Tuesday, April 7, 2020

New earning and redeeming structure coming to the no fee BMO CashBack Mastercard on May 1


BMO has revealed to us (and on to everyone on their website) that they are making changes to their no fee BMO CashBack Mastercard. Kicking in on May 1 there are changes both to the earning and burning side of the cash back program.


Earning changes
Currently the card provides 1% cash back on all purchases made with the card however as of May 1 that will change to the following:
    • 3% cash back on eligible grocery purchases, up to a maximum of $500 spent for each statement cycle
    • 1% cash back on eligible recurring bill payments, up to a maximum of $500 spent for each statement cycle
    • 0.5% unlimited cash back on all other purchases
    As you can see they are boosting the earning rate for grocery purchases to 3% with a cap of $500 spent for each statement cycle. That means you can earn $15 cash back each month for groceries, well you can earn more but that's how much you'll get at 3%, the remainder will be 0.5%. So if you spend $1,500 a month on groceries you would receive $20 in total cash back ($15+$5) with the new earning structure. Under the old structure it would be $15. Outside of groceries the card has in fact become worse - well not for recurring bill payments but for everything else. So that will be the key with this card - you need to be mainly putting grocery purchases on it. If you make lots of purchases that do not count as grocery you might be better off with a different card albeit most no fee cash back cards in Canada have similar earn rates - 0.5% for non-category bonus purchases and higher rates in select other categories. So you can see that BMO has made these changes to actually bring the card in line with many of its competitors.

    Redeeming changes
    The changes for cash back redemption have made this card more liquid - that is, it will become easier to redeem for your cash back. The current redemption model for the card requires you to achieve $50 in cash back to redeem for a one-time or recurring redemption. The new model that comes on May 1 allows you to redeem as little as $1 for a one-time redemption or $25 for automatic recurring redemptions. This will move the card up our list in Guide to Credit Card Cash Back Liquidity to the top with the Brim Mastercards.


    Overall I would say the positive changes outweigh the negative changes with the card. Being able to redeem for $1 is great, the 3% return on groceries is great however the 0.5% on all other purchases gets a  👎

    Learn more about the card and the changes here.

    All images via BMO

    Brim World Elite Mastercard - First year annual fee waived & $500+ in first time bonuses


    Brim is amping up their game to compete with the other big wig banks for the premium card market with this offer for their Brim World Elite Mastercard. That offer sees the first year annual of $199 waived when you apply for and are approved for their top end card. The offer also states that you receive $500+ in first time bonuses with select merchants that partner with Brim. You have to be a new Brim customer and apply by April 30 to get the first year annual fee waiver.

    If you are not familiar with Brim Financial they are the first non-bank issuer of Mastercards in Canada. They launched a couple of years ago with a trio of credit cards from a base level no annual fee card to their top level World Elite Mastercard. Despite having some issues when they first launched the company now has gotten their act together and are really progressing with their product and loyalty program. All the details on the program and their cards can be found here.

    The World Elite card is the only card from their portfolio with this limited time annual fee waiver and it provides 2% back in points (essentially cash back) on the first $25,000 in spending on the card annually. After that it drops to 1%. The card has a very strong insurance package and also offers free Boingo Wi-Fi (this was a feature before all Canadian cards received on April 1, 2020 - read about that here)  This card along with all other Brim cards also provides No Foreign Transaction Fees on all purchases that are not in Canadian dollars.

    It's nice to see them offer this card with an annual fee waiver so that people can try out them out as at $199 per year otherwise this card is overpriced.  When you compare it to other World Elite, Visa Infinite and some American Express cards you are (or will be) paying $49 to $79 more per year and your limited on the rewards side - a card that charges $199 per year should not cap its 2% earning at $25,000 in spending - many other cards will earn more on the rewards side. It also has competitors that offer no Foreign Transaction fees and now that all World Elite Mastercards have free Boingo Wi-Fi they have lost that competitive advantage for that benefit. I recall a good media friend of ours who said they like this Brim World Elite card as they got free Wi-Fi on WestJet flights but now that can be had on many cards and at a lower cost with the potential for higher rewards.

