Mike FriedmanBuying a “free night”
One of my rules of thumb relates to buying points (buying a “free night”) from airlines and hotels: In general, it rarely makes sense to do so. Until recently, that sentence said “never” instead of “rarely,” but travel providers have been offering up some decent deals, so I’ve amended the statement.
There is one time that you should buy points: It’s when you can buy the points that you need for a flight or hotel room for less than it would cost you to pay cash.
Buy IHG Rewards Club Points For 0.5 Cents Each
You may not know the name “IHG” off the top of your head, but I’m sure you know some of the IHG brands, which include InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton Hotels, Staybridge Suites and a bunch of others. In Las Vegas, they also have a partnership with The Venetian.
ACT FAST | Through June 8th – Buy IHG Rewards Club Points
IHG is not my favorite rewards program, but they have some good deals, such as the newbie-friendly Accelerate Promotion. Right now, they’re offering an outstanding deal on buying points through the IHG points promotion, with a 100% bonus on purchases. If you buy more than 25,000 points, you’ll pay 0.5 cents per point, which is less than I would value them on the open market (if such a thing existed).
An Example Of When You Should Buy Points
If you know that you have a stay coming up at an IHG property (or need to book a hotel for a future stay), check out their website and compare the price to buy IHG Rewards Club Points with the price in cash.
For example, let’s say that I want to stay at the InterContinental in Boston on the evening of August 12 (I picked that hotel and night at random.). I check out the IHG reservation page and note that there are two rates: $434.90 for a non-refundable rate, or $542.55 for a refundable one. Both rates include taxes
Now, let’s look at what happens if you buy the points and use them at the hotel. One night costs 70,000 points. At 0.5 cents per point, you’re only paying $350 for the night, or almost $200 less than the refundable rate (The reward price is refundable until 48 hours before the stay, the same as the cash price.).
It’s true that you are giving up the 10 points per dollar that you would earn, but we’re looking at under $25 in value.
How To Make Your Reservation
Check out the IHG Points Promotion page and click on “Make Reservations” at the top. You’ll be able to view both the cash rates and the rate if you want to pay points (buy a “free night”). If you can buy the points for less than you would pay out of pocket, you’ve got a deal!
Remember, this deal ends on June 8, so you’ve got until the end of the week to take advantage of it. Enjoy your savings!
