IHG Ambassador has a little known feature that allows longstanding (2 years+) members to request a six month extension of their Ambassador status due to life circumstances once per account lifetime (one year members can request a complimentary 2 months extension).
I decided to request this extension this week as my Ambassador was due to expire on May 1st and I didn’t have any purpose staying at an IC/Kimpton in the coming few weeks to use their current promotional offer.
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.
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 offer a promotion to all who extend or purchase a new Ambassador membership, awarding a free night for such transactions until July 31, 2021.
You earn the free night certificate capped at 40,000 points after staying at InterContinental, Kimpton, or Regent hotels once by August 31, 2021.
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. It’s not required to give a reason or any certification for your request to extend the membership like other programs require it.
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 and I did just that.
I sent them an email referring to an earlier inquiry about this extension saying:
Dear all,
as time has progressed I have decided to request the complimentary extension of my current Ambassador membership.
As a longstanding member of several years I should be eligible for a 6-month extension based on the T&C of the programs exception policy.
If you could please confirm that this has been processed it would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Sebastian, Ambassador # xxxxxxxx
The answer came within 30 minutes and I have to say the fact that the Ambassador Service is really fast with their email and on top of things is worth the annual fee alone to me:
Hi Sebastian,
Thanks for the update. My name is Grace, and I hope you’re having a great weekend.
We were able to apply your Ambassador extension benefit for 6 months, extending it until November 1, 2021. This is a one-time benefit and is not reversible.
You may check your account online for the update.
We appreciate you for sharing your thoughts and we look forward to seeing you next time, as we hope things get better soon.
All the best and Take care,
Grace
Indeed the extension is already visible in my online account and the Ambassador now expires on November 1, 2021.
One of the reasons why I elected the extension over a new membership purchase is that I still have the old Ambassador option with the 10% Award Redemption rebate attached to it (no longer available). Buying a new membership would have voided that, at least now I have another 6 months to use it.
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 $200/40k Points 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. Alternatively the current promotion where you earn a free night certificate is also great IF you can manage to stay somewhere in order to trigger the offer for the free night.
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.
