Buying points vs points and cash

[Mel TS]

Sorry for the newbie questions – I’ve read the articles on here and various threads and I”m confusing myself so I’d be grateful if someone can put me straight.
I had totally forgotten I had earnt 11,000 IHG points last year but these expire on 27th March.
I’ll need to stay somewhere near San Antonio for one night in the summer, but won’t know dates until April.
Am I right in thinking I have a couple of options
1) buy a tiny amount to keep the account alive until I know exact dates
2) book for a random date that week on points + Cash – then when I have to cancel and rebook once i know the exact date it will come back all as points and keep things alive – The hotel i’m looking at works out at $66 dollars
3) Buy enough points now during the 100% bonus for what i’d need – £67.50
4) dont worry about it
When I price it up online is it just coincidence that it’s a similar amount or is it taking into account the bonus?

[John]

I don’t understand your figures. What’s the points price of the hotel? With the 100% bonus, points should cost 0.5 US cents each, while buying through points&cash costs minimum 0.6 US cents (in my experience).

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

I don’t think that using the points to book for a later date and then cancelling extends their expiry date when you cancel that booking.

You need to either earn/buy points or spend points before (such as buying something in the shop) their expiry date to reset.

[davefl]

@BA Flyer Do you really think IHG IT is competent enough to handle that? Any type of spend such as a room on 100% points, or room on P+C would counnt as an activity for the 12 month period. Refunding that room later won’t set a clock back to an expiry, they’re just not that good.

@Mel TS any of your options are valid, number 2 is the cleanest but be aware that sometimes points refunds from cancelled bookings don’t come back as instantly as IHG promise in their marketing and have to be chased.

[Mel TS]

John wrote:

I don’t understand your figures. What’s the points price of the hotel? With the 100% bonus, points should cost 0.5 US cents each, while buying through points&cash costs minimum 0.6 US cents (in my experience).

@John Sorry, my mistake thats because I’d put a £ instead of $ sign in!

davefl wrote:

@BA Flyer Do you really think IHG IT is competent enough to handle that? Any type of spend such as a room on 100% points, or room on P+C would counnt as an activity for the 12 month period. Refunding that room later won’t set a clock back to an expiry, they’re just not that good.

@Mel TS any of your options are valid, number 2 is the cleanest but be aware that sometimes points refunds from cancelled bookings don’t come back as instantly as IHG promise in their marketing and have to be chased.

thanks @BA Flyer IHG Stayer and @Davefl, I will go do the maths and see what’s best. We’ll definitely be staying, its just on which day!

[Paul]

I bought points in the last sale and used them to book 3 nights at the IC in Budapest. it was 90,000 for the 3 nights which I thought was a good deal. To my astonishment the rate had fallen to just 25,000 a night and so I cancelled and rebooked saving 15,000. a second booking also had fallen but there the saving was just 1000 a night. Even at the non refundable rate I was getting 0.006p of value per point but this is higher if you look at flexible rates for the same period.

I like the duplicate booking button on the desk top site, it really helps with this. I am already at 19 nights this year with just 4 paid nights and using points certainly helps to save money. I won’t get Diamond this year so breakfast falls away, but I will aim to get 40 nights to get the club pass. If I time it right (you must select the benefit within 90 days of triggering it) I would have the pass for almost 2 years. I can then return to Hilton whenever in a destination with no IHG hotels that have a club.