World of Hyatt has previously announced extension policies for member status, points as well as certain collected award certificates and this has now been universally extended until December 31, 2021.
All unused Free Night, Suite Upgrade or Club Lounge Access awards with expiration dates between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 will be extended to December 31, 2021.
It was previously unclear what would happen to especially those expiring suite night upgrade certificates that Globalist member had earned during their 2019 qualification and that were due to expire at the end of this year even while the status itself had already been given an extension through February 2022.
You can access the World of Hyatt’s page for COVID-19 here.
READ MORE: World of Hyatt Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
These are the details which Hyatt just updated on their Covid-related policy:
Earned Awards Extension
1. Which members are eligible to have their earned awards extended?
All members (base and elite) on a global basis will have their qualifying unused, expiring awards extended.
2. Which awards will be extended?
Awards with 2020 Expiration: All unused Free Night, Suite Upgrade or Club Lounge Access awards with expiration dates between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 will be extended to December 31, 2021.
Awards with 2021 Expiration: All unused Suite Upgrade and Club Lounge Access awards with February 28, 2021 expiration dates will be extended to December 31, 2021. In addition, all unused Free Night awards that were earned in 2020 with 2021 expiration dates will be extended to December 31, 2021.
3. Are there any awards that will not be extended?
Healthcare Heroes Free Night awards that were gifted to frontline workers at NYC Health + Hospitals / Elmhurst will maintain their original June 30, 2021 expiration date.
4. How will the award expiration date extension be facilitated?
The award extension will be generated by World of Hyatt – members do not need to take action. Qualifying unused Club Lounge Access and Suite Upgrade awards that expire February 2021 and promotional Free Night awards issued in 2020 with expiration date before December 31, 2021 will be replaced with a new award beginning November 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.Elite Status Extension
1. Which members are eligible to receive a special elite status extension?
Status and benefits have been extended for all current elite members on a global basis without having to re-qualify. This means that whatever a member’s status was as of March 31, 2020 – whether Discoverist, Explorist or Globalist – it has been automatically updated to reflect a February 28, 2022 expiration date.2. How and when will these elite status extensions be facilitated?
The status extensions have been generated automatically by World of Hyatt – members do not need to take any action. All elite tier extensions should now be reflected in members’ accounts.3. Will members be granted their tier status from February 2020?
No, status was extended based on status as of March 31, 2020, which reflects activity through all of 2019.
These extensions are not yet visible in the accounts so no need to panic, Hyatt will do so on or around November 20th and the newly placed certificates will be good until the announced date of DEC 31, 2021.
World of Hyatt has also announced modifications in terms of their planned Award Chart Changes (John also wrote a separate article about this):
Postponing Award Chart Changes
1. When will the changes to the award chart become effective?
Effective 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, World of Hyatt will adjust the award categories for the 12 hotels moving down in category. The hotels moving up in category will not be adjusted until mid-March, with more details to be shared at a later date.
2. What are the current point redemption values for standard night free night award category?Category 1 = 5,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 2 = 8,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 3 = 12,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 4 = 15,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 5 = 20,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 6 = 25,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 7 = 30,000 World of Hyatt points
Category 8 = 40,000 World of Hyatt points
3. For free night award redemption reservations made before 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, which award chart will be effective?
All free night award redemptions booked before 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, will follow the current Award Chart. For example, if you book an award night prior to 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, for a stay that occurs on October 29 or after, the booking will be at the current Award Chart. However, if that booking was at a property that is shifting to a lower category that requires fewer points, the difference in points will be returned to the member. Any free night award redemptions booked at 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020 or after, will follow the new Award Chart.
4. How will award nights booked prior to 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, be impacted if the hotel I am staying at now requires fewer points?
Any Free Night or Points & Cash Award booked prior to 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, for nights on or after October 29, 2020, at a property that is shifting to a lower category and will require fewer points will be adjusted to the new, lower category and the difference in points will be returned to the member.
5. How will award nights booked prior to mid-March, be impacted if the hotel I am staying at requires more points?
Any Free Night Award booked prior to mid-March, at a property that is shifting to a higher category and will require more points will not be affected. Reservations will remain in place at the originally booked point level. For example, a Free Night Award booked at a Category 1 hotel for 5,000 points before mid-March, that is moving to a Category 2 hotel for 8,000 points will remain at 5,000 points.
6. Starting at 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, how will modifications to existing reservations be handled?
Any modifications made to reservations on or after 8:00am CT, October 29, 2020, will follow the terms of the new Award Chart.
As can be seen Hyatt has introduced a new Category 8 for points redemptions which will require 40,000 points per night. Who knows which properties will end up in this category sometime down the road but I can’t see myself using 40k points for a single hotel night. Even the 30k for a Cat 7 already pain me.
The modifications on Hyatt’s award chart however are minimal and all affected hotels are based in the U.S. and the new rates apply if these properties are booked or modified as of as of October 29, 2020.
Only four hotels will move up by one category:
- Park Hyatt Aviara – Category 5 to Category 6
- Hyatt Regency John Wayne Airport, Orange Country – Category 2 to Category 3
- Unbound Collection Mar Monte Hotel – Category 4 to Category 5
- Hyatt House Downtown Nashville – Category 4 to Category 5
Twelve properties in total will move down by one category:
- Kaanapali Alii, a Destination Residence – Category 8 to Category 7
- The Lodge at Spruce Peak, a Destination Hotel – Category 8 to Category 7
- Lichenhearth, a Destination Residence – Category 6 to Category 5
- Mauna Lani Point, a Destination Residence – Category 7 to Category 6
- The Parker New York – Category 6 to Category 5
- Stonebridge Inn, a Destination Hotel – Category 5 to Category 4
- Grand Hyatt Vail – Category 7 to Category 6
- Vail Residences at Cascade Village, a Destination Residence – Category 8 to Category 7
- Wailea Grand Champions Villas, a Destination Residence – Category 6 to Category 5
- Wailea Ekolu Village, a Destination Residence – Category 6 to Category 5
- Wailea Ekahi Village, a Destination Residence – Category 6 to Category 5
- Wailea Elua Village, a Destination Residence – Category 8 to Category 7
I think this is all very moderate and nothing major that we can’t live with. However shouldn’t there be much more hotels going down in category considering how much rates have crashed in many cases? Often more than 50% yet points rates remain static. It doesn’t make sense to use points when paid rates are extremely low.
It confuses me though that they put new award chart changes in places while haven’t even acted on the last ones yet which has been postponed until 2021.
The same goes for the Peak Pricing which was previously announced and postponed until next year. I wonder if that will ever be implemented given the current climate in the hospitality sector.
Conclusion
A good step to finally clear things up for those elite members who had awards expiring at the end of this year which is (shockingly) just three months away. This year has really been stolen from all of us due to Coronavirus.
Hopefully Hyatt will come to their senses and kick the peak/off peak seasoning to the curb entirely next year. I can’t see that being a very popular change to the program. Surprised they didn’t offer a status match yet at this point like most of their competitors.