    Overall this is a good offer from Brim Financial especially if you have been considering the card but were hemming and hawing over the annual fee. You can try the card out for a year at no cost and seeing that you can redeem as little as 100 points for a $1 credit you don't have to hoard your points and worry about losing them if and when you cancel the card. You can also hope, as we do, that Brim reevaluates this card and gives it some extra benefits or higher rewards to make the $199 annual fee worth it. Or maybe they would consider lowering that annual fee to place it in line with many of its competitors.

    Learn more about this offer here.


    Image via Brim Financial


    Monday, April 6, 2020

    Air Canada providing Altitude elite status extensions, ability to share status and more


    Air Canada is next out of the gate with news for their elite status members. We've heard from airlines like WestJet, United, Delta and more over the past few days and weeks and now here it is for all you Altitude members.

    Here is what Air Canada is offering their Altitude members:
    Automatic extension of 2020 Altitude Status:
    All Altitude status for 2020 will automatically be extended through to the end of 2021. Should a member reach a higher status before the end of this year, they will enjoy it upon qualification, and maintain it through 2021 as well.

    Share Altitude Status with a loved one
    Since Altitude status is secure through 2021, if a member has already achieved status for next year, or does so by the end of 2020, they can gift it to a friend or family member.

    Keep earning Altitude Status and Aeroplan Miles from home
    While at home, a member can still earn Aeroplan Miles, progress towards Altitude status and make a difference with their miles. From now until April 30, for every five Aeroplan Miles a member donates to a charity engaged in fighting the COVID-19 crisis, they will receive one Altitude Qualifying Mile – up to a maximum of 25,000 AQM – all of which count towards 2021 status for the member, and a loved one. 
    Great news from the Air Canada team here for those who have status or will be able to still achieve it this year. The extensions are similar to United and Delta's as you will now hold onto your status until the end of 2021 but I love that they added in the ability to gift that status to someone if you have or will meet 2021 status requirements this year. Finally the ability to earn ability to earn AQMs for donating Aeroplan miles is a neat way to make it easier to earn status for next year or perhaps bump you up to the next level. 25,000 AQM's is the first step to getting Prestige 25K status as you'll still need 3000 AQDs. Sure to get 25,000 AQMs you'll need to donate 125,000 Aeroplan Miles - not an easy task for a lot of people but for those who have flown lots in the past and are sitting on hundreds of thousands if not millions of miles like many of the Super Elite 75K and 100Ks are, this just might be the ticket for you. Or maybe you are one of these people putting through $50,000 a month on your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card so donating 125K miles is not a big deal especially when you get elite status in return for yourself or as a gift to someone else.

    Hopefully there will be even more coming from them in terms of criteria for earning status for 2021 seeing that flying is not happening for many right now. For example Delta is providing rollover MQM's and United cut their requirements to achieve status in half. Air Canada already stated this a few weeks ago that they are looking at it:

    "We're watching the situation very closely and, as travel patterns unfold over the coming months, you can count on us to address this unusual situation. Rest assured that we'll do right by you with policy changes and special offers for Altitude status qualification." 

    Air Canada Altitude qualification requirements:

    However this still eludes us and the question remains will Air Canada lower the requirements to earn Altitude status? At the very least it would be nice to see a reduction in AQD since you can donate miles to earn AQMs but ultimately a reduction in both would be the most ideal route for Air Canada to take.

    Learn more about Air Canada's announcement here 

    Image via Air Canada

    Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for April - These cards provide some of the best value out of their welcome bonuses


    Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of April 2020! This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings but instead a look at cards that have very good acquisition (welcome/sign up) offers. As always when choosing a card you should always take other factors into account other than the just sign up bonus, but when some of these cards are first year free, they can and do pay off even when you grab them strictly for the sign up rewards. This month we see three first year free cards on the list!

    The only change this month sees the new offer for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard take over fifth spot from the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card. 

    Editor's Note:
    As travel is curtailed right now these offers are more forward looking and can and should be used towards your long term travel plans - whether that's later this year, next year or even beyond. Getting the cards now allows you to achieve the sign up bonuses as you wish and then continue to spend to build up those points and miles balances to make those future vacations that much better. - Or in the case of all the cards except the Alaska Airlines Mastercard you can also look at cash back or cash back equivalents like gift cards from each program if you are looking at short term financial help. If you are going for the latter focus on the cards that have no fee in the first year so that you can maximize your value.

    Remember as well that you will find this list smack dab in the middle of the Rewards Canada homepage for easy reference!


