Priority Club Insider

Checked my points under the new system and they are counting the Status Bonus points towards the target

I have just checked mine and the 50% status bonus points are not counting towards the target……consistency ?????

I have the opposite to the above comment the 50% Status Bonus points are not registering in the elite qualifiying balance on my account

SimonDevon :I have the opposite to the above comment the 50% Status Bonus points are not registering in the elite qualifiying balance on my account

Oops – I mean in the original comment!!

This sucks. I used to go out of my way to stay at IHG properties because Priority Club was a great loyalty program. I guess IHG doesn’t care about their loyal customers any more. I will be considering staying with Choice Hotels and Wyndham Hotels now. Choice has a triple point promotion going on right now and their “reward nights” count toward elite status!

Priority club? IHG will no longer be my priority choice.
First they increase the points needed for reward nights, then they cut down on bonus points, now they wanna do this?

Going to give up the status in IHG and start leveling up with SPG with my business stays this year.
See ya Priorityclub and IHG, your loyalty program sucks.

Pathetic. Same move as Lufthansa did with their miles and more Programm.
And the Terms and Conditions say SCH will announce changes on the Website (“prominently”). I did not see anything during the past month.
That is one way to drop loyal customers

I will no longer use Priority Club system anymore. Ready for SPG now.
The IHG is really not a good one for loyal customers.

I was a loyal IHG Platinum member. I stay at one particular property 100 nights a year where I have a corporate negotiated rate. This rate USED to earn points and status. Now I’m told it does not. I will be returning to Marriott where my negotiated rates do count towards status and earn points.

@Scott
I’m baffled that people can’t understand that our government is growing so much especially today under the current regime and businesses have to pass the results of this soft tyranny over to us the customer. It was too good to be true you could reach platinum on 2 family vacations. I’m not going anywhere i was disappointed but knew right away.

Hi there Admin…
I tried the online form on the priorityclubinsider website, but I got a delivery failure message in my inbox.
Can you e-mail me?
Thanks
PCInsider Fan

I hope IHG will soon see the impact and that those of us who go out of our way to use them, will now reconsider in 2013. Whilst I could accept that the bonus offers didn’t count towards the qualification, it seems really harsh that the platinum 50% bonus doesn’t.

I’m glad that these changes were made. I stay 100+ nights a year and seems like everyone is a premium member. I hope that less members mean better upgrades

I’m sticking with IHG this year as I have a couple of expensive advance reservations and renewed my ambassador status. However, the proof will be in the pudding.

I’ll probably just about hit Platinum again this year… so next year will be the proof if it’s worth it or not. The Crowne Plaza I’ve stayed in 1-2 times a week for the past 2 years has put its prices up by 20%, which makes SPG look a lot more attractive!

I’ve already started moving the majority of my stays away from IHG. Whilst I will more than still do enough to keep my status as Plat (which had for over 10 years) I will now only do the bare minimum.
I would like to think the reason they have done this, as some have stated, is so “better” rewards will be given, but I fear this will not be the case. We all know the true value of being a Plat member has been diluted gradually over the last few years whilst £/night increasing considerably unless you book far in advance, something my job does not allow me to do. Personally I feel there is hardly any value in having the status, it is the just the points that are useful for rewards- and this is being downgraded over time too with increasing points for reward nights.

With Hilton offering Gold Status in just 4 stays with an offer currently which guarantees an increased status, free internet, goodies etc I am moving quite a few there (and some to Carlson or Marriott) and been pleasantly surprised. Think I’ve been a slave to IHG too long!!!

It summed it for me when I asked a question of the IHG support regarding this and asked if they were bothered I would move – or was that the intention… as usual I got no response!

I had a word with my booking agent for the company and i’m now in Hilton’s going forward.

I’ll be checking back here to see what’s happening with IHG but no more stays now.

Does priority club actually think we stay at their crummy hotels because we like the hotels? For business travelers its all about the points. The good news is Marriott hotels and resorts are a serious upgrade to what I’ve been staying in for the past 3 years with ICH. When I joined I was convinced ICH had the best loyalty program. See ya…

tmac (above),

You hit it right on the head! I have switched to the Hilton chain due to the incompetence, non-response and underhanded tactics we’ve had forced upon us by IHG. It was all about the points, and if the customer service is better and the program at least equal to IHG, I’ll consider going there. The fact that the properties are nicer just makes the decision more sweeter.

