Hyatt has already extended reservations flexibility through June 30, including refunds for prepaid hotel reservations for those who need or want to cancel.
They’ve also now worked through how to handle elite status, upgrade certificates, and free night awards. And they’re also announcing a further pause to expiration of points.
- Expiring points: Points will not expire again until 2021. Normally points expire for accounts without activity for 24 months. They’ve suspended points expiration through the end of 2021.
- Elite status: all member status that would expire February 28, 2021 will be extended a year and expire February 28, 2022.
- Suite and club upgrade awards: All unused upgrade awards that were scheduled to expire March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 are extended through December 31, 2021.
- Free night awards: unused category 1-4 and 1-7 free night awards that were set to expire March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 – such as those from Hyatt credit cards, earned from staying a each increment of 5 Hyatt brands, or earned from staying at 30 and 60 nights in a year – will be extended through December 31, 2021. This bit actually surprises me in its generosity because the shelf life of a free night award is usually measured in months.
Park Hyatt Chennai Suite
The way free night and upgrade award extensions will work is,
Awards that expired between March 1 and March 31, 2020 will be replaced with new awards on April 20, 2020. All other qualifying, unused awards will be updated by the 20th day of the month in which the award would have originally expired.
Members with current elite status keep their status, and keep their unused confirmed upgrades, even if they don’t complete the normal requirements for status this year.
However they won’t receive the benefits that come with every 10 nights of stays.
| # Nights | Or | Benefit |
| 10 | 25k base points or 3 meetings | Discoverist |
| 20 | 35k base points | 2 club lounge access awards |
| 30 | 50k base points or 10 meetings | Explorist, 2 club access awards, cat 1-4 free night |
| 40 | 65k base points | 5k points or $100 Hyatt gift card or 10k points off FIND experience |
| 50 | 80k base points | 2 confirmed suite upgrade awards |
| 60 | 100k base points or 20 meetings | Globalist, 2 suite upgrade awards, cat 1-7 free night, concierge |
| 70 | N/A | 10,000 points or suite upgrade award |
| 80 | N/A | 10,000 points or suite upgrade award |
| 90 | N/A | 10,000 points or suite upgrade award |
| 100 | N/A | 10,000 points or suite upgrade award |
In other words a current Globalist member will still receive upgrades and breakfast on property, but they won’t receive a free (category 1-4) night for staying 30 nights, additional confirmed suite upgrades at 50 and 60 nights, or a free (category 1-7) night for staying 60 nights.
That seems more than reasonable to me, it says this year’s status, upgrades and free nights can be paused and used next year. And at the same time, there’s still a program benefit to continuing to stay with Hyatt when you’re able.
There’s actually one exception and this will benefit Globalist members who aren’t able to stay 60 nights this year. The dedicated Hyatt concierge is a 60 night benefit rather than a Globalist benefit. I spoke with Amy Weinberg, Senior Vice President for the World of Hyatt program, and she told me that Globalists who currently have a Hyatt concierge will keep them next year. (And though Marriott has laid off many of their equivalent Ambassador agents, Hyatt is not doing so.)
Finally Ms. Weinberg noted that this week the Hyatt app launched content through their Headspace content alliance, giving members trial Headspace access for guided meditation.
Just as I’m unlikely to take advantage of Hyatt’s Exhale partnership, my wife would attest that mindfulness is hardly my area of focus. (You might even say that I couldn’t find ‘true north’ if I had a compass and was firmly planted in the Arctic.)
Good thing my club upgrades expired on Feb 29…
So what you are saying is the 3 club lounge upgrades that I still had in my account but expired on March 1st will be reinstated to my account April 20th?
If I had somehow made 60 nights this year (unlikely, but not impossible) is my status extended through 2023 or do all stays simply reset on 1/1/21 and I have to requalify next year?
Just to confirm: 1) If you earn 60 nights before July 1st, the cat 1-7 certificate will be valid for 18 months. If you earn 60 nights after July 1st, the cat 1-7 certificate will be valid for 6 months only? 2) A current globalist who won’t earn 50 nights before Dec 31 will not have any valid suite upgrades after Feb 2021?
Do any club and suite upgrades expire between March 1st and December 31st? All of mine expire on 2/28/21
At the top it states that free night awards are extended through December 31 2020 – I believe you meant 2021.
This was inevitable, especially after Hilton took the lead, and around mid-year, with the pandemic situation still unresolved, airlines will also be begin adopting similar policies with respect to points expiration and status extension.
So if I have 20 nights so far in 2020, will those 20 nights carry-over on 2021, towards 2022 status?
A nice slap on the face of Bonvoy!
Good job Hyatt! Where are the airlines, now?
BTW, due status match between AA ans Hyatt does this mean Globalists will stay Exec Plat on AA?
I already used all 4 of my suite upgrades earned in 2019. I intend to still hit 100 nights this year. Does this mean that I won’t earn any more suite upgrades in 2020?
Your move, AA.
@James – I think it’s pretty clear Hyatt will still award you all the Milestone awards this year on your way up to 100 nights
@ Gary — LOVE HYATT!
Well since most people had status downgrade in February it doesn’t help a ton….
Well let’s see what Marriott is going to do now. They are seemingly dragging their feet on this. You would think the largest program would have come out swinging.
Few are traveling now, so there is little cost to extending loyalty program benefits. That said, some programs continue to reach higher, while others drown in the shallows of their lack of concern for members and pettiness.
Their names unnecessary, but they will be remembered when future choices are made.
Please ask Amy Weinberg about all the suite upgrades we Globalists have already earned that are set to expire 2/28/21. According to the email I received, only the upgrades set to expire by 12/31/20 will get extended by a year. This seems counter intuitive as not many Globalists have upgrades that expire at the end of the year. Surely this is an oversight????
Hyatt is awesome! Thanks for the update!
Hyatt had my loyalty before and this has only solidified that loyalty. Maybe Arne will wake up and do the same, although I’m not betting on it.
@ Drew — How is it that MOST PEOPLE had a status downgrade in February? Our household’s Globalist status was extended for a year because we earned it. Why should Hyatt extend the status of those who did not earn it by 2 years?
@Gene – I made Globalist last year. My question is what happens to my stays the rest of this year? Before the lockdown, I had about 30 Hyatt nights. Between Hyatt CC spend and stays, it’s not impossible I could get another 30 nights this year. But my motivation to do so will heavily depend on whether or not I will need to start over again on January 1. In other words, trying to figure out if actually hitting 60 nights this year will be rewarded by Hyatt, or if everyone is simply going to be extended another year and all stays this year or meaningless. If the latter, that’s fine, but it will cause me to drive CC spend and stays away from Hyatt.
@ Drew — Yes, it will be rewarded. A free extension does not earn you any milestone rewards (eg, suite upgrades), but staying 60 nights will.
Hyatt was very smart to separate these two things.
one of my co-workers loved to brag about his status on airlines and hotels, which was all on the company’s dime. now that the virus hit, he got canned– so now his diamond statuses won’t be doing him any good at all.