After all the major devaluations to airline mileage programs, Hyatt has finally decided to join in and completely overhaul Hyatt Gold Passport. The program will be renamed World of Hyatt, and the current two elite tiers will become three, basically by inserting a new tier between Platinum and Diamond. Of course, the benefits will also be adjusted accordingly. The changes will take effect in March 2017, so they will not affect members requalifying for 2016. Chase Hyatt credit cardholders will receive the new entry-level elite status.
Contents [Hide]
- 1 The old Hyatt Gold Passport program
- 2 World of Hyatt
- 3 Change #1: Qualification and requalification
- 4 Change #2: Breakfast (club lounge access)
- 5 Change #3: Room upgrades
- 6 Change #4: Stay at five brands and get one free night
- 7 Change #5: Resort Fee
- 8 Change #6: Late checkout and early check-in
- 9 Change #7: M Life
- 10 2017 status
- 11 Status Match?
The old Hyatt Gold Passport program
The old program had one basic member level and two elite tiers, Platinum and Diamond. Here’s a quick review of the benefits and qualification requirements:| Member (Membership) | Platinum | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requalification | None | 5 stays or 15 nights | 25 stays or 50 nights |
| Bonus points | 0% | 15% | 30% |
| Free WiFi | Standard | Premium | Premium |
| Reservation guarantee | None | 72-hour guaranteed availability | 48-hour guaranteed availability |
| Late checkout | None | 2pm | 4pm |
| Club lounge access | None | None | Yes; at hotels without a lounge, breakfast for four in the restaurant |
| Complimentary room upgrade | None | Higher floor, better room | Best room excluding suites |
| Suite upgrades | None | None | 4 per year |
| Welcome amenity | None | None | Points or snacks |
World of Hyatt
The new Hyatt loyalty program will have three elite tiers plus one basic member level: Member, Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist.
| Member | Discoverist | Explorist | Globalist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requalification | None | $5,000 in spending or 10 nights | $10,000 in spending or 30 nights | $20,000 in spending or 60 nights |
| Bonus points | 0% | 10% | 20% | 30% |
| Free WiFi | Standard | Standard | Premium | Premium |
| Reservation guarantee | None | None | 72-hour guaranteed availability | 48-hour guaranteed availability |
| Late checkout | None | 2pm | 2pm | 4pm |
| Complimentary room upgrade | None | Better room | Best room excluding Club rooms and suites | Up to a standard suite |
| Club lounge access | None | None | 4 per year | Yes; at hotels without a lounge, breakfast for four in the restaurant |
| M Life | Sapphire | Pearl | Gold | Gold |
| Free bottled water | One bottle per day | One bottle per day | One bottle per day | One bottle per day |
Change #1: Qualification and requalification
For people who do not travel very often, requalifying is the most practical consideration. The new World of Hyatt is also following the major airlines and Hilton HHonors by starting to use spending to determine elite status. Requalifying based on stays will no longer work. According to the table above, you now must either reach a certain spending level or qualify based on eligible nights. Previously, Platinum members only needed 5 stays to requalify, which was relatively easy. That path has now been cut off: you now need at least $5,000 in spending or 10 nights. The cost will jump significantly. For top-tier members, the requirement rises from 50 nights to 60 nights, which is not actually that huge a difference. Under the new program, earning higher elite status becomes much harder, and for most people it loses much of its appeal. The Chase Hyatt credit card used to give Platinum status, but under the new program it will give the new lowest elite tier, Discoverist. That effectively removes the late checkout benefit, and free WiFi is also reduced from premium to standard. Overall, the loss is not the worst part. Still, adding this new tier also creates room for a new premium credit card in the future.
Change #2: Breakfast (club lounge access)
The new Explorist tier will receive 4 free lounge passes per year, essentially equal to four breakfasts. The top-tier Globalist will still get unlimited access, and at hotels without a lounge, members can have breakfast in the restaurant, but only for two adults plus two children rather than the previous four people.
Change #3: Room upgrades
For top-tier members, the benefits are actually better. You can now be upgraded to a suite for free, which was not available before. And the 4 annual suite upgrade certificates can be used on award stays! For the other tiers, room upgrades are not fundamentally different.
Change #4: Stay at five brands and get one free night
This is a new benefit, similar to SPG’s brand-stay promotion. As long as you stay at five Hyatt brands in a year, you can get one free night (Cat 1-4). Reaching Explorist will also earn another Cat 1-4 free night. And reaching top-tier Globalist will earn an unrestricted one-night free hotel certificate! That is very valuable and extremely generous.
Change #5: Resort Fee
Resort Fee will not be charged on award stays, regardless of your elite status. This is a great deal at hotels with very expensive resort fees.Change #6: Late checkout and early check-in
Both Discoverist and Explorist will continue to get the same 2pm late checkout benefit as before, except at resorts.Change #7: M Life
Hyatt elites can directly receive M Life elite status. Current Platinum members (future Discoverist) will get M Life Pearl, while Explorist and top-tier Globalist will get M Life Gold.2017 status
The new program will take effect in March 2017, meaning it applies to next year.
- Those who have already met the 2017 Diamond requirements this year will be automatically matched to Globalist
- If you were a Diamond member in 2016, then no matter how much you stayed this year, you will become Explorist in 2017
- Platinum members will automatically become Discoverist (or Explorist?).
This transition approach is very reasonable. For the large number of Hyatt Diamonds who were matched at the end of 2015, this means they can continue to keep Explorist benefits in 2017. Platinum members also do not lose very much.