Purchase IHG status points promo

[PrezRegan]

I've seen a few pages now reporting targetted offers for IHG members to buy elite qualifying points, effectively making it possible for them to pay their way to diamond.

Is it worth buying IHG points to retain your Diamond status?

If you have Diamond status with IHG One Rewards, you may have received an interesting offer. IHG will sell you points and they will qualify towards elite status.

www.headforpoints.com

IHG Selling Elite Qualifying Points: Buy Diamond Status For Cheap

IHG One Rewards is selling elite qualifying points, which is an opportunity to buy Diamond status at an attractive cost.

onemileatatime.com

This offer seems to be targetted at US/UK IHG members. When I click the link to buy points, it just takes me to the normal purchase points page. I also haven't seen any emails about buying points to get to Diamond - although I'm only Platinum through Intercontinental Ambassador.

Has anyone received such an email?

As an additional kicker, the points purchased can also be used as rewards points, so you're actually getting some value back when buying the status points.

Personally, I would be keen to "pay my way" to diamond as I don't stay anywhere near enough to get there on nights.

 

[muppet]

Yep. Buy points to retain Diamond. 120,000 cost $1,000 USD. The fewer you bought the higher the price per point. 60,000 cost $725 USD.

 

[oz_mark]

I got an offer to buy points to retain Diamond.

They did a similar.promotion last year.

 

[Kerrodt]

Yes I received the email overnight. Although the cost to me is substantially higher than what is quoted in one of the articles you have mentioned.

How do you make the maths work to make this offer stack up?

 

[muppet]

Yes I received the email overnight. Although the cost to me is substantially higher than what is quoted in one of the articles you have mentioned.

How do you make the maths work to make this offer stack up?

Only really works if you travel heaps, but then you need fewer points and the price per point is higher…. I think the example in OMAT with a credit card that offers a discount plus he got a lower original quote works out - but my offer is a real easy way to set fire to money. Brekkie doesn’t cost that much!

 

[drron]

Basically the only difference between Platinum ambassador and diamond ambassador is the free breakfast.
The more valuable extras for loyalty such as suite upgrades and lounge access for a year come only with nights not points.

 

[kerfuffle]

I got it; 100K points to maintain Diamond. No thanks.

 

[Austman]

It really depends on how much an IHG point is worth.

Several travel sites rate them at 0.7 US cents. Some are less, down to 0.5 US cents.

At 0.7 cents, 100,000 IHG points would be worth USD 700.00.

At 0.5 cents, 100,000 IHG points would be worth USD 500.00.

To buy 100,000 IHG points is USD 920.00.

So the net cost is USD 220.00 up to USD 420.00. Depending on what an IHG point is worth.

 

[drron]

If I can’t get at least one cent value for redeeming points I don’t redeem. As a consequence I don’t redeem very often. Though on this trip I was lucky and used points for the IC Double Bay and 1 of 2 stays at the IC Bangkok. The 6 night stay in Bangkok was slightly less points than Double Bay for 3 nights.

 

[SYD]

Apparently this years offer has a range of offers. Discussed here.

Is it worth buying IHG points to retain your Diamond status?

If you have Diamond status with IHG One Rewards, you may have received an interesting offer. IHG will sell you points and they will qualify towards elite status.

www.headforpoints.com

 

[Ktan89]

Got this offer to retain Diamond too but I don't see myself going IC much next year

 

[Kerrodt]

Got this offer to retain Diamond too but I don't see myself going IC much next year

Diamond covers all IHG properties, not just IC brand. It is Ambassador that is IC only.

 

[oz_mark]

Apparently this years offer has a range of offers. Discussed here.

Is it worth buying IHG points to retain your Diamond status?

If you have Diamond status with IHG One Rewards, you may have received an interesting offer. IHG will sell you points and they will qualify towards elite status.

www.headforpoints.com

Looks like I scored the highest price version!

 

[Solid]

I got a different version of this offer overnight. Buy 90,000 points EQP ($1050 USD) to retain diamond,

 

[KingHuang]

i just messaged them on the website but they don't seem like they know what I'm talking about so they investigating..

 

[Ktan89]

Wonder if this is a good deal..

got an email to renew ambassador for $225USD + get 15,000 bonus points or redeem 45,000 points to renew.

