World of Hyatt Loyalty Benefits Extended

Loyalty benefits for members of World of Hyatt are being extending, according to an announcement from Hyatt. In response to the downturn in travel earlier this year, the hotel company offers a flexible cancellation policy, and has extended elite-tier status and other loyalty benefits for all World of Hyatt members.

Now in addition World of Hyatt is suspending the forfeiture of points through June 30, 2021. As a reminder, the general policy is that points do not expire, but they will be forfeited if a member’s account is inactive for 24 months.

Further, the program is allowing members more time to use earned awards:

• Awards with 2020 Expiration: All unused Free Night, Suite Upgrade and Club Lounge Access awards with expiration dates between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2020 will be extended to Dec. 31, 2021.

• Awards with 2021 Expiration: All unused Suite Upgrade and Club Lounge Access awards with Feb. 28, 2021 expiration dates will be extended to Dec. 31, 2021. In addition, all unused Free Night awards that were earned in 2020 with 2021 expiration dates will be extended to Dec. 31, 2021.

World of Hyatt is making the following adjustments to its award chart:

• World of Hyatt is postponing until July 2021 the introduction of Off-peak and Peak point redemption (originally planned for March 22, 2020). This means that free-night redemptions will continue to be at standard rates through June 2021.

• With only a few exceptions, World of Hyatt is suspending its 2021 hotel category award chart changes that typically occur each March. This means that most hotels will remain in their current categories and be redeemable for the same number of points in 2021 as they were in 2020.

The exceptions include:

• 12 hotels shifting to a lower award category effective Oct. 29, including Grand Hyatt Vail (from category 7 to 6), Stonebridge Inn, A Destination Hotel (from category 5 to 4), The Lodge at Spruce Peak, A Destination Hotel (from 8 to 7), and Park New York (from category 6 to 5), among others.

• Four hotels will be shifting to a higher award category effective mid-March 2021, requiring more points to redeem for a free night award.

Details of World of Hyatt loyalty program changes, including a list of current hotels shifting award categories, can be found here. 

“We are actively listening to member feedback and understand their need to have peace of mind when booking travel, and because of this, our adjusted policies and generous promotions ensure members can continue to enjoy a rewarding experience with us,” said Amy Weinberg, senior vice president, World of Hyatt.

hyatt.com