My points are counting towards this too, maybe it is something to do with current status and/or Ambassador or not

@Matt
Hilton took all their members points a few years ago. The whining here is incredible I agree the guy that stays 100 nights deserves to have the benefit. IHG is far and away still the best just wait till Obamacare takes effect and see how things change all over. Economics matter.

I agree that the platinum status should be more exclusive, and not everyone who stays 5 nights and has a heck of a bonus program should be a top tiered (platinum) member. It reminds me of when I go to the airport and I have priority status. But when they call for “priority access” to board, there is like a cattle call of people boarding. The only ones seating is a couple on their honeymoon who haven’t been out of Iowa in their lives. Anyway, I understand that everyone wants the points, and everyone wants to be on top, but maybe some things in life you have to “earn” rather than just be handed. And yes, I do stay 150+ nights at IHG locations, and am not going to buy the ambassador status to get a mint on the pillow upon check-in. Have a great day all and try and focus on life instead of if IHG is out to screw you. These points are not free, and maybe they are cutting the points instead of raising the room rates.

I’m a huge IHG fan and stay in their hotels 100+ nights a year as well. The bonus points are what make all of this travelling enjoyable. This massive reduction is terrible. I agree with everyone that lives in these hotels….let’s hope the status upgrades improve. I’ve had several hotels do a great job of welcoming me as a platinum priority member, but there are others that have work to do. I’m not sure some of these Express Hotels in the small towns really recognize what the loyalty program is about. Location in Plainview, TX still has the 2x bonus point cards in the room. Really?!!?!

Hope to see some IHG improvement soon…Choice Hotels has made some really nice upgrades. I’m tempted.

Go to the Facebook site for Priority Club. They read all of the comments and respond to most. They know that millions of customers will potentially read the posts there. They realize they have a PR nightmare brewing among their most loyal base and are trying to thwart it

I’ve already made the switch from Priority Club and will no longer stay at their hotels after the SECOND redemption increase in 2 years. Now, to stay at an Intercontinental requires a minimum of 15,000 more points per night than it did last year.

The fact that even AFTER they raised the redemption points, they now won’t count points towards stays will cost them BIGTIME in terms of business. Most of the people I know who use Priority Club do it because it is so easy to reach Platinum. I think anyone would admit that Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton are much nicer properties to stay at across the board.

Priority Club seems to be trying to compete with Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton’s reward programs but never will be able to because in terms of the majority of their properties … they are more on point with Best Western than Marriott or Hilton properties. Another thing is, they are cutting a lot of ‘point based’ Platinum members but not offering any change in customer service.

I have had so many problems with PC customer service. They are the only hotel chain that outsources their call center to Asia and India … and they usually will not go out of their way to correct any mistakes or issues, whereas Marriott, Sheraton or Hilton always go above and beyond to correct situations that occur for their top level members.

Overall, it seems like PC wants to cut their benefits and raise their redemption rates. I am assuming SOME sort of research was done to reach this decision … but personally I have absolutely no clue what they are up to. This all will cost them BIGTIME customers! My prediction is that the Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn hotels will take a lot of business from those who prefer the non-business hotels and within 5 years, Priority Club will be well noted as the worst rewards program out there.

Points from CC still count toward status. On the main issue of the change in qualifying points, I agree with those who say that it was necessary: platinum has become to mean nothing, and hotels could not even give free breakfast to the hoards to platinum members. As an RA, I know how much one gets from a truly exclusive program, and I think IHG is moving in the right direction. Also, the whining about increase in points per stay is not correct: they made the points per stay to reflect the economy of supply and demand. For example, China is not much cheaper for free stays.

IHG wave good bye to me, being a loyal Platinum member more than 9 years.
If they are at the opionion this is worth nothing – I will certainly find better and more exclusive hotel chains.

Go to the Priority Club Facebook page if you want to be heard. IHG monitors their Facebook page, and usually responds within minutes.

@Amos
Well Said this whole deal is summed up as: “It’s the economy Stupid” I don’t buy that any other reward program is better either. Sheraton, Hilton (They lost members years ago) and Marriott do have nice properties and they are about 50% more cost. if you are a mostly pay on your own traveler it won’t work. IHG is great for families stay-bridge rocks especially when they upgrade you to the 2 bed 2 bath for a studio rate, Residence inn is 150% more.