    Here are our top 5 credit card sign up offers for April (in order of welcome bonus value, calculated as minimum mile/points value minus annual fee)


    Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card - 50,000 Points (Apply here)
    No changes to this card means it stays put on the list The 50,000 points, awarded after spending $1,500 on the card in three months are worth at least $500 in our minds which means after subtracting the annual fee you are coming out ahead by $380. In reality you can pull even more value out of the card (into four figures) as we outlined in our post A look at how The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card provides huge value!  Don't forget you get an annual free night with the card as well on the card anniversary date!
    Minimum Income: N/A

    TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card - 30,000 Miles (Apply here)
    This is the only first year free card on the list this month and if you are just starting out I would recommend getting this card first thanks to that annual fee waiver! The bonus is awarded as follows: 15,000 Aeroplan Miles when you make your first Purchase with your Card + 5,000 Aeroplan Miles when you spend $1,000 per month in the first three months (up to 15,000 miles) Depending on how you redeem those Aeroplan miles should be worth no less than $360 but more likely closer to $800 or more! In fact if you take the per mile value from our post from late July 2019 this welcome bonus would be worth $1,800 or more.
    Minimum Income: $60,000 Personal or $100,000 Household

    Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard - 30,000 Miles (Apply here)
    This card offers a welcome bonus of 30,000 miles when you spend $1,000 on the card in the first three months of having it. This is one of the easiest bonuses to achieve and this card is one of the most churnable in Canada. There are really no problems in getting it 2-4 times in one year alone! Those 30,000 miles are worth no less than $330 when redeeming for economy class flights and just go up from there like the TD Aeroplan card.
    Minimum Income: $80,000 Personal or $150,000 Household

    BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard - 3,000 Miles (Apply here)
    This card offers a welcome bonus of 3,000 AIR MILES Reward Miles, split between 1,000 on first purchase and 2,000 more when you spend $3,000 within 3 months of getting the card. The annual fee of $120 is waived in the first year as well meaning these miles come to you at no cost other than card spend. Those 3,000 miles are worth $330 at a minimum when redeeming towards travel.
    Minimum Income: $80,000 Personal or $150,000 Household

    HSBC World Elite Mastercard - 60,000 points (Apply here)
    This card offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points, split between 20,000 on first purchase and 40,000 more when you spend $6,000 within 180 days of getting the card. The annual fee of $149 is waived in the first year as well meaning these points come to you at no cost other than card spend.The card has a lot of other good benefits like no foreign transaction fees to consider as well! Those 60,000 points are worth $300 in travel rewards but those points can also be converted to British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. 
    Minimum Income: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household or $400,000 in assets at any Canadian Financial Institution

    If you went for all these cards you ultimately could end up with anywhere from $1,700 to over $3,000 in travel value. However even if you only take on one or two you are helping your travel budget significantly at no cost other than regular credit card spend. We don't really recommend getting all five in one month unless you know you can meet the minimum spend for them all at once, rather you'd want to pick one or two right now, perhaps another next month and so on.

    Disclaimers:
    American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link.

    Sponsored advertising. The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any TD product, please visit the TD site

    A look at the new benefits that have been added to all World & World Elite Mastercards in Canada


     Last week we brought you the details about new benefits that Mastercard Canada released on April 1st for their World and World Elite Mastercards. We focused on how the new Boingo benefit will be really enjoyed by those who hold the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard as it provides free Wi-Fi access on WestJet flights but this holds true for anyone who holds a World or World Elite Mastercard in Canada.

    In this post we'll look at that and all the other benefits that Mastercard has added for these cards.


    Boingo Wi-Fi
    All World and World Elite Mastercard holders in Canada now get Boingo Wi-Fi access at no extra cost and with no added fees. Boingo is available at over 1 million locations worldwide and also includes Wi-Fi on select airlines including WestJet. Learn more about and register for the Boingo offer here
    Image via Boingo


    Foodora
    World and World Elite Mastercard holders will receive $15 off their first order of $30 or more with Foodora. This is followed with an offer of $5 off every third order made with Foodora. Note that you must make the two previous orders in the same month to get the $5 off voucher, which is then valid for 30 days. Learn more about the Foodora offer here.
    Image via Foodora


