Bits: American Express Platinum adds new lounges, Hilton’s Japan hotel flash sale

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• Fraser says:

  17 May17 May 11:15

  I looked at the IHG offer but am well off for points with them now, and to be honest the rate is not that good at the high end. I paid £750 cash for 4 nights at the Intercontinental in Sydney last month, but at 60,000 points per night, it would still be over £1000 in this offer – you’d need either a really expensive hotel or a really cheap one for it to make sense. I bought last year (for £475) but was then saving anywhere from £25 to £120 per night v the cash rate during Euro 2016 in France.

  One word of warning re the IHG Accelerate promotion. I completed ALL my targets last quarter, but for my final hotel night, the stay didn’t post. After I rang them, it posted after a couple of weeks – but the other targets (including a “bonus package” stay which this was) still didn’t post…despite the “bonus points” appearing on the account. They then disputed that I had made two bookings via the App and claimed they were via a mobile web browser, so do be careful – I did use the app but it seems some devices or mobile OS do not recognise as App stays and you may need to have a vigorous debate with them. They didn’t even recognise my F&B stay and needed me to scan and send the receipt from the hotel to prove I had completed this spend too.

  These promotions are great when they work, but having to spend a long time on the phone to get them to provide the points once you’ve done the required spend makes me rethink if it’s really worth the hassle versus my usual preferences of Hilton, Radisson or SPG where the upgrades are all better.

• Fenny says:

  17 May17 May 12:56

  Given my Accelerate targets for the quarter, I’m more interested in buying the points than trying to fit in with the requirements. I’ve not got any stays planned and most of my Accelerate targets require 2 weekend night together. I’m Gold to the end of the year anyway and will retain status if I go for the new CC, so unless I decide to go anywhere for my birthday, I CBA to manufacture stays just to hit the targets.

• Genghis says:

  17 May17 May 13:19

  IHG related. Has anyone stayed at the IC in Porto? Opinion? What’s recognition of SE and AMB?

  • LB says:

    17 May17 May 18:27

    Genghis, we stayed at the IC Porto (using points) and received an upgrade of one level to a nice room overlooking the square. Unfortunately, there was a rock concert on the Saturday night (think it was the festival of St Joan). The hotel was small for an IC and service/ location was ok. We spent another 2 nights at the Crowne Plaza which was further out of town but were upgraded to the “Diplomat Suite”, possibly the best upgrade I’ve had on points. Give the IC a try but check for festivals…

    • Genghis says:

      17 May17 May 19:32

      Thanks for your feedback

      • Klaus-Peter Dudas says:

        18 May18 May 00:49

        I used to stay at the IC Porto for work. Lovely hotel.

• Jake says:

  17 May17 May 13:38

  Does buying IHG points count towards activity to keep the account alive? Need activity on the account before the end of June, but not likely to get a stay in before then.

  • Rob says:

    17 May17 May 13:55

    Yes.But so does booking and cancelling a redemption, as that is ‘activity’.

    • Jake says:

      18 May18 May 15:53

      Thanks Rob

• Aliks says:

  17 May17 May 19:18

  OT , but does anyone know if JAL restricts avios redemptions on routes to Seoul (ICN)?

  I can see Narita NRT to Seoul ICN for 15,000 avios plus £45 return, but nothing available, ever for Kyoto KIX – ICN

• Graham Walsh says:

  21 May21 May 22:24

  Damm, missed this 100% Bonus. Need points to part pay for room in August. Not sure how much I can max out my CC card spend. Any idea how often they do the 100% bonus? Not used one this year, so could max it out for IC stay.

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