We Bought A Million IHG Points

The title says it all. We talk about how to optimize purchasing and spending reward points with IHG Hotels.
You can check out the latest IHG credit card signup offer here:
www.referyourchasecard.com/21...

[@patric5076]

Thanks for the info. I suggest that when you're talking about numbers put up a visual slide. Nothing complex but numbers are better understood when you see them vs. when you just hear them.

[@thepodojils]

Thanks for the tip!

[@charliedurham4248]

One thing to be careful of is holding a bunch of points and then they announce a devaluation. Which they will at some point. Try to book a reasonable amount of stays well in advance.

[@jamescook9646]

congrats. retiring next year in june. got the amex gold which you should get to redeem for airfare stuff and IHG (multiple card ) for the stays. will get the amex platinum for airport lounges etc... your plan is solid, looking forward to seeing your journey! subscribed and liked!

[@michellelkphoto1543]

Good video! I locked into IHG last year with a 185,000 SUB! Su-weet! Question for you - Are you planning your travels to only go where IHG has locations? We want to go to Vietnam but they have 2 hotels at the beach and that is it...which stinks.

[@thepodojils]

Great job getting the 185k! We aren't locked onto any one brand... we will stay wherever we get the best deal overall, and that includes some amazing VRBO deals in South America. In parallel with IHG, we are working status using credit cards from Hilton, Wyndham, and Choice Hotels. Hyatt was being poopy and wouldn't give us a card, but we'll try again next year because their loyalty program is really good.

[@micheleisme]

I just looked at Panama City, Panama over the next several months and didn't see any nights for 10,000 points. What am I missing? And even at the cost of points being $.005/point when.I calculate cash vs. points (I checked a few hotels in a few places), there seemed to be no savings or nominal savings. It would be great if you showed a specific example.

[@thepodojils]

We try not to reveal our specific travel itinerary until after we have completed our travel (for safety reasons), but here goes: When we booked the Holiday Inn Panama Distrito Financiero six months out, the points rate was 14,000 per night with every fourth night free, bringing the average cost to 10,800 points or $54 with purchased points. (we actually used the free points from the credit card offer for this stay) The cash rate with taxes and fees was $82.24. It's a little bit higher to book now, at 15,166 pts/night.

[@JudyEasley-py7vk]

My head hurts! 😮

[@Flipvirtual]

I can attest that it's all real!

[@Sultan-nx4iz]

Pretty sure you pay resort fees on award stays at IHG (and Marriott) properties, but not at Hilton or Hyatt.

[@charliedurham4248]

That's what I understand, too

[@thepodojils]

That does indeed look to be the case at their Iberostar and Six Senses branded resorts. We don't have any experience with resorts, so we can't comment on how much those fees might be. But if we get hit with extra fees at any hotels, we will post an update!

[@Flipvirtual]

It's very limited but can happen. The main thing is avoiding the tourist taxes which I generally do avoid.

[@thepodojils]

@@Flipvirtual When you've run into these, could you see the fees at booking, or was it a gotcha at check-in? We've heard some rumblings about surprise VATs in some places...

[@Flipvirtual]

@thepodojils the IHG hotels sometimes have a $5-10 "amenity fee" on points reservations which is manageable. You can see this on the search results page so its not a surprise. However, I recently stayed in Athens, GR at the Intercon where the VAT was 13% on paid nights. This is why I typically avoid the paid nights unless its a very low rate. The math almost always checks out to buy points and avoid that alltogether.

[@patricec.2957]

This whole credit card thing works if you pay the bill in full at the end of the month, because I don't see where the benefit is if you have 25 percent interest.

[@thepodojils]

YES! We should have mentioned that. Actually, these cards are currently closer to 30% interest, so DO NOT CARRY BALANCES!!!

[@downloadableskills]

💯 And to add to your point. With Charge cards like American Express, you're expected to pay off the card at the end of the month. They have started allowing you to hold a small amount, but they set you up on a payment plan. But the benefits are great IF you are going to travel a lot. Or wanted to and want to save money when you do. . You just live your life through it They reimburse you for this and that. 30 off my insurance bill. Free Walmart plus. Pay 30 every month on Hulu. Very interesting, and very different to anything I had ever known about credit until about 3 years ago . Anyway.. good point