    Ritual
    World and World Elite Mastercard holders will receive up to $20 in Ritual vouchers when you sign up for Ritual. The vouchers are awarded as one $5 voucher when you first join then you'll get $5 vouchers after each order for your first three orders. You'll also receive automatic Ritual Elite status for the first month and then that elite status continues as long as you place an order each month.  If you don't you'll then have to make 8 orders in the next month to regain that status. Finally you'll also receive 1,000 bonus points each month that you purchase five hot beverages. Learn more about the Ritual offer here.
    Image via Ritual

    Mastercard Travel Rewards
    The Mastercard Travel Rewards program that now comes standard on all Canadian World and World Elite Mastercards launched last year IIRC for cardmembers in other countries. I don't recall if it was available to at least some Canadian cards prior to now but nonetheless it is here now.

    Mastercard Canada describes their Travel Rewards programs as such:
    Shop, dine and relax when you travel outside of Canada and receive automatic cashback from participating merchants such as Target, Bloomingdale's and many, many more. 

    These offers will definitely become more useful when the world returns to normal as some of the current offers like $5 off when you spend $100 at Target are only valid until June 30, 2020. You'll want to make sure you check the Mastercard Travel Rewards website frequently before you travel so that you know which stores to use your Mastercard at and even before you book hotels as they do have offers such as a $50 statement credit when you spend $500 at Loews Hotels. Learn more about Mastercard Travel Rewards here.

    Example of a Mastercard Travel Rewards offer

    These new benefits add to existing ones like the Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey and Priceless Cities experiences. The Mastercard Airport Experiences provides business class lounge access and other airport benefits at over 1,000 airports around the world while Priceless Cities provides over 2,000 experiences around the globe.

    As we have already mentioned these benefits now apply to any and all World and World Elite Mastercards in Canada.

    Here's just a small list of World and World Elite cards in Canada that these new benefits come standard on now:

    Word on the street is that Mastercard isn't done yet and there will be more benefits coming in the future - primarily in their Digital Everyday offers category that Foodora and Ritual fall into. It is these type of benefit additions that are key to trying to differentiate and compete among card issuers. Mastercard does appear to be taking a stab at Visa Infinite and Infinite Privilege cards and as we have mentioned time after time for many years these type of additions are necessary as there isn't much room left to compete on the actual rewards side of things.

    Learn more about all these new and existing benefits here.
     

     Unless otherwise noted all images via Mastercard

    United MileagePlus provides elite status extensions, lowers qualification requirements and more


    Following in the footsteps of Delta's announcement, United brought out details for the MileagePlus members detailing status extensions and more on Sunday. This news is almost an exact copy of Delta's with status extension, extensions for memberships and certificates however there are some slight differences.

    Here are the key points for Canadian MileagePlus members:
    If you have current 2020 Premier status, it will be extended to January 31, 2022. At a minimum, you will enjoy the same published status next year that you have today, up to and including Premier 1K®.
    For the 2021 status year, United is reducing thresholds for Premier qualification by 50% for each status level, to make reaching an even higher tier easier. You'll still need a minimum of four flight segments on United or United Express®.
    2021 status Earn Premier qualifying flights and PQP … or meet a higher PQP goal
    Silver 6 2,000 2,500
    Gold 12 4,000 5,000
    Platinum 18 6,000 7,500
    1K 26 9,000 12,000
    1K® and Platinum members, we're increasing your ability to upgrade by extending PlusPoints expiration dates by six months and expanding Skip Waitlist.
    • This means a six-month extension of any PlusPoints set to expire on or before January 31, 2021.
    • Last year we introduced Skip Waitlist on select flights as a benefit to 1K members, giving you more opportunities to confirm an upgrade request at the time of booking. This benefit will now be available for the rest of 2020 in a significantly expanded selection of long-haul international regions and will have expanded availability in 2021 as well.
    We're extending all annual membership and subscription benefits by six months.
    • We want to make sure your benefits are still there when you're ready to start flying again. That's why we're extending purchased United Club℠ memberships and purchased subscriptions for Economy Plus®, United Wi-Fi℠ and checked bags by six months. You should see this reflected in your MileagePlus account soon.
    All electronic travel certificates now have 24 months to be used.
    • If your travel plans have been disrupted, and you have an electronic travel certificate from us for the value of your ticket, you now have two years from the date it was issued to book a new flight, as well as up to an additional 11 months to travel. This includes all currently valid and all new electronic travel certificates issued on or after April 1, 2020.
    We have removed some redeposit fees for the rest of the year.
    • We are currently waiving all award redeposit fees for travel through end of May 2020.
    • We are now also waiving all redeposit fees for award ticket cancellations made more than 30 days before departure for the remainder of 2020.

