IHG airline baggage rebate with weekend stays Sep 1 – Dec 30

Baggage fees are the top complaint about airlines these days according to a June 2010 Consumer Reports survey. IHG has a “Check it Free†offer for U.S. residents only to reimburse the airline baggage fee for your first checked bag when staying at least two weekend nights (Fri-Sat-Sun) from September 1 through December 30, 2010 at any IHG hotel worldwide in conjunction with a flight.

Terms:

Check It Free with IHG

• Book on or after August 16, 2010 for stays between Sept. 1 – Dec. 30, 2010
• Spend two consecutive weekend nights (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) at any IHG hotel worldwide
• Use your Visa to pay for your hotel stay (third party reservations with OTAs like Expedia are eligible)
• Receive a free Prepaid Visa Card up to $50
• Earn up to $850 in reimbursements during the promotional time period
• Additional Information: www.ihg.com/freebag
• U.S. residents only
• Flight must originate within three days of check-in or check-out at hotel
• Only one roundtrip baggage fee for one bag per hotel stay is eligible for reimbursement.
• Visa payment is not required for airline ticket or baggage fee.
• IHG hotel brands are Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental Hotels, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites.

 

The primary restriction for this promotion is the date of your inbound or outbound flight must occur within three days in conjunction to the hotel stay.  And of course, you must pay for your hotel stay with Visa. Visa payment is not required for the airline ticket or baggage fee payment.

There is substantial fine print to understand the details of the offer. The original terms from the IHG site are shown below with some bold-face print inserted by me for key sections.

Rebate Requirements

Booking through IHG.com or hotel

1. Hotel bill showing Visa payment method and travel dates
2. Receipt for checked airline baggage fees and travel dates

Booking through a 3rd party site (ie. Travelocity or Expedia)

1. Hotel bill showing travel dates
2. Receipt from 3rd party booking site showing Visa payment method and travel dates
3. Receipt for checked airline baggage fees and travel dates

Terms & Conditions:
For baggage fee rebate, must book at any IHG brand hotel worldwide on or after August 16, 2010 and stay between September 1 – December 30, 2010. Open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who have attained the age of majority in the jurisdiction of their residence.

One reward (IHG Visa^® Prepaid Card) will be awarded on every qualifying two-night weekend stay booked on or after August 16, 2010 at participating InterContinental^®, Crowne Plaza^®, Hotel Indigo^®, Holiday Inn^®, Holiday Inn Express^® and Express by Holiday Inn™, Holiday Inn Club Vacations™, Staybridge Suites^® and Candlewood Suites^® hotels for U.S. resident stays worldwide between September 1 and December 30, 2010. Stay method of payment must be a valid Visa credit card.

Rebate documents required:
• Copy of hotel folio (bill) showing qualified hotel stay and Visa payment method (with stay period shown)
• Copy of baggage fee receipt for same trip with flight date shown that coincides with weekend stay and originates within three days of check-in or check-out. Guest name on hotel folio must match guest name on the baggage fee receipt. Visa payment method not required for payment of baggage fee.

Bookings not made through an IHG channel require copies of 3 receipts: Hotel Invoice from IHG hotel (with stay period shown), Invoice from non-IHG third party booking source showing Visa payment method (with stay period shown), and airline baggage fee receipt (with flight date shown)
Submit rebate redemption form along with copies of the required documents as stated above to the address shown on the rebate form. Rebate must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2011.

A stay is defined as two consecutive weekend nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) at the same hotel, regardless of frequency of check-in/out. A stay is qualified when paying qualifying rates, which include most business and leisure rates. Qualifying Room Rates do not include the following reduced room rates: net wholesale individual and group rate, certain package rates, employee discount rate, friends and family rate, crew rate, special discounted contract rates, seasonal worker/crew rate, 50% travel club discount rate, travel industry discount rate, distressed passenger rate, Priority Club Reward Nights/Airline Hotel Reward rate, complimentary hotel stays and any other rates not defined as a Qualifying Room Rate. Rates booked via third parties such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and Booking.com are also valid under this promotion , but specifically excluded are opaque (hotel name, location and/or rate not visible until after booking is submitted) and “name your own price†rates as well as any rates not available on this approved online booking site.

Only one bag per hotel stay combined with one round-trip baggage fee from corresponding flight will result in a reward being awarded per weekend stay. The number of qualified rewards awarded are unlimited during the promotional period. Baggage fees will be reimbursed based on the airline baggage fees of air carriers for one normal checked bag that is not overweight and not oversize under the carrier’s rules roundtrip up to a maximum of $50 for one bag and one passenger. Baggage fees will be based on the fees that are specified by the applicable carriers on the date of this publication 8/13/10. Baggage fees vary by airline carrier. Limit one (1) reward payable per qualifying form per weekend.

Reward will be returned to the name and address designated on the required rebate form (U.S. addresses only) and will be fulfilled in U.S. dollars via an IHG Visa Prepaid Card. Claims postmarked after applicable dates, incomplete or illegible submissions, counterfeit copies of forms or receipts, and duplicate submissions will be rejected. IHG is not responsible for loss of rebate forms or rewards due to lost or misdirected mail or for illegible entries. Good for actual purchases by end users only; excludes resellers and distributors of products and their families. You should receive your reward within 6-8 weeks after claim is received. Limit one reward per person, receipt, household, family or address per qualifying weekend stay. IHG reserves the right to request additional information regarding this claim.

The IHG Visa Prepaid Card is not redeemable for cash and may not be used for cash withdrawal at any cash-dispensing location. Each time you use the card the amount of the transaction will be deducted from the amount of your available balance. Additional Terms and Conditions apply to the card. Please refer to the Cardholder Agreement insert provided with your prepaid card. Subject to applicable law, a monthly maintenance fee of $3 (USD) applies, but is waived for the first six months after the card is issued. No additional fees will be assessed once the card balance reaches zero. The Visa prepaid card is non-transferable and non-refundable. Your card is issued by MetaBankTM pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Cards can be used at any merchants that accept Visa debit cards. IHG reserves the right to substitute a check of equal value in lieu of a Visa prepaid card at its discretion. Offer valid only on purchase of hotel room nights at IHG hotels as stated above. Your rebate rights cannot be transferred, and this offer is void where taxed, restricted or prohibited by law. Keep copies of all materials submitted: originals will not be returned. Warning: Fraudulent submission could result in federal prosecution under mail fraud statues (Title 18, USC Sections 1341 & 1342). Your reward will be mailed within 6-8 weeks. If you have not received your reward within 10 weeks, visit www.ihgrebate.com or call 1-800-318-7972.