HHonors OUTSIDER

hailstorm did you switch those 2 letters around when I wasn't looking?

iflyjetz

... and some people ask me why I still post here. The amusement factor alone of some posts makes it a must-read thread.

caliform

Agreed, mostly in it for the drama. But some good info pops up from time to time, too.

Markie

The last set of questions were sent to Hyatt only yesterday. Here are their replies:

1.Scenario - you will requalify for diamond with 50 nights Jan – Feb 2017. So that make me globalist through end of Feb 2019. My question is, that will bring me to globalist, but will I still get the free cat 1-4 explorist certificate since I will have met the 30 nights? That part is confusing to me. Thanks.

Answer: The “More Benefits Await” free night awards for reaching 30 and 60 nights are new benefits as of March 1, 2017 so reaching these night thresholds in January and February will not earn you these nights. However, all Globalists at transition will receive a free Cat 1-7 free night award to welcome you to our new top tier. Also, if you reach 60 nights post-March 1, you will receive another Cat 1-7 free night award.

2.What difference will there be in the benefits if one is Lifetime before March 1st or after March 1st?

Answer: Lifetime Diamond members receive the benefits of Diamond without needing the qualifications to reach the status each year. In transitioning from Lifetime Diamond to Lifetime Globalist, members post-March 1 will receive the benefits of Globalist which differ from Diamond in such ways as space-available suite upgrades upon arrival, free parking on award stays, waived resort fees on qualified nights, among other great benefits. In additional all Lifetime Globalists will receive a My Hyatt Concierge agent.

3. AFAIK, the T&Cs imply, but don't specifically call out, that 4 DSU/GSUs will be awarded when someone re-qualifies for Globalist tier at a 55 night minimum stay. However, the Tiers and Benefits page has a table ("More Rewards Await") that specifically says 60 nights, as do the FAQs. On the same page, the tier comparison does not list 4 GSUs as a tier benefit, thus further implying they are granted only upon reaching the 60 night milestone.

The More Rewards Await table makes more sense if everything listed, including 4 suite upgrades, are decoupled from tiers and require specific night/spend/other qualifications. This appears to be where Hyatt is going; fewer guaranteed benefits tied to a tier designation, but instead moving benefits so as to be tied to qualification milestones.

Thus, 55 nights for Globalist may not be enough if 4 GSUs are what you're counting on.

Answer: Yes, members must earn 60 nights to receive Suite Upgrade Awards – they are not a tier benefit. However, in 2018 when a Globalist requalifies for Globalist benefits with 55 nights, we plan to award Suite Upgrade Awards to this population.

4. If a current 2016 Diamond will transition to be a 2017 Globalist, and completes 5-9 stays (but less than 10 nights) in Jan-Feb 2017 -- thus earning Platinum -- what will be their tier starting March 2018 (assuming no further stays)? Discoverist or Explorist?

Answer: As always, our members are transitioned down one tier if they fail to qualify to maintain their tier level. Therefore if someone is a Globalist and is set to downgrade at renewal, the member will become an Explorist.

This last question covers what happens if any current Diamond does the minimum to qualify for Platinum, before the transition. What would their tier be at the next renewal after transition? The question has been answered if they requalify as Diamond during Jan-Feb 2017, but what if they only can do Platinum during that period, and not enough the rest of the year to reach a new WoH level?

Answer: As always, our members are transitioned down one tier if they fail to qualify to maintain their tier level. Therefore, if someone is an Explorist in 2017 and does not requalify, they will become a Discoverist on 3/1/2018. If someone is a Discoverist in 2017 and does not requalify, they will become a Member on 3/1/2018.

zombietooth

These are clear, concise and useful answers. Are you dealing with a new rep from Hyatt?

Thanks for the good work.^

OsakaWino

As always, our members are transitioned down one tier if they fail to qualify to maintain their tier level.


So someone who is a Glob in 2017 and has zero nights in 2017 will be Explo in 2018 and then if they have zero nights in 2018 will be Disco in 2019?

I guess that's generous. Or on the other hand, maybe its just meaningless...

OsakaWino

So DSUs are awarded only at the 60-night/20K spend mark (and exceptionally for 55-night requal in 2018 only).

Meaning no DSUs for Lifetime Dia/Glob unless then meet the night/spend requirement, and no DSUs for 55-night requal from 2019 onward. I would expect that to lead to some more grumbling.

sam_goh

@OsakaWino - in other words it sounds perfectly rational and well thought out like Count V upthread is mentioning, rather than something that seems like it was doodled on the back of napkin over drinks by an intern.

OsakaWino

Globalist? Explorist? Discoverist?

Oh yes, quite rational....

OsakaWino

I'll be damned if I can understand what this is supposed to mean.

MSPeconomist

Some interns aren't old enough to drink.

G.E.D.

Visconti

I was trying to find a nice PC way to say, "those who spend more money should be treated better than cheap *ss freeloaders."

Better?

woresu

This expires in 120 days?

OsakaWino

If that is their intent, or if that is "how it should be", then they should merely go on a spend-only basis.

The new program still rewards the biggest freeloaders, those who were already spending 50+ nights in the cheapest possible Hyatts on their employer's money.

WoH will drive more business toward lower-end properties because these super-freeloaders will now have to spend 60 nights rather than the previous 50, but it will significantly reduce the number of mid-spend (US8-12K) guests while having no effect on the stay pattern of the very high-end group.

When Diamond was attainable, Hyatt got 90-100% of my 40-45 leisure nights and 10-12K spend each year. Since Explorist is not worth the effort, that percentage will likely drop to 0-50%. Lost revenue, pure and simple.

And I find it unimaginable that 20K spend is the breakeven point for Dia/Glob benefits. In many if not most cases, the benefits represent extremely little actual cost to the property, especially as a percentage of the room rate - a slightly larger room, a later checkout, an extra mouth for a buffet style breakfast...

From another perspective, Hyatt is taking a very big gamble by eliminating a stay requirement while Hilton and SPG maintain theirs. Maybe Hyatt is setting a trend, and then again, maybe not.

iflyjetz

Yes, it's an enhancement. That way you get the opportunity to use it right after you earn it.

Or, Hyatt knows that most people will have these expire unused because they aren't able to take multiple vacations in a year. Methinks someone gave Hyatt's management a secret briefing on breakage rates and how to achieve high breakage rates. This should work pretty well.