In early May 2020 IHG Rewards Club announced (read more here) another three months membership extension to its Ambassadors who previously had already received an extra 3 months – these double extensions will soon come to an end for most members if they haven’t already.
IHG Ambassador has one little known feature that allows longstanding (2 years+) members to request a six month extension of their Ambassador status due to life circumstances and only once per account lifetime (one year members can request a complimentary 2 months extension).
So far IHG still hasn’t announced any further goodwill extensions to the $200/year Ambassador membership and this existing one is a rather sparse concession considering the rather limited use since the Spring of 2020. Most competitors have extended their (earned) status levels until February 2022.
IHG has instead decided to extend the paid membership and vouchers by a total of six months. This policy applies to members who signed up or renewed before March 15 2020.
You can access IHG’s page for Covid-19 here.
One feature that members could utilize in order to extend their status an additional 6 months is by requesting the special extension policy the Ambassador program has.
Life’s adventures can be surprising. You never know what new paths shall reveal. Whether it’s starting a new job or welcoming a new baby, helping a family or heading back to school, life’s exceptional moments deserve exceptional flexibility.
As an InterContinental® Ambassador, you now have the option to extend your membership for two months. Or, if you have been an Ambassador for at least two consecutive years, you have the option to extend your membership for six months.
Contact us to discuss and arrange your optional extension.
New Ambassador members of one term (12 months) can extend for two months, those who have held their membership for two years or more can get a whole six months for free. Keep in mind that this is a one time exception so use it wisely.
The request has to be directed to the Ambassador Service: ambassador@ihg.com
It’s not required to give a reason or any certification for your request to extend the membership like other programs require it.
Here are the other tier extension policies related to IHG Rewards Club and Kimpton Inner Circle:
Here’s the current IHG Rewards Club tier policy:
IHG Rewards Club One Year Member Tier & Free Night Extensions Due to Covid-19
InterContinental Royal Ambassador and Kimpton Inner Circle one:
The extension under the six month policy will not extend to Royal Ambassador members.
Last month I asked the question if it makes sense to renew your membership against a fee. I came to the conclusion that if your membership is due to be renewed now but you don’t have any upcoming IHG travel then it doesn’t make any sense to renew or even purchase Ambassador at the moment. I’d leave it alone until I either have a stay at Intercontinental coming up or there is another incentive offer such as the free night which expired in December of last year.
Conclusion
This method could be a last chance for Ambassador members whose membership is about to expire and who don’t want to pay another $200 in these days where benefits are limited at least for international travel and associated hotel stays.
It might be especially useful if you have one of the old memberships that comes with the 10% award rebate as extensions of an existing membership leave all original conditions intact.
These are the complete Terms & Conditions for the extension request:
An InterContinental Ambassador Membership Extension may be awarded to select Ambassadors who meet the criteria below.
To be eligible for a two (2) month extension, individuals must have an active Ambassador membership and must not have redeemed a two month extension in the past. Ambassador members whose membership has expired are not eligible for this extension. Eligible Ambassador members may request this benefit once per lifetime. If a member elects to use this offer, their Ambassador membership will extend for an additional two months beyond when it would have otherwise expired. This is a one-time offer per member and once the extension is applied to their account, this action is considered final and is not reversible.
To be eligible for a six (6) month extension, individual must have an active Ambassador membership that is in its second or greater consecutive membership year and must not have redeemed a six month extension in the past. Ambassador members whose membership has expired are not eligible for this extension. Eligible Ambassador members may request this benefit once per lifetime. If a member elects to use this offer, their Ambassador membership will extend for an additional six months beyond when it would have otherwise expired. This is a one-time offer per member and once the extension is applied to their account, this action is considered final and is not reversible.
Membership Extensions are granted at the discretion of IHG and may be denied, ended, or amended with or without notice or compensation, at IHG’s sole discretion.
Extensions for Royal Ambassadors are not available.
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