A little over a week ago, Hyatt launched its new, distinctly unanticipated award charts, which raised the pricing tiers it could use to price a free night award from 24 to 40. In the process, the top-tier prices that could be charged at nearly every award category increased substantially.
When Hyatt originally revealed the upcoming changes to the award charts, it also announced that Explorist and Globalist members, as well as World of Hyatt credit card holders, would soon be getting a 1-month head start on award bookings. Based on emails from Hyatt, we now have a date for when that extended window will begin: June 30th, 2026.
Once the new policy takes effect, members can book awards only 12 months in advance, while Globalists, Explorists, and World of Hyatt cardholders can book awards up to 13 months in advance, giving them a one-month head start over the non-elite, non-cardholding general public.
On the surface, this will serve as an incentive for members to remain loyal or hold a Hyatt credit card, as it will theoretically make it easier for them to secure award availability at high-demand properties.
That said, I’m skeptical of how significant an advantage it will be in practice. Are there really that many people waiting for availability to open up at specific properties 12 months in advance who don’t have Explorist status, Globalist status, or a Hyatt credit card? My guess is no, and that the vast majority of the folks who are that engaged in the program also dabble with either elite status, credit cards, or both. If most of the folks who would currently look for hotels a year out will soon be able to book 13 months out instead, that may not be much of an advantage.
Still, this change is undoubtedly better than a kick in the pants…which is exactly what we got with the last award chart change.
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Come on, FM, you know this is not true: “Currently, members can book awards 12 months in advance.”
No, currently you can book awards 13 months in advance, and now Hyatt is limiting everyone except cardholders and elites to 12 months. This is arguably a marginal benefit to cardholders and elites (as you say) who might have slightly less competition for awards. But the way Hyatt is describing this is a lie. A more consumer-friendly change would allow cardholders and elites an extra month over what’s currently available (14 vs 13 months), but that’s not what’s happening.
That’s a typo. It should say, “Once the new policy has taken effect…”
That said, I actually don’t entirely agree with you. The purpose isn’t to allow elites and cardholders to book another month into the calendar than they can now. It’s to give them a one-month head start on everyone else. The booking window is the means to do that. It IS materially different because a certain subset of customers will no longer have access to awards for a full month before elites and cardholders. That’s the point.
Now, I do agree with you that it will be a marginal benefit. As I said in the post, I don’t think that will add up to much, because I believe that the subset of folks who are being excluded is relatively small.
i think what hes saying is Hyatt’s press release is pure dishonesty, and FM/OMAAT etc seem to keep repeating it without inspection (which you guys usually do)
a more accurate interpretation of the June 30th upcoming change should read: “Hyatt is reducing the booking window for non-elites/CC holders to 12 months from the current 13 months. Elites/CC Holders will maintain the current 13 month window”
That’s the accurate way for Hyatt to phrase it
Can you point me to the dishonest press release that you’re referring to? I’m not sure I understand what Hyatt has said that you consider “dishonest.”
As to “repeating the press release without inspection,” I’m pretty sure what it didn’t say is that elites and cardholders would get access to inventory a month before anyone else, but it probably won’t matter because they’re the only ones that look at inventory that far out…which is exactly what this post says.
Tim – I appreciate the update. I agree with you that the net result is to give cardholders/elites a one-month head start, but that doesn’t appear to be Hyatt’s messaging. To the conversation below, I can’t find Hyatt’s press release, but here is what I’m reading on the blogs:
FM (before your update): “Currently, members can book awards 12 months in advance.”
OMAAT: “The expectation is that these members will be able to book awards one month earlier. So instead of the current window of 12 months, the new window will be around 13 months.”
DOC: “Normally availability is available 12 months out.”
Upgraded Points: “Currently, everyone has access to World of Hyatt’s award calendar 12 months in advance.”
I don’t share Harold’s concern about “you guys usually” not inspecting press releases, but it’s pretty clear that Hyatt is lying in its press release about the booking window currently being 12 months to paint the 13-month window for the select group as a better new benefit than just disallowing some members to book in the current window.
I just know the Hyatt PR team is smiling when it reads headlines (on other blogs) like “Hyatt Extends Booking Window for Some Members” and “World of Hyatt Will Soon Give Some Members a Longer Booking Window”. The first headline is just not true. The second one is technically true, but only if readers understand this change as “longer than other members” not “longer than it is today”.
Not a perfect comparison, but everyone with a SUA can apply it at booking, regardless of status. Let’s say Hyatt decided that only Globalists could apply SUAs at booking (and limit non-Globalists to applying then 2 weeks before the stay). Hyatt would probably hope Globalists would view this as a benefit. Hyatt could lie and say “All members with SUAs can currently apply them 2 weeks before the stay, but starting June 1, Globalists can apply them booking!” But that’s a lie. Instead, it could more accurately say “While all members with SUA can apply them at time of booking, starting June 1, this benefit will be exclusive to Globalists…”.
Put another way, imagine the booking window numbers were more dramatic. Instead of 13 to 12 months, imagine Hyatt dropped the booking window for non-cardholders and non-elites from 13 to 6 months. And all the blogs (surely relying on the Hyatt press release lie) said “Currently, members can book awards 6 months in advance.” Wouldn’t that be concerning for both Hyatt and the blogs?