J. Zidell, VP Hyatt Gold Passport

Dear FlyerTalkers,

We sincerely appreciate both the quantity and the quality of the feedback that we receive here. The conversation is always lively, and we do our best to quickly update you on program changes or address your concerns.

As you know, our loyalty program continues to evolve. Over the last several years, we have made a number of changes – most of which have been enthusiastically endorsed by our members. As we have said before, we will continue to invest in benefits that enhance the Hyatt experience for the majority of our members and eliminate benefits that are not valued or not utilized. Our Platinum Extras program falls into the latter category, and so, we have decided to discontinue it as of December 31, 2012.

After a thorough evaluation, we concluded that Platinum Extras did not provide a significant enhancement to the Hyatt experience; in fact, more than 75% of the awards earned by Platinum members were never redeemed. Therefore, it simply makes sense for us to focus our time, attention and resources on improving the program in new and innovative ways rather than administering a benefit that members don’t value.

Platinum members will still earn Platinum Extras Awards through the end of 2012 and will have 90 days to redeem these awards. For answers to frequently asked questions related to this benefit change, please visit http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/customer-.../faqs/faqs.jsp.

I wish you safe travels.

Jeff Zidell
Vice President
Hyatt Gold Passport

antonius66

So, is there going to be some kind of announcement that falls into the former category?

jbalmuth

From the FAQ:

6. Are there any other changes to the Platinum membership benefits?
There are no other changes to Platinum membership benefits at this time.



This change isn't positioned as an "enhancement", but rather just as a reduction in benefits, plain and simple.

dw

There are really two types of Platinum Extras certificates:

1) The kind you get when you renew Plat status every year. These are only good for on property redemption and expire rather quickly, so I can see how many of these go unredeemed. (The ones I've received the past two years, for example, were not redeemed because I had no Hyatt stays prior to the expiration dates.)

2) The kind you get every three stays. Since these can also be redeemed online for GP points, I consider these a good perk and it certainly provides an incentive to make that additional stay at a Hyatt vs. a different chain, since I know there will be some bonus points attached to that threshold stay.

The certs in the first category probably won't be missed too much. However, like the G bonuses, I think the certs in the second category will be missed.

Yul_voyager

That sucks. The Platinum award was what made the difference between Platinum member who stay 5 stays / year and 20 stays / year. Now, there is absolutely no incentive to stay at Hyatt more than 5 times (or stay at all if you have the credit card) if you don't plan to make Diamond (note that somebody who stays 20 times and 40 nights at expensive international Park Hyatt get the same recognition as somebody who sign up for a 75$ CC).

If Hyatt had introduced a "Welcome gift" as SPG did last year, like choose between 500 GP or a free beverage or a 5$ f&b voucher or anything else, for each stay it could have been called a enhancement, but here... it just sucks.

lcpteck

The club upgrade for the Platinum Extras is a great benefit.. Unfortunately it's not eligible outside of US.

samonyc

Twice I tried to use my Platinum Extras certificates for bonus points from on-property dining. Neither was ever credited, so I think we can lump them in that 75% of unredeemed awards.

GUWonder

So benefits that are used only by a minority of members are on the chopping block? So what isn't next?

Changing the benefits so late in the year and making it effective with less than a month's notice isn't really doing right by customers who may have chosen to make some additional stay(s) to get/retain Platinum status.

Hyatt GP "moves" reducing options aren't inspiring me to have additional confidence in the program or points value. These platinum awards motivated some additional booking of Hyatt hotels in a way that won't be around next year unless something is announced to replace it for next year.

SADDE6

My favorite Platinum Extra reward was always the Regency Club upgrades since upgrades were so hard to come by until I became Diamond. With this change, they are taking away a big incentive for mid-tier members who know they aren't going to make Diamond.

Hyatt could easily fix this by issuing a couple of Regency Club upgrades to Platinum members in the same way that they issue complimentary Suite Upgrade certs to Diamond members.

Without something to replace the lost Platinum benefits, I can see a lot of mid-tier members who stay 10-20 nights defecting to Hilton and SPG.

FD1971

We all know that it evolves into one direction..., let's call it The Hilton Hhonors Way.

Absolutely...

And your conclusion of the status quo has not been drafted in Qatar by any chance, Jeff?

I could not agree more and I guess the 25% of all Platinum members who used the extra certificates share this opinion 100% as well.


Jeff, when do you stop with this nonsense?

Bring back some value-enhancing benefits and people will come back from the competition.

You probably witnessed the desastrous handling of one of your leading properties, the Grand Berlin, over the last days, you also witnessed the less than stellar opening of another prestige project, the Andaz Amsterdam as well. People are jumping ship in masses and at least SPG is smart enough just to offer enough ( so a bit more than Hyatt ) to get a lot of Hyatt business over to SPG...

EWRfflyer

I posted a thread here before and I will continue on about it here today. Sorry to say Hyatt has "given up". Its all about the visa card now.

MSPeconomist

I've never been Platinum with Hyatt, but I can imagine why the Platinum Extras Awards were often unused: the program seemed so complicated. People on FT are likely more than the typical mid-tier elite traveler to follow details of the program and try to be sure to redeem their awards before expiration, but the general public might forget or throw up their hands and give up on trying to pay sufficient attention to benefit much from this program. Indeed, when I glanced at the rules, it wasn't very immediately obvious what someone could earn when, except that it looked like you got something that could be claimed (such as a few upgrades to club floors) every four stays or so, but not the same choices every four or five stays.

jumpdogjump

Hmm,this strips value out of the Visa card. Not sure what the cost of an unused benefit is - Postage? Is your training department that overworked?

CloudCoder

Bingo. Each award (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, etc.) seemed slightly different. The awards are aimed at people who don't travel all that often, yet they expired in 90 days. Using the award requires remembering to bring an extra piece of paper on your trip, etc. Too many rules and too much bother for too little benefit.

Still, Hyatt desperately needs to figure out what the other chains are doing for their mid-tier, and offer something similar.

Firewind

So, here I go again...

Mr. Zidell might have done this with a, "We're giving this as we take away that," type of roll-out/back. There must be something.

What's left of Platinum?

Feels like another Gold Passport pin knocked out by the credit card bowling ball.

Hilton HHonors Gold: Breakfast/lounge and free wifi. Frequent four-stay Gold challenges.

Meanwhile, Carlson continues to ramp up its program. (I know, "...But it's Radisson et al!")

I will give high props to Mr. Zidell for announcing this himself. ^


[I have no connection with Hilton or Carlson.]