Wyndham Rewards has announced that they are extending current elite status through the end of 2021. They are also expanding their cancellation policy and giving away free Gold status to essential workers.
Elite status extension
Wyndham’s statement kept it simple on this one:
We are pausing the expiration of any Wyndham Rewards points until September 30, 2020 and have extended current Wyndham Rewards Member Levels (status) for all members globally through the end of 2021.
Very simply, whatever status you have now should be extended to the end of December 2021. Additionally, any points set to expire in the near future will not expire until September 30, 2020.
This should still work out fine for those riding the status-match-go-round.
Expanded cancellation policies
In addition to the elite status extension, Wydnham is improving cancellation policies as follows:
- Guests traveling with new or existing direct bookings for stays in any of our hotels through June 30, 2020 will have their cancellation or change penalties waived if the request is received at least 24 hours (or less if permitted by the hotel’s policy) prior to arrival.
- Guests who are prohibited from traveling to their booked hotel under applicable law will have their cancellation or change penalties waived on direct bookings.
- For new or existing direct bookings with arrivals after June 30, 2020, all of our properties are required to accommodate non-cancellable rate reservation changes if the request is received at least 48 hours prior to arrival and the same number of room nights or more are booked for a future stay.
The short of that is to say that arrivals up to June 30th are cancellable up to 24hrs in advance. New or existing direct bookings with arrivals after 6/30 can be cancelled if you request it at least 48 hours prior to arrival and you book the same number of room nights for a future stay.
That last part is what makes their policy inferior to those from Hilton and Marriott thus far, which allow for cancellation of even advance purchase rates for future bookings made by June 30th with 24 hours of notice. I am not aware of any other chain requiring a future booking of a minimum time period.
Free Gold status for “Everyday Heroes”
Additionally, Wyndham is offering free instant Gold status for “Everyday Heroes”. This is how they describe that group:
This includes truck drivers, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, construction workers, sanitation workers, grocery associates, healthcare workers, and more
To take advantage of the offer see the instructions on this page.
Bottom line
The status extension here is par for the course given that most other chains have offered the same at this point. The cancellation policy is better than existing but not as good as competitors. Free Gold status for people working “on the front lines” is a nice gesture, but Wyndham Gold status doesn’t offer much. Overall, I found this announcement to be pretty “meh” — though it should mean another easy year of Caesars Diamond benefits for those whose Wyndham Diamond is being extended.
H/T: Doctor of Credit
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