antonius66

My take...

A lot of unanswered questions here...

1) Obviously free club access stays for top tier and will give breakfast in lounge, but does the free breakfast benefit stay as is...up to 4 registered guests in restaurant at non lounge properties, high end properties, etc. That is a key question.

2) Do DSUs stay as is PLUS the ability to get unconfirmed at check in? If so, great! If not, that is a massive devaluation because the meatiest value is often the pre-confirmed week long stays at desirable properties. Those kind of suite upgrades have gotten harder and harder over the years with more and more hotels abusing and flouting the rules and with Hyatt instituting the anti-customer DSU changes last year. If they keep the ability to confirmed 4 DSU as is plus changing the DOCUMENTED upgrade policy to best available room including entry suite, it would be an improvement.

3) Late check out? Will that stay?

4) Not that it affects me, but what about lifetime diamonds? Will they get the new program? They should and if they do not, that tells a lot about Hyatt in a negative way.

5) Diamond amenity? Will this stay? They did not increase the point earning bonus at all for new Diamonds (I HATE...HATE these stupid (insert profanities here) names. Discoverist? Explorist? Globalist? Who the hell came up with these idiotic names?). If they take away 1000 points per stay, that would massively impacted people. If you have say 20 stays a year at 15 full service and 5 HP types, that is 17500 points lost a year. That is not nothing. Basically, if you spent $15000 a year, that would be like changing your points bonus from 30% to 6.7%.

Basically for me, if the rumored changes are all additive and do not replace or eliminate anything...I am ok with this. I will actually hit 60 nights this year for the first time and if they add a free cat 4 and a free cat 7 certificate for hitting 60, plus leave existing benefits for Diamonds alone AND add what we have seen....I will continue to hit 60 nights.

If these changes are REPLACING the existing benefits, then frankly they are garbage and as much as I love Hyatt and its properties, I will be gone.

Note to Hyatt: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE rename the tiers Member, Gold, Platinum, Diamond. Just add the basic member tier instead of calling it gold and make gold a new tier. I mean seriously...for some people (not me but still), Globalist is a very negative term with negative geopolitical connotations. Explorist, Discoverist? Those aren't even words for crying out loud. Enough of the idiotic marketing office buzzword new, odd word type BS please.

JetAway

Most of the well-to-do, busy business travelers I know don't stay at a hotel for elite benefits but stay where they want to stay-whatever is convenient, comfortable and familiar. For many, that's Marriott. Hyatt rarely comes up, mainly because of its small footprint and its reputation as a convention or event chain (PH aside). I don't see this move bringing in a lot of new or extra revenue.

MatthewLAX

More than occasional!

I'd love nothing more than for my source to have been dead wrong, but I doubt it -- I'm one of the 25 stay Diamonds so sadly this news is bad for me.

Sorry the new Pen and Passport website is not beautiful yet - graphic design is not my forte. But it will get better!

spgplat21

Matt, thanks for sharing the news.

So just to be clear, your source clarified or explained that the plan is to apply the new tiers retroactively to everyone that has qualified for diamond through 2/2018.

SanDiego1K

What are the chances that this was a trial balloon deliberately released to you to see what the reactions are? And someone from Hyatt is assigned to this thread? Do you think tweaks will be made (such as the new names - seriously?)?

JetAway

Probably the same consultant who came up with "Excursionist Perk" for United.

MatthewLAX

My understanding is that you are correct, effective next March.

Unlikely, though hope springs eternal!

Kacee

Not to go too OT, but you're simply wrong on that, it's been reported by multiple sources and UA has been actively trying to make up for the alienation of 1Ks that occurred under Smisek (to the extent they are de-publicizing GS as an elite tier . . . just try and find a reference to it now on the UA website).

Like many of us, I have status in multiple programs and it's not all difficult for me to shift stays to the program that provides the best mix of benefits. Right now it's Hyatt, but if they downgrade me to mid-tier, 30 nights a year will go somewhere else. Probably SPG.

dw

Well, as another poster pointed out, www.worldofhyatt.com has already been registered, and one of the BA bloggers dug up a trademark application from last month for World of Hyatt (https://trademarks.justia.com/871/80...-87180111.html). I have a feeling marketing has already signed off on all the names.

MatthewLAX

OneMileatatime has just confirmed my leak and also added additional details--

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...ogram-changes/

IncyWincy

Matthew,

Thank you for the advance notice.

I take it that those who have qualified for Diamond will either (a) get Diamond benefits through to Feb 2018 or at least (b) get Globalist (God, the names!)?

I say "at least" on purpose because it does not even appear that Globalist is as good as Diamond, to some at least. Certainly to those who value the DSUs and therefore bother to qualify. The suite "when available" is simply no good, or else why would they be giving out a suite upgrade after *70* nights? Now, Hyatt must be breaking some kind of record for generosity (and it is so un-Hyatt) or giving out a suite upgrade upon 70 nights.

Surely, for people who have qualifie for Diamond or Plat, they did so relying on what Hyatt published and were so enticed, spending money/points/time and foregoing other options. It will be wrong for Hyatt to renege even if there might be microscopic term allowing them to change terms and it will be their best way to drive loyalty away. In any case, what happens between 1 and 16 March? The old system will run for 16 days?

Kacee

From Lucky's post (based on phone call with Jeff Zidell):

• Those who have requalified for Diamond status for 2017 will receive Globalist status
• Those who were Diamond this year but didn’t requalify for 2017 will receive Explorist status

This would soften the blow.

77W_12A

As others have said, they don't have the footprint!!!! In Bangkok alone, Accor has over 10 properties. IHG and Marriott have at least 8 a piece and they have high and low options to choose from. How many does Hyatt have? 1...two if and when Park Hyatt gets up and running.

spgplat21

Here's all I care about, and I'm guessing this is correct since he was able to speak to Jeff Zidell about it.

"Those who have requalified for Diamond status for 2017 will receive Globalist status"

dw

So even lowly Platinums take a hit with no more access to premium internet and no more late checkout.