BTW, that's quite a sweet deal for someone new to both Gold Passport and Rapid Rewards. If you apply for three RR Visa cards under the 16+8 bonus (+2 just before your anniversary), you could have (at least) 2 credits for joining RR; 78 credits (26 * 3) from Chase; up to 24 credits from Hyatt (20 + (.5 * 8 stays)), total 104 credits. That's 8 hotel nights, 6.5 award tickets and a companion pass for roughly $1,000* or so, before stepping foot on SWA metal or earning any credits from purchases on the RR Visa cards, if you can find a convenient Hyatt or couple priced around $75/night. (If you already belong to RR but don't have the Visa cards it merely cuts the bounty to 6.375 awards instead of 6.5.)
For about the same amount spent on Rapid Rewards Dining you can have a few over-priced restaurant meals and 2.5 RR credits (up to 3.75 for a targeted new member).
Appears to be for new GP members only: (emphasis added)
I don't know that I agree with that. Clicking the link for "join" takes you here: http://goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/en/...mbr_src=TPQ1WN which has both fields for new GP registration and existing GP members to provide their membership number.
Nothing in the terms has the standard "offer applies to new GP members only" that you expect to see if that's the case. I agree that it's ambiguous, but I think the "join" language is meant to emphasize that you must be a GP member in order to get this bonus.
the terms do say, "To participate in this promotion, you must join Hyatt Gold Passport via goldpassport.com/southwest." it's entirely plausible that they are specifically tracking new enrollments.
one other ambiguity: it's not clear whether 8 separate, one-night stays qualify for the 20 credit bonus. from the terms:
"Earning Structure for eligible nights between 01/09/2009 – 04/30/2009: Stay two (2) eligible nights--earn 2 bonus credits. Stay four (4) eligible nights--earn 4 bonus credits. Stay six (6) eligible nights--earn 6 bonus credits. Stay eight (8) eligible nights--earn 8 bonus credits."
there's a lot of loose language to suggest they want single stays of 8 night lengths, particularly as they make a point of defining a "stay" as consecutive nights at one property regardless of check in/out.
Good point, mritty, I withdraw my comment. SWA promotions have taught me we shouldn't rely on a clear, simple phrase like "must join..." to mean, well, "must join..." yet I still jumped to that conclusion. I entered my HGP number and was told I was registered for the promotion.
BTW, this is clearly a Hyatt-originated offer ("More Than A Bonus" promotion) and it is not restricted to SWA. If you just log in to HGP you'll be offered up to 20,000 bonus HGP points under the same basic rules. You can join/register through multiple other URLs if you prefer your bonus points in some other program (AA, CO, YX, UA, US, Amtrak, more?). The WN offer is quite a bit more generous than most (all?), as eight stays earn either 24 RR credits (1.5 domestic RTs) vs 24,000 bonus points on the other partners (normally less than one standard domestic RT).
The HGP board's thread on this promotion was started way back on 17-Dec. It does list some other airlines (DL and NW), but doesn't yet mention WN or Amtrak.
Last edited by ftnoob; Jan 29, 09 at 12:34 pm.
Reason: link to HGP thread
it's not clear whether 8 separate, one-night stays qualify for the 20 credit bonus.
Eight separate one-night stays do qualify; what is unusual with this promotion is that it counts total nights, so any way you get to eight nights (one stay, eight stays, anything in between) you get the bonus. However, one 8-night stay would earn a total of 20.5 credits instead of 24 credits.
Wondering if you can "lather, rinse, repeat" to get 82 - 96 credits toward a CP for 4 x 8 nights? To save you from having to read the whole HGP thread: No. You can double dip with 20,000 HGP bonus points and 20 RR bonus credits, but you cannot double dip in the same bonus category.
Hyatt had a similar type of promotion this past spring that was worded pretty much the same (vague) in terms of whether or not existing Gold Passport members would qulaify. It stated that you must enroll in the Gold Passport program. See this post. I was an existing Gold Passport member and simply registered for the promotion. I was awarded the bonus credit without any problems. If the new promo is similar, it should work for both new and existing Gold Passport members. YMMV. Just be sure to register for the promotion and request miles at check-in.
Last edited by chuckworth; Jan 29, 09 at 3:27 pm.
Reason: typo
Programs: WN A-List; Marriott Gold; National Executive
Posts: 340
Well, I'm taking them up on the offer. I usually stay at Marriotts only but I thought I would check Hyatt for my San Francisco trip next week. Glad I did. The SF Marriott was $249. I was able to book the Grand Hyatt for $161 which includes: a $25 F&B credit plus my 2 RR credits that I will earn, the standard Hyatt points plus a promotional extra 2000 Hyatt points, (and if I pay with my Marriott visa I'll get some Marriott points out of the deal still).
Last edited by Diamondback; Jan 31, 09 at 2:18 pm.
Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club
Posts: 19,748
This page has an option for existing Gold Passport members to enroll. If the credits don't post automatically I think it'd be an easy argument to win..
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With Hyatt, yes, you have to choose only points or only miles on each stay. A two-night stay with this promo would earn a total of 2.5 RR credits. You can double dip on the bonus, which is capped at 20 RR credits by choosing points on other stays, until you hit the 20,000 point maximum
Programs: WN A-List; Marriott Gold; National Executive
Posts: 340
Well, I just spent 15 minutes talking to Hyatt Front Desk staff explaining this promotion to them. One of them was a senior manager of the hotel! They still had no idea what I was talking about. I was pulling up Flyertalk on my Blackberry trying to give them website links to look up the promotion on their computers. This promotion does not show on any of the standard web site promotion pages for WN or Hyatt. I finally had to come up to my room and email the manager the URL from the WN and Hyatt pages describing the program.
The Hyatt board would be the place to confirm this, but I can't see any reason why you would even need to mention it at the hotel. Just say you want airline credit instead of HGP points, and give they your RR number. Hyatt's internal system should credit the bonus points automatically, assuming you have registered properly and you met all terms of the promo.
One of them was a senior manager of the hotel! They still had no idea what I was talking about. I was pulling up Flyertalk on my Blackberry trying to give them website links to look up the promotion on their computers. This promotion does not show on any of the standard web site promotion pages for WN or Hyatt. I finally had to come up to my room and email the manager the URL from the WN and Hyatt pages describing the program.
