IHG Rewards Club announced some new changes to the program. IHG introduced a new membership level above Platinum. To achieve this new top tier elite level, you need to earn 75,000 qualified points or 75 qualified nights in one year. This new tier level will get 100% bonus points on qualified stays, which is the first program in the industry. Members of this newest level will be able to choose between receiving 25,000 points or upgrading a friend or family member to Platinum status, as part of the Choice benefit.
IHG also lowered the thresholds to qualify for Gold and Platinum levels. Members will need to earn just 10,000 qualified points or 10 nights to be eligible for Gold status. Members will need to earn 40,000 qualified points or 40 nights to reach Platinum status. Because IHG made it easier for members to earn Gold and Platinum status, all Fast Track to Elite status offers will be discontinued as of Jun 30, 2015.
In addition, IHG is also changing its point expiration policy so that now all points will expire after 12 months of inactivity. If you are a current elite member of IHG Rewards Club, your points won't expire. Elite members who do not earn enough qualifying nights or points to maintain their status will become a Club level member. Points will expire 12 months after becoming a Club level member for those who neither earn nor redeem at all during this time.
Some bad news: effective May 1, 2015, IHG will be changing the point requirements for Reward Nights at approximately 450 hotels. Less than 300 hotels will be increasing by 5,000-10,000 points and 150 will be decreasing by 5,000 points. If you want to know more details, please go to:
http://www.ihg.com/hotels/gb/en/global/rewardsclub/member-benefits/faq