I do not think that this true. I am platinum memeber since 2 years (I am not ambassdor) and I purchased 2000 point from “points.com”, they counted them in my “Elite Qualifying Points Earned” also I paid for Food during a free night and they posted the points with the 50% Platinum bounce in the “Elite Qualifying Points Earned”

I think they will just make it up as they go along like they usually do, clearly they needed to rip us all off with the points devaluation – http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?PageID=57&Year=2013&NewsID=2918

@bob
I hope the IHG executives got double digit bonuses, on the backs of their most loyal customers…the ones that stay 50 to 150 nights per year and have now had their rewards ponts devalued 40% in 2 years. Go to Priority Club Facebook page and let them know how you feel. They are running scaredover there.

The only way that the IHG points have been devalued is if you use them for hotel stays. If you use the points for gift cards, merchandise, etc., then the valuation is the same.

As far as the points not counting towards the platinum status…the points are still given to the person staying in the rooms, they just may not count towards the platinum level, but they are still awarded. I have already received my 20,000 points for staying 15 nights, and they didn’t count towards the platinum level, but they were still deposited in my account.

This conversation thread is interesting to read, and to see everyones thoughts on the subject.

Does anyone know if points you buy through the site count towards the elite status

@Ziggy
I don’t think so

Go to the “Priority Club Facebook” page. They will answer all of your questions there. They seem to monitor this page very closely

@Membersince1985
If you have evil facebook I wouldn’t go there for anything

Get the Chase credit card. It’s automatic Platinum status every year, plus the free night. Sucks about the points, but I actually like the HI hotels.

Went to book a Marriott for our trip to DC — 30,000 points for a *cheap* hotel; 50,000 per night for a nice one. That’s ridiculous. Only keeping them for the free night each year.

just out of interest I have checked all my stays this year and every one I have been short changed on every stay, rubbish

IMO Platinum status was far to easy to gain. Last year I’d got it the second week of Feb.

At the end of Feb this year I only need 26k points by the end 2013 to maintain. I will have done this in March or April because I am an “elite” customer. Isn’t that the point of the club? To award the most frequent and loyal customers.

@Steven That’s all fine and good…HOWEVER…PC went on a tear against Hilton just a few short years ago on how their points aren’t worth at much and their loyalty program was so superior to Hilton. They pulled a lot of HHonors members by matching points. After they pulled in the members they turned around and pulled the exact same crap by devaluing their points. People are so pissed because PC pulled a bait and switch. HHonors points may not have been as valuable as PC but they have at least remained consistent. Now with this latest BS they are about even. So why stay with a company that pulls BS tactics to gain customers…only to pull the rug out from under them versus a company that has had the same rules from day one?

I’ve been Platinum in the UK for about 3 years now, am I in the minority here in that surely getting to the top tier should be earned? I see from the new upcoming IHG plans that it may be possible to reach elite status by staying at two different IHG Brands? Status should come through continued custom, not “shopping” around. More Elite members….less upgrade opportunities!

Interesting to see the comments re Platinum status. People get a life and get real. You should EARN Platinum level by staying in the hotels, not all the other crap! I, for one, have written to PC and tried to get them to make it MORE DIFFICULT to obtain Platinum status and to give better benefits to those who do obtain it. My suggestion would be 100,000 points per year or 80+ nights in the chain per year. Lets weed out the rest and give more to those of us who DESERVE it through ouy LOYALTY to the hotel chain!!!

I just completed my stay 15 nights before the 30/4 for 20000 points promotion and they don’t seem to be counting as “Elite”.

According to the PC website I’ve earned 58961 points this year but the account status only shows 26643. I can’t even reconcile that!

Rubbish. Anyone know where you can see what PC thinks are Elite and what aren’t?

@Dave M
I agree. Even if they could keep their prior rewards so that people could easily reach it in 1 month, I stayed at IHG 120 days last year. but upgrades are available to anyone who stay a few trips or pay 100$ for a credit card get the same upgrade. I just want a diamond level for those who spend 100 days or $10,000 at IHG.

also, I’m a little po’d about middle east intercontinentals only giving 1500 per stay not 10 points per dollar as when I stay for 60 nights at 300$ a night and only get 1500 points plus 50% bonus…whoopdadedoo.