    If you read the post about Delta's announcement we had this morning you'll see it is the elite qualifying portion where United differs. Delta did not lower elite qualifying requirements for 2020 like United has done here. United has cut the requirements to qualify for 2021 by half. This could potentially mean some of you may be close to or have already qualified for 2021 if you flew United enough prior to the non-essential travel market shutting down. Just like Delta we also see United extend the validity of certificates and membership programs like United Club. It also nice to see United waive more fees in regards to cancelling MileagePlus award tickets.

    United also stated in their announcement that they will make it easier to earn 2022 status during 2021 but they will announce how at a later date.

    Learn more about the United MileagePlus announcement here 
    Image via United

    Delta SkyMiles extends Medallion Status, Sky Club memberships and more


    Over the weekend we saw several U.S. airlines make positive moves for elite status members in their programs. The first of them was Delta Airlines who came out with the information on Sunday that they will provide Medallion Elite Status extensions, rollover of MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Miles), Delta Sky Club membership extensions and certificate extensions.

    Here are the key points for us Canadians:
    • Medallion Members:
      • All Medallion Status for 2020 will be automatically extended for the 2021 Medallion Year.
      • All Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) from 2020 are being rolled over to 2021 to qualify for 2022 Medallion Status.
    • Delta Sky Club Individual and Executive memberships with an expiration of March 1, 2020, or later will receive six additional months of Delta Sky Club access beyond their expiration date.
    • SkyMiles Members:
      • If you have one of the following in your SkyMiles profile “My Wallet” that is valid now or has expired since March 1, 2020, we are extending the expiration dates to give you additional time to enjoy your benefits:
        • Upgrade Certificates or $200 Travel Vouchers with an original expiration date between March 1 and June 30, 2020, are extended – now, they can be booked and flown by Dec. 31, 2020. And, SkyMiles Members with Upgrade Certificates or $200 Travel Vouchers that expire after June 30, 2020, will receive an additional six months beyond the current expiration date.
        • SkyMiles Select members will receive a six-month extension to the Priority Boarding benefit and any unused drink vouchers.
    This is great news if you are a Delta frequent flyer and SkyMiles Medallion member. You now get to keep your current status until end of 2021 plus any MQMs you have earned this year or will still earn this year will rollover to 2021 making your qualification for 2022 easier.

    Delta Sky Club memberships is their paid lounge access program (see our Guide to Business Class Lounge Access for more details) and this only makes sense to extend as members have paid for this access that they are no longer receiving due to the major drop in travel and most airline lounges being closed. I actually think a 12 month extension would have been better here - if your membership is due to expire on April 30 it will only be extended to October and that, in the best case scenario is when travel will only be starting to return.

     It also nice to see the extension of certificates and vouchers but again by putting a December 31 end date on those set to expire by June 30 isn't leaving much of a window for them.

    We'll follow up this post with the details from United who have also announced similar news.  Here at home WestJet already did something similar a few weeks ago providing extensions to status members whose status was set to expire in March, April or May as well as voucher extensions but we are still waiting to see what Air Canada is planning for its Altitude members.

    Learn more about the Delta announcement here.
    Image via Delta 

    Friday, April 3, 2020

    Get your movie fix and earn or redeem SCENE points with Cineplex's Online store


    Do you need some more movie time at home now that you have pretty much watched every movie and show possible on Netflix and Prime Video? Or want to watch some new releases but not pay the rental fees associated with most Video on Demand services? Then don't forget about Cineplex's online store. The store has all the latest releases and tons of old movies for you to rent or buy. And the best thing about it is that you can earn and redeem SCENE points for these online purchases. The earn rate is 10 points per $1 spent via the store and you can redeem 100 points for $1 off a movie rental or purchase.

    And you can actually redeem at that lowest level for a full movie as they have Movie for a Loonie promotions where you a rental only costs $0.99 (for standard definition) One of the Movie for a Loonie offers that was available when this post was written was for Rambo Last Blood:


    Remember as well if you happen to have a Scotiabank Gold American Express card you'll earn 3x points on any purchases made via the Cineplex online store thanks to its multiplier for streaming services.

