Hyatt extends wife’s elite status by 3 months but I’m not thrilled

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Earlier today my wife received an email from Hyatt stating that they were going to extend her Explorist elite status for 3 months beyond its set expiry.  Plus, if she completes 10 nights between March 1 and May 31, they’ll extend her status again through February 2019.  I don’t think she came anywhere near re-qualifying for Explorist with her 2017 stays, so on the surface this seems like a really nice offer.  Unfortunately, it mucks a bit with my plans…

a screenshot of a websiteYesterday I matched my wife’s Hyatt Explorist status to M Life Gold via Hyatt’s website.  She didn’t yet have an M Life account, but after logging into her Hyatt account and clicking the “OPT IN” tier match button (see above), I was able to create her M Life account in the process.  The whole thing took about 2 minutes, and her new status showed up on her account the next day.

She doesn’t need M Life Gold status — I doubt she’ll ever make use of it at all.  No, the point of the exercise was so that I can later match her back to Hyatt Explorist status once she loses that status. She was originally set to lose her Hyatt status on March 1, so I figured we’d request a status match from M Life on March 1 or 2.  Will that really work?  Well it absolutely worked for me last year — that’s how I have Hyatt Explorist status today.  But, of course, it could stop working at any time.

The promo specifically excludes M life Rewards tier matching during the promotion period, so with this promo thrust upon us, she won’t be able to tier match until June 1.

Why this is a potential nuisance

Why should I care when my wife tier matches back from M life Rewards to Hyatt?  Either way she’ll have Explorist status throughout, right?  Well, yes, but to me the only Explorist benefit worth talking about is that Explorists get 4 club access awards per year.

Last year, I was granted those club access awards right after tier matching from M life Gold to Hyatt Explorist.  But my wife will have to wait a minimum of 3 months to get new certificates.  The terms of the promo specifically state that “The member will not receive Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards… during the Promotion Period.

If I end up in the same situation (I haven’t received the email yet, but maybe it’s still going to come?) then that could be a nuisance because we won’t then have my club access awards to keep us freely fed.

On the other hand…

If I don’t get this promo forced upon me, then the fact that my wife got it could prove to be a blessing.  Why?  There’s always a chance (a good chance, I think) that the reverse tier matching won’t work this year.  If that happens then our only realistic chance of keeping Explorist status in the family is if we manage to credit 10 nights to her account during the promo period.  I don’t think I’d “mattress run” for those nights, though.  Explorist status is simply not all that valuable.  If they offered Globablist, though, I’d be all over that!

Here’s the email text:

Enjoy Your Explorist Benefits Longer a man wearing a hat and holding a camera

Thank you for letting World of Hyatt® be part of your travels and the unforgettable memories you’ve created.

Your loyalty deserves special attention, so we are happy to maintain your Explorist status through May 31, 2018 and provide a special opportunity to extend it even longer. Stay 10 qualifying nights with checkout dates March 1 through May 31, 2018 and you’ll continue to enjoy the thoughtful rewards and special privileges of your Explorist status through February 2019. Plus, new for 2018, all your qualifying nights – including nights on free night awards – count.

Your World of Hyatt benefits are designed to make you feel cared for with preferred rooms, premium Internet, 20% Bonus Points on qualifying spend and more. Wherever you go next, please continue to enjoy these exclusive perks.

And the fine print:

You must be a recipient of this email to participate in this promotion. Upon receipt of this email you will be automatically registered for this promotion and receive an Explorist membership from March 1, 2018 through May 31, 2018 as set forth in these terms.

To maintain Explorist membership after May 31, 2018, you must complete 10 qualifying nights at any Hyatt hotel and resort or participating MGM property during the Promotion Period. All eligible nights under this promotion must be on stays with checkout dates between March 1, 2018 and May 31, 2018 (“Promotion Period”). Explorist 20% point bonus will be awarded for all eligible revenue during the Promotion Period when member chooses points for their stay. If member completes the qualifying night requirement during the Promotion Period, they will receive Explorist membership valid through February 2019. The promotion will provide the member with the benefits of Explorist membership, provided that the member will not receive Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards or a Category 1-4 Free Night Award (as defined in the World of Hyatt program terms) or be eligible to tier match with M life Rewards, the loyalty program of MGM Resorts International, during the Promotion Period.

World of Hyatt will automatically track Eligible Nights when you provide your World of Hyatt membership number at check-in. For the purpose of this promotion, an “Eligible Night” is defined as any night where a member is paying an Eligible Rate or redeems a free night award for at least one night of their stay. Only the room occupied by the member will count toward this promotion.

Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this promotion with a suitable substitute promotion of equal value (if legally required) at any time due to actual circumstances. This promotion is subject to the terms and conditions of the World of Hyatt program available at worldofhyatt.com/terms.

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