Point Redeemption Options needs to be increased
 

Hi all, I personally believe that Hyatt should not just keep points redemption options limited to hotel award booking, suite upgrade or passport escape but also to something which we can buy for overselves like electronics, personal goods, etc.. What say guys?

Thanks

If you want to waste your points on such items, go join another program. I, and I dare say most of us here, earn hotel program points for hotel stays and enhanced benefits on our revenue stays. I have yet to see a real deal when one exchanges points or miles for merchandise or retail cards.

The usual redemption value is skewed towards the product the hotel group (or airline) offers because this is a commodity that costs it a marginal price to provide. Thus we can get far greater value return for our accumulated points/miles. However, to purchase other items means spending real money with outside suppliers. So it usually comes down to one hotel night (worth $150) being equivalent to a $25 retail card, or a $200 iPod "costing" as much a three or four nights at a Park Hyatt. Of course, how you blow your points is your business, but I have no interest in seeing Hyatt clutter the program with such a wasted effort.

For example, AC offers a pair of Bose NRs for 45K Aeroplan miles. These retail for about $400. 40K miles will get you a Business or First Class ticket anywhere in North America on AC, UA or US (and soon, CO) that is worth 10x that of the item award. You decide...

I personally believe that the kind of redemptions you are proposing are never a good value. Airlines/hotel chains tend to undervalue their points big time when it comes to purchasing merchandise. So far I have been fortunate to use my points for rooms at premuim properties and always get a great value for them.

FWIW, I think part of the reason Hyatt doesn't offer this is the same logic that keeps them out of the affiliate CC market - they like to keep their point accrual options limited to Hyatt stays and related promos and probably would like to see people using those points in the same way.

Exactly my feelings.

The exception that I can think of is for those "true" road warriors who travel for work "all the time" and just want to stay home when they're not travelling for work. Even for those people you can "gift" awards to family / friends that would generate more value than "trinkets". There is a Flyertalker friend who "paid" for her son and daughter-in-law's honeymoon (air and hotel) with miles / points.

I can't believe the stupidity of some of my friends who would redeem massive amounts of points for trivial crap from the Marriott Rewards product catalog.

I agree with the other posters -- I can't imagine trading in for other than rooms -- I am able to stay at fantastic hotels that I could NEVER afford to pay for. I have stayed at the Park Hyatt Tokyo over 40 nights alone , . . . and never have paid! -- and then there's London, Moscow, Madrid, Paris, among others where I have used free nights.

AMEN

I agree too. In the spirit of compromise, as long as whatever merchandising program would be created does not devalue or otherwise impact the traditional points <-> stays redemption, I wouldn't object -- athough I'd never use such an option, myself. However, I can't imagine that such a program wouldn't impact the traditional point redemption in some way; just the administrative costs alone would pile up.

But, for those who accumulate points and can't (or don't want to) use them for hotel nights, having several options to get rid of them would probably be fair -- give (sell?) away to another member, use as credit on F&B charges, spa or activities, donate to charity, buy a Hyatt gift card (despite the hassles redeeming), Camp Hyatt, hotel charges your company would never pay for, etc... Didn't Hyatt use (?) to have auctions or something to use points on? It's been awhile since I saw one...

Personally, I agree with the others -- points allow me to stay in great locations and for lengths of time I could never afford, on much needed vacations when I want to stay for me, not my company! I ain't trading them for more gadgets. :p