levels beyond Gold AMB can be earned...

What credit card gives Spire status?

(1) If you've already earned Spire through 12/2017 should a 01/2017 AMB purchase / renewal extend Spire status until 12/2018?

(2) If you've already earned Spire through 12/2017 should a 12/2016 AMB purchase / renewal also extend Spire status until 12/2018?

There is no credit card which grants Spire status. During a brief window the IHG card signup bonus counted as elite status qualifying -> an 80,000 point signup bonus equalled instant Spire status. This has been dead for many months.

way to go and selfishly and stupidly ruin the loophole/trick for everyone else

You already lucked out in July 2015 and incorectly got Spire without nights/stays/pointsfor remainder of 2015 and all of 2016 simply because of your CC signup bonus (as did most such bonuses until IHg took action post July2015) posted as EQPs due to CC companies processing things incorrectly

You now want to keep Spire for 20128 without making 75nights / 5k points, and probably nowhere near those figures

(...)

Given that in post #9 of this thread someone else mentions calling IHG and asking why their elite expiry date had been extended and they were told that it was because they had renewed AMB I'd say it's pretty safe to assume that at least someone in IHG knows what is happening. It has also been widely discussed on the spire & AMB thread since around Easter and IHG staff have replied to posts on at least one of those threads so someone is reading what is being discussed, so I don't think there is any need for the personal attack on the OP.

A friendly reminder to stay on topic and no personal attacks please.

In regard to the matter, the loophole is not really a loophole as it has been widely covered in many forums and is has been widely discussed. As we also have company lurkers at thia forum, I highly doubt that it is unknown to IHG. In so far, there is no reason to attack someone mentioning that in a call to an IHG call center agent.

FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum