What happens if you don't show up for a nonrefundable award booking?
Mar 29, 2019, 10:42 pm
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt Dia, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Spire,HH Dia, MGM NOIR,Hertz PC
Posts: 10,571
That being said Hyatt was always great for cancelling reservations even on the same day the two or three times I had something come up or a flight got cancelled.
Most WOH reservations have a decent cxl policy anyway but resorts or city hotels during peak dates have higher ones. I have a reservation at the Hyatt Centric Ginza next month and it says 7 days advance cancellation required.
Mar 29, 2019, 10:46 pm
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt Dia, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Spire,HH Dia, MGM NOIR,Hertz PC
Posts: 10,571
Mar 30, 2019, 12:58 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt Dia, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Spire,HH Dia, MGM NOIR,Hertz PC
Posts: 10,571
Interesting termination options for Hyatt:
Causes of Membership Termination. Hyatt may immediately, without notice, limit or terminate your membership if you: (i) violate these Terms or any other applicable additional terms or appear to be utilizing the Program in a manner inconsistent with these Terms or the intent of the Program; (ii) fail to promptly pay hotel bills; (iii) are suspected or found to be acting in an abusive or fraudulent manner or engaging in any conduct that artificially, improperly, or deceptively impacts the accumulation, use, or loss of points, awards, or membership benefits (including, without limitation, use of any “bot,” macro, or other automated means of participating in the Program); (iv) attempt to transfer your account or any points or awards to another Member or a third party, except as expressly permitted by these Terms or with the express written permission of Hyatt; (v) make any misrepresentation in connection with the Program; (vi) impair the normal functioning of the Program Site or the Program; (vii) disturb other guests or otherwise disrupt or impair the normal operation of any Hyatt or partner property; (viii) act in a manner detrimental to Hyatt, a Hyatt Colleague, other Members, or any third party (including, without limitation, behaving towards any Hyatt Colleague or other guest of a Hyatt property in any manner that is abusive, harassing, threatening, derogatory, disrespectful, lewd, obscene, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate, all as determined by Hyatt in its sole discretion); or (ix) act in any manner inconsistent with local, state, provincial, national, or federal laws, regulations, orders, or other rules.
I never have more than 40k points in my account so whatever. Quick earn, quick burn.
Mar 30, 2019, 1:07 am
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt Dia, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Spire,HH Dia, MGM NOIR,Hertz PC
Posts: 10,571
I do have a old Amex card on file that has since been cancelled and replaced by Amex following a cloning. Guess I forgot to update it.
Mar 30, 2019, 1:19 am
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
It also doesn't preclude the hotel from coming after you in small claims court for the amount you owe them. Whether they will or not is up to them (the hotel). Whether they win or not is up to the court.
Mar 30, 2019, 3:36 am
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt Dia, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Spire,HH Dia, MGM NOIR,Hertz PC
Posts: 10,571
Sure, but the part that is relevant to this discussion is pretty simple. If you don't pay your hotel bill they can terminate your account. That seems pretty reasonable to me.
It also doesn't preclude the hotel from coming after you in small claims court for the amount you owe them. Whether they will or not is up to them (the hotel). Whether they win or not is up to the court.
It also doesn't preclude the hotel from coming after you in small claims court for the amount you owe them. Whether they will or not is up to them (the hotel). Whether they win or not is up to the court.
As you said correctly this is a contract matter between the guest and the hotel. I don't see why Hyatt would get involved in this. They're merely providing the franchise, unlike an airline that would ban someone because of direct disputes between company/customer. If there is a pattern of abhorrent behaviour then that may be a problem that warrants corporate involvement.
Mar 30, 2019, 10:23 am
#53
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 227
Any real life experience of getting charged a dollar amount instead of just the points?
My only experience is recent, Park Hyatt Siem Reap, 7 day no cancellation period, cancelled one day prior with the permission of the hotel as my daughter was in the hospital. All penalties were waived. (I have stayed at the hotel ten times before, I have explorist status).
Two of my children have health issues. I tried to get permission from the local starriott to be able to cancel points bookings at any time if either of my children are admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis. The hotel sells out perhaps ten nights a year, or most likely a lot less than ten. I have stayed at the hotel 200 times. Permission was not granted, they said it was out of their control. I won’t make any more bookings at that property.
My only experience is recent, Park Hyatt Siem Reap, 7 day no cancellation period, cancelled one day prior with the permission of the hotel as my daughter was in the hospital. All penalties were waived. (I have stayed at the hotel ten times before, I have explorist status).
Two of my children have health issues. I tried to get permission from the local starriott to be able to cancel points bookings at any time if either of my children are admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis. The hotel sells out perhaps ten nights a year, or most likely a lot less than ten. I have stayed at the hotel 200 times. Permission was not granted, they said it was out of their control. I won’t make any more bookings at that property.
Mar 30, 2019, 11:49 am
#54
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Programs: Hyatt Global, Marriot Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,282
There is a win-win solution to most of these cases. The policy should be that with a non-refundable booking, you can call in 24 or 48 hours ahead of time and forfeit your points or award.
Then the property can resell the room and the guest doesn't have to worry about an exorbitant charge.
Then the property can resell the room and the guest doesn't have to worry about an exorbitant charge.
