IHG and Chase have overhauled their credit card lineup, raising annual fees while adding new credits, bigger free night awards, and updated elite status perks.
Yay, more quarterly coupons.
Oops, I mean, "ways to engage with our very best most loyal customers."
I agree with your distaste for "coupons" with credit card. My strategy is to get the card only if 1) it's worth it without coupon use or 2) the coupon use is fairly automatic. The UA credit will probably just expire, but if I book with them, I get free money. My IHG use is primarily Staybridge and Candlewood, so I'll get $25 of pantry items free each stay with little effort or planning.
@Lucky, do you have any info on the legacy IHG Select card? If that's keeping its $49 AF, Anniversary FNC (40k fixed), 10% reward rebate, and Platinum status, then it's still probably a good combo with the refreshed Premier card.
What's the ideal combo for you? It seems as though you can theoretically have 3 of the new/refreshed cards to get 50 elite nights (Premier Select, Premier, and Business), 2 CSU, annual lounge pass, and only need 20 nights for Diamond.
Yeah, curious what's up with this. I assume at some point it's going to have to be transitioned to the Premier, and somewhat hard to imagine the Platinum status stays for much longer?
@Lucky perhaps update the post that Thrifty Traveler has a Chase spokesperson saying the Select AF will rise to $99 next year; no word on benefit changes: https://thriftytraveler.com/news/credit-card/chase-ihg-credit-card-changes/
Can you use the F&B credits in properties without being a guest?
I do not think so. The food/beverage credit is applied against your f/b charges on the bill.
Since Ben values IHG points at 0.5 cents each, 3X on "everything else" isn't very compelling. Seems like the One Rewards Traveler card has become about like the United Gateway card: No fee but almost no real benefits.
Ben,
‹The card now has a $100 annual airline statement credit on qualifying flight purchases, currently valid through December 31, 2027; just book a flight directly with an airline costing at least $250, and you’ll get a $200 statement credit›
I think the last number should be $100.
@Lucky:
You wrote:
"The card now has a $100 annual airline statement credit on qualifying flight purchases, currently valid through December 31, 2027; just book a flight directly with an airline costing at least $250, and you’ll get a $200 statement credit".
Did you mean $100 statement credit?
I think $200 is a typo. I received an email from Chase as an existing cardholder and it says $100 for charges through Dec 2027.
Even though the credit runs calendar, not cardholder year, existing cardholders only get the credit once, not twice.
This is one of the few cards I have with an AF. My outlook is as follows. For $150 I get a free hotel room once a year that would have cost at least that much. A quick look finds properties in the 40,000-50,000 range are generally $350/night or more. The $25 f/b vouchers expire at the end of the quarter they are issued. Still, my current IHG pattern will let me use two. But, hey $50 extra. I stay enough that, with the 15 night headstart, I'll earn at least plantinum every year, even if I replace an extended stay with point redemption. The only charges I but on the card are stays.
Oh, and it's my only card with a TSA precheck reimbursement, so about another $60 every 5 years. (It pays up to $120 every 4 years for precheck, global entry, etc.)
meanwhile on $49 annual fee IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card island, I remain a stubborn / non-contacted remote tribe with these coupon book changes
It's no longer in my wallet, but it does seem that Chase has stopped asking me to try and upgrade it. The free night now is usually a Holiday Inn Express on a road-trip for example, but for $49 I can't complain.
@Lucky, can you confirm if the $100 airline reimbursement and the $50 United travel banks are given every calendar year or card anniversary year? Thanks.
@Trey. I have been getting one $25 credit between January 1-15 and the other one between July 1-15, both typically post on the 7th. The previous credit expires on the 15th. Therefore, this year I bought a planned United ticket before the 15th, so I was able to get $50 off the ticket price.
Got’em bo! You totally ‘owned’ Trey for not ‘doing his own research.’ And yet… Google does cost us more than we’ll ever know. We’ve traded away our privacy without really considering the full implications. Sure, it seems ‘free’… but is it really?
Can the IHG Select $49 card be product changed to this new card? Thanks
Don’t do it! Keep that legacy card as long as they’ll let you. 40K + Platinum. It’s a winner.
In the email I received, it also mentioned:
Save 30% on Points Purchases:
Save at least 30% on points purchases when you pay for those points with your IHG One Rewards, Premier, Premier Select, or Business Credit Cards. Point purchase amounts are subject to change by IHG One Rewards. These points are Non-Elite Qualifying points. Upon completion of the points purchase, you agree that the total dollar price of the points, minus the discount, will be immediately charged to your credit card. The cost for the points purchased is non-refundable. The 30% discount cannot be combined with any other points purchase offer. Point purchase transactions managed by Points.com.
Diamond Elite Status After Annual Spend: After spending $40,000 with your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card in purchases each calendar year, you, as the primary cardmember, will qualify for IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status for the remainder of the calendar year in which you qualify and the following calendar year.
This is disappointing. I've been a fan of the Premier Credit Card for many years. Been able to get some good value out of this(especially in Asia). Now I will have to either upgrade to a more expensive card with more "coupon" benefits. Sign of the times unfortunately.
Lucky, isn’t the OMAAT valuation for 50k points is around $250? I also have the business card. If I stay twice a quarter(which I will if I use certificates as they’ll be separate reservations) then I’ll nab both $25 F&B credits. No problem keeping both.
The airline credit is free money. I’ll just book a ticket and cancel it 25 hours later (once I’m outside the auto refund window where it would get refunded to my card). That way the whole amount goes to my airline wallet. That’s $100 right there.
I’ll stop there 😉
My annual fee usually posts the end of December so I suppose that means it will still be $99 for me this year and I won't have to pay the increased fee until December 2027? Also, when does the $100 airline credit go live and is it per calendar year? i.e. we can use one this year and another one next yearr?
The problem with IHG is IHG.
With the exception of Regent (which is basically not an option in the USA), some Intercontinentals and most Kimptons, IHG has low-end hotels.
Has anyone stayed at a Holiday Inn lately? That brand has went downhill big time. It’s now just a Farfield or Holiday Inn Express with a bar.
And don’t get me started on Crowne Plaza.
I have had two IHG cards for years. Having automatic platinum status was nice because if I was traveling through a small town or in the middle of nowhere I knew I could stay at a Holiday Inn Express and avoid having the worst room in the hotel.
I couldn’t imagine doing 70 actual nights or spending $40,000 for top-tier diamond status. I’ve had it. I’ve had Intercontinental ambassador. It’s just not worth it because there are so few better-than-average IHG properties at least in the USA.
I concede that IHG can be worth it in Asia and in the Middle East. But in the USA and even the UK? Definitely not.
Taking away automatic platinum status from my card means I probably just stay with IHG twice a year using my free night vouchers. I’m not going to go out of my way to do 25 nights with the card.
I maintain the cards strictly for stays in Europe and Asia and have had tremendous value from them over the years. I agree it's a complete afterthought in the US. I used to like Kimpton but have noticed they've gone way down hill. Intercontinental is very hit or miss (and I consider the brand luxury-lite now). Regent Santa Monica is terrific but obviously that's a very specific trip. If I didn't travel to Europe and Asia so often I wouldn't consider the cards, although I guess the new airfare rebate is a nice perk.
buy points at 0.5cpp and use 4th nite free when possible.
the refreshed ccs offer outsized value for semiregular ihg stayors.
not the worst offerings ihg.
So I really don’t want to pay double AF for IHG biz in Jan. But I have points reservation in singapore holiday inn express in July with the 4th night free. What happens to my reservation if I cancel IHG biz card and lose platinum status? Will they cancel my reservation or charge me for 4th night?
Thank you advance for your input.
I don't know what happens when you cancel the card and have a 4th night free in a future reservation. But, the 4th night free isn't worth $150 (not double the old $99 AF)? I'm guessing the $150 is way less than a night would cost in Singapore. NFI.
Can’t help but feel that this makes the Hyatt card look so much better. The Hyatt card was cheaper by $5, and offered more bonus categories with points being worth 3-4x that of IHG. Now the IHG card is $55 more and provides slightly less earning at IHG.
Enjoy it till it lasts - may be 3 months ? Hyatt card(s) by Chase will be overhauled next !
Is there a comparison table available?