Points and cash
Points and cash
Mar 8, 2021, 11:15 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
I believe it's fully in points only. Someone can correct me.
However, it's a bit silly, because you can make a P+C reservation, which means you're buying points. Then cancel the reservation and get the points (including the purchased points) refunded. Then make an all-points reservation and get 4th night free. Of course, you don't need to buy the points via a P+C reservation at the hotel where you intend to stay; you can buy them (via P+C) at a hotel with a better "sell" rate, if you find one. Or buy them outright if there is a decent sale ongoing.
Note that when you buy the points via P+C (I don't know about during a sale, but I suspect it's the same), you are not buying them from IHG, so there is no reason to use an IHG co-brand credit card.
However, it's a bit silly, because you can make a P+C reservation, which means you're buying points. Then cancel the reservation and get the points (including the purchased points) refunded. Then make an all-points reservation and get 4th night free. Of course, you don't need to buy the points via a P+C reservation at the hotel where you intend to stay; you can buy them (via P+C) at a hotel with a better "sell" rate, if you find one. Or buy them outright if there is a decent sale ongoing.
Note that when you buy the points via P+C (I don't know about during a sale, but I suspect it's the same), you are not buying them from IHG, so there is no reason to use an IHG co-brand credit card.
Mar 8, 2021, 11:19 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 728
I believe it's fully in points only. Someone can correct me.
However, it's a bit silly, because you can make a P+C reservation, which means you're buying points. Then cancel the reservation and get the points (including the purchased points) refunded. Then make an all-points reservation and get 4th night free. Of course, you don't need to buy the points via a P+C reservation at the hotel where you intend to stay; you can buy them (via P+C) at a hotel with a better "sell" rate, if you find one. Or buy them outright if there is a decent sale ongoing.
Note that when you buy the points via P+C (I don't know about during a sale, but I suspect it's the same), you are not buying them from IHG, so there is no reason to use an IHG co-brand credit card.
However, it's a bit silly, because you can make a P+C reservation, which means you're buying points. Then cancel the reservation and get the points (including the purchased points) refunded. Then make an all-points reservation and get 4th night free. Of course, you don't need to buy the points via a P+C reservation at the hotel where you intend to stay; you can buy them (via P+C) at a hotel with a better "sell" rate, if you find one. Or buy them outright if there is a decent sale ongoing.
Note that when you buy the points via P+C (I don't know about during a sale, but I suspect it's the same), you are not buying them from IHG, so there is no reason to use an IHG co-brand credit card.
I looked into that but somewhere along in my calculations, it didn't save as much as I thought it would. I'll redo the math... with a better sell rate. thanks
Mar 8, 2021, 11:56 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 526
I believe it's fully in points only. Someone can correct me.
However, it's a bit silly, because you can make a P+C reservation, which means you're buying points. Then cancel the reservation and get the points (including the purchased points) refunded. Then make an all-points reservation and get 4th night free. Of course, you don't need to buy the points via a P+C reservation at the hotel where you intend to stay; you can buy them (via P+C) at a hotel with a better "sell" rate, if you find one. Or buy them outright if there is a decent sale ongoing.
Note that when you buy the points via P+C (I don't know about during a sale, but I suspect it's the same), you are not buying them from IHG, so there is no reason to use an IHG co-brand credit card.
However, it's a bit silly, because you can make a P+C reservation, which means you're buying points. Then cancel the reservation and get the points (including the purchased points) refunded. Then make an all-points reservation and get 4th night free. Of course, you don't need to buy the points via a P+C reservation at the hotel where you intend to stay; you can buy them (via P+C) at a hotel with a better "sell" rate, if you find one. Or buy them outright if there is a decent sale ongoing.
Note that when you buy the points via P+C (I don't know about during a sale, but I suspect it's the same), you are not buying them from IHG, so there is no reason to use an IHG co-brand credit card.
Mar 8, 2021, 1:23 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,196
Someone last year had their account closed down for doing that very thing losing all the points they had legitimately earned and bought in the process as well as those from numerous P+C bookings that they had done and cancelled.
I’ll see if I can find the thread.
and this is the one I was thinking of
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inte...d-account.html
so I slightly mis remembered and the closure wasn’t entirety due to P+C bookings but they were a fair chunk of the activity IHG clearly disliked.
Last edited by UKtravelbear; Mar 8, 2021 at 1:52 pm
Mar 8, 2021, 3:45 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
Mar 9, 2021, 10:53 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 728
Is there a method to find hotels with a better "sell rate"? Or is it just a matter of randomly selecting other hotels to try?
Mar 9, 2021, 10:59 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435