peteropny

While Hyatt's T&Cs does call for account expiration (and cancellation of points in the account), in practice they don't really do that. A couple of examples, my own account was cancelled probably 9-10 years ago due to inactivity but was reinstated (including points) upon request right afterwards. My partner's account had one activity back in 1998 but was still active including points in the account as of last month (when the account had activity due to change in status and acquisition of the credit card). My advice would be to simply ignore it especially since your balance of 2500 points isn't really that high and not enough for a "real" award anyways.

sophiegirl

777 global mile hound and peteropny have given you some great ideas, but my thoughts are a slightly different. Have your travel patterns (frequency or locales) changed so that you are unable to book Hyatt stays with any frequency? Did you have a lot of points at one time, and this is the remnant...or have you earned only this amount? Do you have another hotel chain in which you are a more frequent guest?

Not that I want to discourage you from availing yourself of the wonderful properties Hyatt offers, but.....

I have found when I have so little activity that points could expire, it generally means that the program, however great, just doesn't work for me. So before you buy points, think about whether you can use them...or will they just sit there? No sense spending the $$$ if that will be the case!

As hard as it can be, sometimes the answer is to leave those tiny point amounts at risk, and continue to build balances in the programs that meet your needs and therefore have true value for you.

wharvey

OK... been a long time since I hvae called myself a newbie on FT... but now is my time.

I just got comped Diamond Status... and notice I have four upgrades in my account.

I am working on an anniversary trip to Hawaii... I was going to use award points in Marriott or Hilton to book my Oahu stay.

Wondering if I should now pay for a stay... want this to be special.

Are the upgrades confirmable at booking? Or only at check in?

What else could I expect as a Diamond at the Oahu property?

Going to now do some searching in other threads!

wharvey

Second question: Should I get the Hyatt Visa as a Diamond?

Saw it advertised when I stayed at the Hyatt Newport two weeks ago... but did not sign up immediately.

sophiegirl

Never too late to be a newbie -. Welcome to Hyatt!

The most important part of your post...your upgrades are confirmable at booking...on a qualified rate, not award stay. BUT if you get the credit card you would get two nights of a FREE upgrade to a suite...anywhere in the world. There is a thread here outlining which suites you receive at specific properties.

All Diamond bennies apply even in resorts, so free brekkie, Internet access, Regency Club, etc. Actual room upgrades can depend on seasonality of property...Hawaii can be tough due to all those dang newlyweds, so if you want this trip to be special, your certs are the way to go.

Happy Anniversary!

!

Amarante

Which thread? I would LOVE to see a list as opposed to the thread I believe you are referring to...

MerRhosyn

Thanks 777 global mile hound, peteropny, and sophiegirl.

I focus more on airline miles, so this is helpful info about Hyatt customer service and the reality surrounding their "expiration" policy.

Yes, these are leftovers. When traveling for business, I unfortunately sometimes have to prioritize room rate over chain loyalty. I suppose I've racked up comparatively more Hilton and SPG points. I'm sure if I had been more rigorous about promotions and bonuses in the past, I would have benefited more.

But this is really helpful. I'll think more about my grand strategy and decide on a sensible plan. Thanks again!

kenbo

The HR Waikiki is a great property and from my experience as a Diamond, I was treated well. While I do enjoy the Waikiki property, part of me wants to advise against getting the credit card to use the free nights there. I say this strictly from a value standpoint. The hotel is a Category 5, which I love for redeeming points, but when redeeming free nights that can be used anywhere, you're leaving some value on the table by not redeeming them at a Category 6.

However, if you have no other plans for a big vacation in the near future, then by all means, apply for the card and use the nights there. You could have a nice combination of two free nights and paid nights, which will allow you to rack up a nice amount of points.

YMMV on whether or not you'll be allowed to stay in the suite for the remainder of your trip. When redeeming your nights, you can specify which part of your trip you want to use them. You could start off the trip in the suite and gamble that you'll get to keep it longer, or play it safe and go for the last two nights of your trip.

wharvey

Oh well, booked the room... and then called to try and use the upgrade. No availability.

Was surprised that it would not be available for a Mon-Wed the last week of November.

Hopefully, we will get a nice room as a Diamond.

Goosh

Am going to Tokyo next October for brother's wedding and would like to stay in a suite at the Park Hyatt Tokyo if possible, but stay at the hotel in a standard room at the very least. Would like to manage this with as little spending as possible. Currently have no status with Hyatt and only about 40,000 GP points. Also have about 150,000 points with Chase Ultimate Rewards which transfer to Hyatt. Am willing to apply for the Chase Hyatt Visa. Am willing to go to the One World MegaDo assuming they give out Hyatt Diamond status (does not guarantee suite upgrade) again. Am willing to mattress run. Would like to stay for 5 nights at a minimum, but probably no more than 7 nights. What would be my best strategy? My options seem to be the following so far:

1) Book award stays using points from both current hyatt and transferring from UR, but would not be able to get a guaranteed suite upgrade. (cheapest option)

2) Book regular stay and get guaranteed suite upgrade from Hyatt Visa (assuming I mattress run and get to Plat level before applying for card). (seems like a pretty expensive option, but at least I'd have a suite)

Any suggestions would be greatly apppreciated.

kenbo

Keep trying. You never know when someone will cancel.

Schutzee

I needed a few miles into my CO account so I initiated a transfer from my Gold Rewards account. After hitting the final transfer button I received the message that the transfer will take 4-6 weeks! I need to book my flights ASAP. Does it really take that long?

sophiegirl

this is the thread to which I was referring. I do not know of a "list"...can't help you there.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...-new-post.html

sophiegirl

(bolding mine) +1. I could be lifetime top tier in every hotel chain out there, as well as a few airlines...but early on it just did not seem worth it to chase points. NOT a good decision, and one which I regret.

Schutzee

I called Hyatt GP this morning and they confirmed that it takes at least 4 weeks. I was able to reverse the transaction with no problem!