    So even though movie theatres are closed right now it doesn't mean you have to forego the SCENE program. Not only can you use the program for your movie fix via the Cineplex online store but you can also earn and redeem points for take out orders from a whole bunch of restaurants like Swiss Chalet, Milestones, Harvey's and more.

    Visit the SCENE website to see all the non-theater earn and burn options that are available

    Images via Cineplex

    WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard cardholders now get free Wi-FI on WestJet flights and globally on the Boingo network


    A benefit that has been on some World Elite Mastercards in Canada but not all has now been extended to all of them. That benefit is free Boingo Wi-Fi at more than 1 million locations worldwide and on select airlines including WestJet. This benefit and several others including credits with Foodora and Ritual launched on April 1st for all Canadian World Elite Mastercards. This is a good move from Mastercard Canada as card issuers continue to need to add benefits to compete with each other outside of the rewards side of things.

    Of course out of the additions the free Boingo Wi-Fi is the biggie here and is quite possibly the most exciting for those who have the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. It's just one more benefit that makes (or will make in the future) the WestJet flying experience that much better. You have the companion vouchers, the first checked bag for free and now you have your inflight Wi-Fi covered as well.

    https://www.rewardscanada.ca/links/rbcwestjetwe.html


    If it is the same Boingo Wi-Fi that we've seen on from other cards that already had the benefit you should be able to connect up to 4 devices per account although I couldn't find confirmation on either the WestJet or Mastercard Canada websites.

    I'll be sure to follow up with another post covering the rest of the new benefits that Mastercard Canada has added to their World Elite Cards in Canada. In the mean time:

    Click here to learn more about the new World Elite benefits on Mastercard Canada's website.

    Images via Mastercard Canada & WestJet


    World of Hyatt extends elite status, free nights & upgrade awards and suspends points expiry to end of 2020


    Hyatt Hotels provided to us detailed updates to their hotel cancellation policies and World of Hyatt program.


    The no fee change and cancellation policy for Hyatt Hotel stays has now been extended to June 30.
    Existing reservations for upcoming travel through June 30, 2020:
    • All existing reservations (booked April 1 or before) for arrivals through June 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations.
    • New reservation for any future travel: With some very limited exceptions noted below, reservations booked between April 2, 2020 and June 30, 2020 – for any future arrival date – can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. The only exceptions are reservations booked after April 1, 2020 at Destination Residences and Special Events Rate reservations booked after April 1, 2020. The cancellation policies for a Special Event Rate will be noted in the rate’s Rate Rules section when booking.

    On the World of Hyatt side they have now extended the pausing of points expiry due to inactivity to the end of this year from the previously announced May 31. They have also now added in nice long extensions for any free night or upgrade awards you may have in your account that were set to expire from March 1 to December 31, 2020. These will all now expire on December 31, 2021. Finally if you held status with World of Hyatt as of March 31 that will now be extended to February 28, 2022.

    World of Hyatt benefits will be extended in the following ways for all members globally:
     

    • More time to use points: We are suspending the forfeiture of points through December 31, 2020. As a reminder, our general policy is that points do not expire, but they will be forfeited if a member’s account is inactive for 24 months.
    • More time to use earned awards: All unused Free Night, Suite Upgrade or Club Lounge Access awards with expiration dates between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 will be extended to December 31, 2021. This includes existing awards and awards that may be earned throughout this year with a 2020 expiration date. The award extension will be generated by World of Hyatt – members do not need to take action. Awards that expired between March 1 and March 31, 2020 will be replaced with new awards on April 20, 2020. All other qualifying, unused awards will be updated by the 20th day of the month in which the award would have originally expired.
    • More time for elite members to enjoy their status and benefits: Status and benefits will be extended for all existing elite members without having to re-qualify. This means that whatever your status was as of March 31, 2020 – whether Discoverist, Explorist or Globalist – it will be automatically updated to reflect a February 28, 2022 expiration date. All elite tier extensions should be reflected in members’ accounts no later than April 15, 2020.
    Overall good news from the folks at Hyatt for these extensions to their programs and for the points expiry. We have seen other hotel chains like Best Western and Hilton extend status for members to which Hyatt joins that group. Now lets hope others like IHG do so as well.

    These updates will also be added to our COVID-19 resource page later today.

    Image via Hyatt