Despite the doom and gloom you have have heard about Hyatt’s 2023 category changes, the news isn’t all bad. This week on Frequent Miler on the Air, we discuss the silver linings and what Hyatt could add to its playbook to get back in the good graces of the miles and points masses.
Elsewhere on the blog this week, check out Greg’s fully updated list of the best Hyatt Category 1-4 properties for those free night certificate stays, how to earn Delta elite status with credit card spend alone, communities that might pay you well to move, and a lot more. Watch, listen, or read on for more of this week at Frequent Miler.
00:49 Giant Mailbag
01:45 Card Talk: Chase Ink Business Cash card
12:37 Virgin Atlantic joins SkyTeam
18:40 What crazy thing . . . did Choice Privileges do this week?
22:00 Mattress running the numbers: Is Wyndham’s new promo worth a mattress run
28:38 Main Event: Bright spots in Hyatt’s 2023 devaluation
58:48 Question of the Week: Will that bill in congress end credit card rewards as we know about it?
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This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
Hyatt Category Changes For 2023: Not A Pretty Sight
Hyatt has announced its 2023 category changes and there isn’t much good news for those primarily focused on US travel. We’re seeing more hotels move up in category than move down and some long-popular places to use Category 1-4 free night certificates will be moving up to Category 5 soon. All-inclusive properties were particularly hard-hit. Stephen plays the bearer of bad news in his post about the changes.
Best Hyatt Category 1-4 Hotels & Resorts (⏰ book before 3/28)
Ever the optimist, Greg quickly started looking over the new Hyatt category list to see which properties would move down into free night certificate territory — as well as which you should book right now, before they increase. He published an extensive update to this popular post so that you know which properties to book now (since Hyatt will honor the current rates for reservations made before 3/28/23).
Great Hyatt Category 4: Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Bottom line review
One of the bright spots for me in the 2023 category changes was the fact that the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress remains within reach for Category 1-4 free night certificates since it is not changing categories. I just completed my second stay at this property in the past couple of months and at 15K (standard) or 18K (peak) points per night or with a free night certificate, I’ll definitely be back.
How to earn Delta elite status through credit card spend
American Airlines has gotten a lot of attention for the fact that elite status can be earned through credit card spend (and other activities), but remember that Delta led the way on that years ago. This post outlines how to earn elite status through credit card spend. You’ll have to be a pretty big spender, but you can earn Delta elite status without ever stepping on a plane.
Remote worker incentives in 2023: Get paid $12K to move within the US
If the new Hyatt category changes inspire you to be more mobile, you might want to consider the communities in the USA that will pay you a nice chunk of change to try calling them ‘home” for a year. A remote worker incentive could be the ticket to a change of scenery. As I mention in the post, I am particularly intrigued by the chance to live about an hour from Washington Dulles airport in eastern West Virginia — and get paid $10K+ to do so. I don’t know that I’ll get the rest of the family on board, but I am certainly intrigued (and actively trying!).
Chase Pay Yourself Back Extended To Southwest Cards, But Not A Great Option
Chase has quietly added the Pay Yourself Back functionality to the Southwest credit cards. “Meh” — this is mostly a big nothingburger since the redemption rate is so low. It’s always good to know what’s possible, and we can hope that they launch short-term increases in value, but at the current rates it just isn’t very appealing.
Delta SkyMiles Complete Guide
Greg has updated the Delta SkyMiles Complete Guide with everything you need to know for 2023 (so far). Check out this resource for everything you need to know about Delta SkyMiles.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Make sure you keep n eye on this week’s last chance deals and get them before they’re gone.
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New Hyatt convert (from Hilton Diamond) and a Globalist here…with the number of Cat 1-4 hotels continuingly DECREASING each year due to recategorizing, at what point does these free night certificates earned through the various channels-brand badge, milestone awards and credit card-become ‘worthless’ as they’ll only be valid at limited service, lower end properties? Why don’t they make it good at a Cat 1-5, and the 1-7s now 1-8? I’ve been happy with the program up till now, but the point bumps coupled with the limited redemption value is turning me off big time.
That cover image, lol!
Regarding West Virginia’s $12K incentive to work from home there….I assume all W-2 or self employment income would be subject to West Virginia income tax?
As others have said you can use a cert on goh. Just can’t use the guests cert
Regarding Hyatt Guest of Honor reservations, I was able to book a Guest of Honor reservation for my wife using a Free Night Certificate. I had never heard that this was not allowed.
I did it recently for my parents as well at Park Hyatt Vienna.
To be clear, you’re saying that you have Globalist status and gave the certificate to someone who does not have Globalist status and they got the elite night credit but still got your Globalist benefits?
I ask worded in that way intentionally. It certainly is possible to gift a free night certificate to someone else. And if that someone else has Globalist benefits, they’ll get them. For instance, my wife (who does not have Globalist status) recently called to gift her free night certificates to me (because I had Globalist status) so that a stay could be booked in my name and we’d get Globalist benefits.
However, my understanding has been that it isn’t possible to do that in the other direction (i.e. if I had Globalist status and my wife didn’t, I couldn’t gift her the free night certificates for a stay when I won’t be there and have her enjoy my Globalist benefits. It might be possible for me to make a reservation in my name and add her as an additional guest so she can check in without me, but that’s not a Guest of Honor stay then (she’d probably still get my Globalist benefits, but there’s a possibility that a property would insist on me arriving to check in, and in that case I would get the elite night credits — whereas on a Guest of Honor reservation, she would get them.
Just want to be sure that we’re talking about the same thing.
I specifically requested Guest of Honor reservation and am not on the reservation. The stay is still coming up in May so don’t know if Globalist benefits will be provided. To be clear, the certificate was a Hyatt award, not a Chase free night. Don’t know if that would make a difference.
Nick, many other blogs have covered it To be clear, the globalist can gift a cert and get the on the other person GOH status. However, I don’t think you can make a GOH and use the guest cert to do it.
I literally just booked a GOH for a friend last weekend using my cat 1-7 cert.
You can use certs for GoH bookings. Just email your concierge. Can also combine with points, as in I just completed a 3 night stay where the first 2 were paid with certs & the last with points. Was a solo trip, I have no Hyatt status, wife is Globalist. I received all Globalist benefits. She was not in the reservation.
I am a globalist and have gifted my cat 4 and cat 7 free nights to others several times with guest of honor benefits. I usually do this by booking the reservation online in my name then emailing my concierge to convert the reservation to guest of honor. I have never had any pushback and others have received guest of honor benefits when staying.
Thanks Kirby, and others who chimed in about this. I just did this successfully too. I did the same process that Nathan described:
1) I booked the hotel with a cert under my own name
2) I contacted My Hyatt Concierge and asked her to change it to a Guest of Honor stay.
Boom. Done.