Hyatt is changing their award charts on May 20th, 2026, and it’s pretty devastating with a new 5-tier pricing system and huge increases in prices. Today, we’ll see if there’s some good news in all of this.
Searching for good news in Hyatt’s devaluation
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(00:00) – New 5-level award charts: lowest, low, moderate, upper, top (prev: off-peak, standard, peak)
Learn more about Hyatt’s brutal new award chart starting May 20th here
(01:56) – Is there any good news?
(06:47) – Some good news about premium suites
(11:37) – Thoughts and analysis
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Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads
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how about a transcript
Haha I would add one more bit of possible good news: if the points prices skyrocket that will result in falling demand which should result in falling cash prices?
Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case. The skyrocketing hotel price trend is likely to continue so long as premium leisure travel remains popular for enough people. Way more people are paying cash than redeeming points in all likelihood (maybe less so at a relative few ‘points farms’).
Secretly, I think many high-end hotels and even guests like the idea of fewer points redeemers showing up for a number of reasons.
Premium leisure travel is sensitive to economic cycles though? Are there any stats for points vs. cash stay percentages? It’s got to be a higher points percentage for Hyatt! Haha I did say possible. Can’t I be a bit glass half full like Nick and Greg?
Different Dan than above.
There are too many people with too much money/points. Let’s see what happens when there’s a big recession at some point in the future. At that point I imagine these hotels and airlines may be begging people to come back and would have to cut their prices in points and cash.
I haven’t been in this hobby very long. What happened to the points and miles game in 2008 and other economic downturns? Obviously COVID was a different kind of downturn that disproportionately affected the travel industry.
I keep hearing and reading about how airlines are catering to the business/first class crowd but flying business/first class seems like a luxury that many would cut first (if even to fly economy instead) if the economy sours.
The only good news is that award availability and club lounges will be clearing out soon
LOL @ people who really think this is the case
tens of thousands (hundreds?) of people just got a Palladium sign up bonus plus Rakuten earnings means hundreds of millions of potential Hyatt points were just created out of thin air.
Availability/crowding is only going in one direction- hilarious to think otherwise
You think 50k Hyatt points is going to make a dent? That’s maybe 1 night at one of the cat 8s with the new price points, if even that.
Peak is 45k at cat 8 now. That’s already too high for me so Hyatt may be completely dead when it becomes 75k. Earning rates need to go up otherwise switch to all cash back card setup.