Can I save points on a Hyatt award with a date change trick? Frequent Miler reader Matt wrote:
I recently succeeded in changing a Hyatt award stay to avoid cancelling and forfeiting the Hyatt points. I’m wondering if that could be a strategy to leap past the upcoming changes to the World of Hyatt program. For example, I would create a reservation using points at a Hyatt property now and change the date later for a stay that is currently not bookable because it is more than 13 months away. Has anyone successfully used this strategy in previous years when category changes were announced, avoiding the need to make up point differences due to the associated program changes at that time? I understand that this is highly prospective and perhaps wishful thinking, but it could mean a sizeable savings in Hyatt points!
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Love the extra episode per week! 🙂
I’m more interested in what’s mentioned in the beginning, that if you are within the cancellation window, you can change the date and then won’t be penalized. Can you tell me how to do that? Am I able to change online or does this require a chat/call to Hyatt? Thanks in advance.
Yes call or chat Hyatt to make the change. You can’t do it online.
Are we sure that as a Globalist, if you make an advance points booking, you’re not locked into that rate? That you’d be charged the higher rate if you don’t pay before May 20th? In another miles-and-points group they were saying otherwise.
No, that was incorrect info and we’ll be correcting the podcast.
Whew I was worried for a minute!
Hi Tim and Frequent Miler Team, just to provide another data point. I placed an advanced points booking for a stay at the Impression Moxché by Secrets before it moved up in categories in 2023. As the reservation approached I called Hyatt to have the points applied to the reservation and the agent said a points advance booking doesn’t confirm the reservation. Confirming the reservation was considered a change in the system, therefore, I needed the points for the new category. After asking for a supervisor and 30 minutes on hold they transferred me the extra points as a courtesy to cover the category change. Eventually it all worked out but I wouldn’t count on it working in all cases.
please publish the transcript rather than torture us having to watch the program…..sorry it is not watchable, sorry
There’s a transcript available on Apple Podcasts.
If you missed it in the post where we include instructions for viewing the transcript, here are those instructions again: “For a transcript of this episode, click “Watch on Youtube” on the video, then click the “…more” link in the video description. This will expand full video details. Scrolling down past the timestamps and chapters, you’ll see a “Show Transcript” button. If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, you can touch and hold a podcast episode to reveal an option to view a transcript.”
Good to know that points advance should be paid for prior to the 20th if the hotel will go up in category. My question though involves doing a points advance at Ventana Big Sur which is not moving categories but will more than likely be on year round “super peak” pricing. Will this type of points advance booking be subjected to repricing at the time the points need to be in your account (ie 7 days before your stay)
Asking for a friend.
Yes points advance will lock in today’s pricing
As Globalist, doing an advanced poins booking always locked in the current points rate, even if the hotel moved up in category. From your update, looks like this is definitely changing even if the reservation is not modified in any way?
Nick, you mention at the end that if you have any points advance booking as a Globalist, that you need to pay for the stay in full prior to the category change rolling in to avoid paying the higher points. Has this always been the case? Because I had a points advance booking last year at Il Tornabuoni in Florence, and I called Hyatt to pay for it prior to my stay at the Category 7 rate (It is now Cat 8). They did it by charging me the higher rate then refunding me the points difference