So I confess to never having tried to use a World Elite Mastercard to book through/in their Luxury Hotels catalogue... (Does anybody? I keep seeing references to this program in various threads, but google as I might, I can't seem to find a thread here on FT...)

Anyhow, I was looking to book at a Grand Hyatt, and the rate was, to my pleasure and surprise, less than the AAA rate I was getting through Hyatt. So my antennae were out for "traps," and the evident one to check was whether I was getting steered to a nonrefundable rate. (Not my thing for hotels.)

I could not see from the Mastercard Travel website too much about the room etc. and any Hyatt stipulations, but I did find some language that any change or cancellation would entail a $30 fee to Mastercard Travel. Can this be real? My googling led me to this -- http://www.mastercard.com/travelserv...-and-fees.html -- which would seem to confirm, but I am wondering if I am reading this program right. Even Amex Travel's Fine Hotel and Resorts allows no-cost cancellations if the hotel rate is a refundable one, and even makes the rules clear on their web site ... and Amex Travel is hardly the soul of consumer convenience.

Thanks in advance for any advice, experience, confirmation, disconfirmation ....