Update 1/29/26: A reader shared an email that they received from someone at the IHG Diamond Elite service desk. The IHG agent apologized for the confusion about the status end date for the promotion and confirmed that the reader’s Diamond status would be valid through 12/31/2027. The agent then said, “We expect your account to reflect the correct status by February 2026.”
We have no idea whether this will be applied across the board or whether it was in response to the reader complaint. Regardless, it’s probably worth reaching out to ihgdiamondelite@ihg.com if you’re in this situation.
~~~Original Post Follows~~~
IHG One Rewards offered an opportunity at the end of 2025 to purchase status-qualifying points, effectively making it possible to buy IHG Diamond through 12/31/26. You can read more about that deal here. Some members who purchased the qualifying points late on 12/31/25 found that their status initially reflected an extra year, with an expiration of 12/31/27 rather than the end of this year. IHG is apparently fixing that error.
Again, this is a relatively limited issue that I believe only affects those who purchased IHG status-qualifying points on 12/31/25. Some of those who purchased that day initially saw an IHG Diamond status expiration date of 12/31/27 instead of the expected 12/31/26. That would have yielded two years of IHG Diamond status.
Unfortunately, reader data points started to come in more than two weeks ago, indicating that IHG had updated the expiration date of their status to reflect the expected 12/31/26 expiration. We’ve since seen several more data points trickle in, and Loyalty Lobby also posted about this today.
It’s disappointing that this didn’t work out, though ultimately those who purchased points have received what they expected — IHG Diamond status through 12/31/26 — which was still a good deal for those who can leverage the benefits.
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Does anybody have a good phone number/email to escalate things with IHG. I bought points under this promo but made a mistake that left me just short of the 120,000 needed to qualify. I immediately contacted IHG and explained things. A few days later, on 26 December 2025, I received an email saying I had “locked in” Diamond through 2026. The language and meaning in the email are absolutely clear. On 10 January 2026 I received another email saying my status had changed: back down to Platinum. I called an explained that this was unfair: I was led to believe that I had the status and, if I didn’t, perhaps I could have done something in the last week of the year to get it. I got a fair hearing on the phone and was told to write an email. The response I received was terse and to the point: pound sand, you’re a Platinum and that’s it. The rep even went so far as to interpret the original email for me: Oh no, she wrote, that email just said that you had purchased points that qualified for status, it didn’t say that you have it. Bull$%!t.
If anyone has a good contact, I would love to have it. I’ve been fairly loyal with IHG for a long time and they are treating me quite unfairly.
Best bet is to do some digging and get the name of a person high up in the company, preferably the CEO. They usually have people read their emails. Write a nicely worded email explaining all this and hopefully you will get a good result. Customer service reps on the phone are not that helpful unfortunately.
It’s because people were calling in to complain about why they were not getting the additional year. One particular person named Pam is one of them. She had posted on this website a few weeks ago.
Thanks Pam!
You dont know what you’re talking about. I didnt call in to “complain.” I called in because I didn’t have to buy the full 120k points, but the reduced amt didnt show up correctly/reward Diamond. I was eventually transferred to IT & during that convo they relayed the 2-yr “glitch” issue that was taking up all their resources. I posted about that, nothing more
Why did you post this on Jan 1st the following if the above is true:
“just purchased NYE but only extended until 12.31.26”
https://frequentmiler.com/ihg-offering-opportunity-to-buy-back-or-increase-status-for-2026/#comment-2466823
I have taken a screenshot before you consider deleting that comment. The evidence suggests you were mad you only got 1 year of Diamond instead of 2 because you bought too early on NYE and phoned IHG to complain. Please do let me know if I am wrong.
You are full of it. We read your post and we see the consequences. Pray tell, are you the reader who kindly shared with FM that the 12/31/27 status will be restored?
Same thing that happened to the old Ambassador trick to extend Diamond, people just can’t keep their mouth shut about an unintended benefit and start asking IHG directly about it until they get annoyed and decide to just shut it down for everyone.
I did this on Dec 31, 2024, and received diamond status through Dec 31, 2026. My extra year is still intact.
shame it didn’t work for people this recent year.
It’s because we got pammed.
Get over it.
@Nick Reyes Yeah it’s unfortunate, but my points tracker still shows 120,000 earned in 2026, so it’s possible it will update again (though I’m not holding my breath).
Also – P2 had an IHG Premier FNC post this month with a 2028 EXPIRATION (2 years instead of 12mo)…so perhaps they fixed one thing and broke another.