Should I use this offer to retain diamond @ 115,000 for $980USD and then use the 45,000 to renew ambassador?

Or is it still expensive?

 

[muppet]

Wonder if this is a good deal..

got an email to renew ambassador for $225USD + get 15,000 bonus points or redeem 45,000 points to renew.

Should I use this offer to retain diamond @ 115,000 for $980USD and then use the 45,000 to renew ambassador?

Or is it still expensive?

Depends if you value money…. I do, so I don’t think its a good deal.

If you need 115,000 points to renew, you pretty much never stay at IHG hotels (like me) so I can’t see how you will get $980 USD in value out of it.

For example, the free brekkie would take a couple over 20 nights to pay for Diamond at $980 USD …. and free brekkie is pretty much the only benefit over Platinum which you get with Ambassador.

In terms of using points for Ambassador, I value 60,000 (45,000 + lost 15,000) points at more than $225 USD so I don’t recommend that approach.

Value is very personal though so only you really can say.

 

[drron]

You do need to be staying at a few IHG properties to get the benefits.
I qualify diamond on points. I get over the 120000 points to qualify by buying elite qualifying points when booking a the best available flexible rate. I pay no more than $A30 per 5000 points so for example 115000 points would cost me $A690.Of course I would have to stay 23 nights to get that many so would never need 115000 points. It is not a good deal.
Ambassador on the other hand can certainly be worth buying as you do get a free weekend night but it is only at IC properties and some make booking a bit difficult. But I always get more value than the cost of the ambassador purchase.

As has been said the only real benefit of diamond over platinum is free breakfast.
But Ambassador gets you confirmed 4pm check out but diamonds only 2pm the same as platinums.
I also have found the ambassador status got me just as good upgrades before I became diamond.
Plus if you stay at an IC as an ambassador member you get a $US20 F&B credit. Diamonds don't.

The real benefit of the IHG One Rewards program is to stay 40 nights. You can choose a 12 months lounge access benefit. But it can be better than that because it actually is for the rest of the year it is claimed in plus the next 12 months. So in 2023 my 40th night was on December 30th. I claimed the reward in January so my lounge access is until december 31 2025.
In 2025 my 40th night is going to be in mid November. But they give you 3 months to decide. Guess I am going to wait until 2026. I am a procrastinator.

 

[KingHuang]

You do need to be staying at a few IHG properties to get the benefits.
I qualify diamond on points. I get over the 120000 points to qualify by buying elite qualifying points when booking a the best available flexible rate. I pay no more than $A30 per 5000 points so for example 115000 points would cost me $A690.Of course I would have to stay 23 nights to get that many so would never need 115000 points. It is not a good deal.
Ambassador on the other hand can certainly be worth buying as you do get a free weekend night but it is only at IC properties and some make booking a bit difficult. But I always get more value than the cost of the ambassador purchase.

As has been said the only real benefit of diamond over platinum is free breakfast.
But Ambassador gets you confirmed 4pm check out but diamonds only 2pm the same as platinums.
I also have found the ambassador status got me just as good upgrades before I became diamond.
Plus if you stay at an IC as an ambassador member you get a $US20 F&B credit. Diamonds don't.

The real benefit of the IHG One Rewards program is to stay 40 nights. You can choose a 12 months lounge access benefit. But it can be better than that because it actually is for the rest of the year it is claimed in plus the next 12 months. So in 2023 my 40th night was on December 30th. I claimed the reward in January so my lounge access is until december 31 2025.
In 2025 my 40th night is going to be in mid November. But they give you 3 months to decide. Guess I am going to wait until 2026. I am a procrastinator.

So staying 24 nights a year with 5k bonus points each time would qualify diamond for IHG right?

 

[drron]

Well you earn points for stays. so I looked at the HI Maroochydore which is not that expensive But you do have to book the best available flexible rate. On a night next November it is $260 -non refundable rate is $208. 5000 points there is $208. The 5000 EQ points are ~ $23.
So you would only need 19 nights to get you to diamond.
Cheaper all up is staying at the HI in Bataam a ferry ride from SIN. Only $A49 a night but they will only sell 3000 EQP for $22. so it would take 36 nights to get to diamond. We are actually going to spend 5 nights there next year to get to the 40 night/diamond a little cheaper.