Transferability of Free Award Nights?
Feb 18, 2014, 8:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: WAS
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA Prem Plat
Posts: 192
Transferability of Free Award Nights?
I'm sorry if this is already posted elsewhere, but after searching around for 20mins I haven't come across the information I'm looking for..
My wife and I will be using free award nights from the Chase Visa for an upcoming trip to Japan. My mother also has 2 free award nights from her Chase Visa and they expire at the end of Feb. I know that award nights are not supposed to be transferable, but does anyone have any experience getting around this rule? We will be meeting a friend and it'd be great if we could book 2 rooms for a few of the nights...do you think we could book 1 night with one of our awards and then a second room with one of my mother's expiring certs? Perhaps we could say that her flight was changed/delayed/cancelled/etc. and we'd still be able to access the 2nd room? Or perhaps my wife could pretend to check in as her? If neither of these options work, do you think the worst case scenario would be them just cancelling the reservation? Or perhaps they'd charge her for the full night as a cancellation penalty??
Any/all insights appreciated -- thanks!!
My wife and I will be using free award nights from the Chase Visa for an upcoming trip to Japan. My mother also has 2 free award nights from her Chase Visa and they expire at the end of Feb. I know that award nights are not supposed to be transferable, but does anyone have any experience getting around this rule? We will be meeting a friend and it'd be great if we could book 2 rooms for a few of the nights...do you think we could book 1 night with one of our awards and then a second room with one of my mother's expiring certs? Perhaps we could say that her flight was changed/delayed/cancelled/etc. and we'd still be able to access the 2nd room? Or perhaps my wife could pretend to check in as her? If neither of these options work, do you think the worst case scenario would be them just cancelling the reservation? Or perhaps they'd charge her for the full night as a cancellation penalty??
Any/all insights appreciated -- thanks!!
Feb 18, 2014, 8:53 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Between AMS and BRU
Posts: 8,852
So essentially you are looking for ways to scam Hyatt? Non transferable means exactly that....
You can probably get a one month extension for the free night but that's the max you can do. Should suffice to find a hotel for your mother to enjoy of free stay.
You can probably get a one month extension for the free night but that's the max you can do. Should suffice to find a hotel for your mother to enjoy of free stay.
Last edited by RTW1; Feb 18, 2014 at 8:59 am
Feb 18, 2014, 11:13 am
#3
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Your workaround is more likely to work at a domestic property than an international one. But less likely at an international property where they may, and IIRC they do in Japan, where they ask for your passport at checkin.
Mar 13, 2014, 9:20 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: WAS
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA Prem Plat
Posts: 192
Forgot to reply back to this thread, but thank you for the insights! In the end, my mother called Hyatt and they did extend the validity of her free nights for +1 month -- perfect! As for our visit in Japan, we very much enjoyed a mix of free night awards and revenue stays at PH Tokyo, GH Tokyo, HR Osaka and HR Kyoto -- the experience was actually enough to make me decide to go with Hyatt now over SPG (also glad to have completed a Diamond challenge just before the visit that was well worth it)!