Mar 30, 2019, 3:47 pm
#55
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
And then yesterday I was looking to book an HP -- an HP! -- and was happy to see I could get it on points, because it is a graduation weekend locally, and cash prices everywhere are high. Just before I almost automatically clicked to confirm my reservation, I luckily noticed the no-cancellation for policy. On a points reservation. Having not seen this before -- was it new? had I just never been looking? or was this just the first time I had stumbled on a reasonable points value at a high cash-demand time? -- I called into Hyatt to see if they could book it for me. The CSR went through the booking, and when I asked what the cancellation rules were, they said "48 hours." I thought, great, must just have been an internet bug. And then the CSR suddenly said, "Oh, wait a minute..." and read me the non-refundable cancellation penalty.
What do I make of all of this? I'd like to think that it is rare, for NYE, graduation weekends in small college towns, etc. .... But now I am wondering if it is not, if this is going to become more common.
Returning to the other element in this thread, I would and will have to change my booking habits if I come to believe that the higher-end hotels I am booking on points might really turn into $1,000+ nightly liabilities in the event that an international flight gets cancelled, someone gets sick, etc., because although none of these things are likely in any particular case, in the volume travel and bookings that many of us do, they are very likely events across the sum of exposures. The fact that we don't seem (yet) to have a thread with folks complaining about this is, I like to think, a good sign. Like the dog that didn't bark.
Mar 30, 2019, 3:57 pm
#56
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Isn’t this what travel insurance is for? Hotel occupancy rates are high. From a business perspective, it doesn’t make sense to allow no-penalty last-minute cancellations during peak times.
Mar 30, 2019, 4:05 pm
#57
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
The point about insurance is a good one, and leads me to yet another thing I don't fully understand: What constitutes "a trip," as in: When might the insurance associated with a credit card be relevant? I've always read both the T&Cs and the blog interpretations of same as suggesting that everything is governed by the card that makes the plane reservation. Does that somehow wrap around to include a hotel, too?
Mar 30, 2019, 9:29 pm
#58
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Hyatt Globlist,MarriottPlat,Hilton Gold,Delta Silver,National EE,Avis President Club, Hertz PC
Posts: 200
This almost happened to me
Booked 2 rooms for holiday in Caribbean with SPG was about 84k points per room. Had a family emergency and spoke with hotel and they said they could cancel if needed 30 days in advance instead of usual 60 days. Unfortunately things got worse and we decided we couldn't go on trip but trip was only 2 weeks away now. The hotel offered 50% of room rate which was going for 1400 per night now. This would've cost us 12,000. I think you have to notify SPG 30 days before if you want to use points to cancel and not room rate. Anyways this kinda forced us to go and glad we did end up going.
Apr 1, 2019, 9:38 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Madison, WI
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 973
Yeah, like you, that's what I had been thinking. I swear I had never seen this before.
And then yesterday I was looking to book an HP -- an HP! -- and was happy to see I could get it on points, because it is a graduation weekend locally, and cash prices everywhere are high. Just before I almost automatically clicked to confirm my reservation, I luckily noticed the no-cancellation for policy. On a points reservation. Having not seen this before -- was it new? had I just never been looking? or was this just the first time I had stumbled on a reasonable points value at a high cash-demand time? -- I called into Hyatt to see if they could book it for me. The CSR went through the booking, and when I asked what the cancellation rules were, they said "48 hours." I thought, great, must just have been an internet bug. And then the CSR suddenly said, "Oh, wait a minute..." and read me the non-refundable cancellation penalty.
What do I make of all of this? I'd like to think that it is rare, for NYE, graduation weekends in small college towns, etc. .... But now I am wondering if it is not, if this is going to become more common.
Returning to the other element in this thread, I would and will have to change my booking habits if I come to believe that the higher-end hotels I am booking on points might really turn into $1,000+ nightly liabilities in the event that an international flight gets cancelled, someone gets sick, etc., because although none of these things are likely in any particular case, in the volume travel and bookings that many of us do, they are very likely events across the sum of exposures. The fact that we don't seem (yet) to have a thread with folks complaining about this is, I like to think, a good sign. Like the dog that didn't bark.
And then yesterday I was looking to book an HP -- an HP! -- and was happy to see I could get it on points, because it is a graduation weekend locally, and cash prices everywhere are high. Just before I almost automatically clicked to confirm my reservation, I luckily noticed the no-cancellation for policy. On a points reservation. Having not seen this before -- was it new? had I just never been looking? or was this just the first time I had stumbled on a reasonable points value at a high cash-demand time? -- I called into Hyatt to see if they could book it for me. The CSR went through the booking, and when I asked what the cancellation rules were, they said "48 hours." I thought, great, must just have been an internet bug. And then the CSR suddenly said, "Oh, wait a minute..." and read me the non-refundable cancellation penalty.
What do I make of all of this? I'd like to think that it is rare, for NYE, graduation weekends in small college towns, etc. .... But now I am wondering if it is not, if this is going to become more common.
Returning to the other element in this thread, I would and will have to change my booking habits if I come to believe that the higher-end hotels I am booking on points might really turn into $1,000+ nightly liabilities in the event that an international flight gets cancelled, someone gets sick, etc., because although none of these things are likely in any particular case, in the volume travel and bookings that many of us do, they are very likely events across the sum of exposures. The fact that we don't seem (yet) to have a thread with folks complaining about this is, I like to think, a good sign. Like the dog that didn't bark.
I concur, generally that doesn't happen. But occasionally there are very high occupancy situations where they tag even points reservations as nonrefundable.