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Home » Hyatt » Reduced Qualification Globalists Lose Milestone Awards
Hyatt

Reduced Qualification Globalists Lose Milestone Awards

Kyle Stewart Posted onOctober 31, 2021October 30, 2021 32 Comments

Top-tier World of Hyatt Globalists won’t have the same benefits from their reduced re-qualification year, but how much does that take away from the status? 


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Hyatt’s Milestone Awards/Benefits

Hyatt switched to a milestone benefit system for qualified World of Hyatt elite guests when it rolled out its new program replacing Hyatt Gold Passport. I raised an issue at that time that both Hyatt public relations and the loyalty community felt was a fringe case of having Globalist status without Globalist benefits.

In the four years since the change occurred, this “fringe” case of not having all Globalist benefits but being able to achieve Globalist status has been possible three of those four years (two COVID and one transition year.) I’m not feeling like Chicken Little anymore.

Here are the Hyatt Globalist benefits regardless of milestones (bold indicates Globalist added benefit when compared with other elite tiers):

  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent + 30% bonus (6.5 points per dollar spent)
  • Resort Fee waived on free nights and eligible rates
  • Exhale (wellness program) earns 10 Base Points per eligible $1 USD spent, plus a Week of Wellbeing and complimentary classes when paying an eligible rate at any Hyatt hotel
  • Gold status with M life rewards
  • Bottled water
  • Unlimited room upgrades including suites when available at check-in
  • Elite check-in
  • 4 PM late checkout as available
  • Guaranteed availability within 48 hours
  • Club Lounge Access or free breakfast
  • Free parking on free nights
  • Priority access to rooms
  • Guest of Honor (booking for others from your point balance gives those guests the same Globalist benefits as Globalist members.)

Milestones award these when you stay throughout the years:

  • 20 NIGHTS OR 35,000 BASE POINTS = 2 Club Lounge Access Awards (Globalists get this anyway so no benefit)
  • 30 NIGHTS OR 50,000 BASE POINTS = 1 Category 1-4 Free Night Award and 2 Club Lounge Access Awards (Globalists get this anyway so no benefit)
  • 40 NIGHTS OR 65,000 BASE POINTS = 5,000 Bonus Points or A $100 Hyatt Gift Card or 10,000 Point savings on a FIND experience
  • 50 NIGHTS OR 80,000 BASE POINTS = 2 Suite Upgrade Awards
  • 60 NIGHTS OR 100,000 BASE POINTS = 1 Category 1-7 Free Night Award and 2 Suite Upgrade Awards and Access to My Hyatt Concierge
  • EVERY 10 stays in a calendar year after 60 offer either 1 Suite Upgrade Award or 10,000 Bonus Points

A Little Confusing

Hyatt has made a somewhat confusing approach to status in 2021. Some language throughout the year has stated that elite night stays count as “double” and in other places have said that requirements are cut in half (Globalist down to 30 nights for example.)

“Earning Elite Status in 2021: To provide even more flexibility, we have lowered the requirements by 50% for earning all elite tiers in 2021. This means that members will be able to qualify or requalify for elite status with half the Tier-Qualifying Nights or Base Points. With the 50% reduction in requirements:

Discoverist status will require 5 Tier-Qualifying Nights or 12,500 Base Points
Explorist status will require 15 Tier-Qualifying Nights or 25,000 Base Points
Globalist status will require 30 Tier-Qualifying Nights or 50,000 Base Points” – Hyatt
While the above is the clearest example, double elite nights would be difficult to calculate on Hyatt.com. Also, for renewing Globalists, the standard should be 28 not 30 nights as 55 nights is what is required for renewal. As Hyatt includes both the nominal “30 Tier-Qualifying Nights” and the 50% language, they do seem to contrast. Guests that end the year at 28 Tier-Qualifying Nights might have a case that the language should re-qualify them.
Park Hyatt Sanya
Park Hyatt Sanya

What Will 30-Night Globalists Miss in 2022?

What I claimed back in 2017 was that for the first time in the industry, elite status would be separated from benefits. That’s what we have found here. Here’s what 30-night Globalists will miss in 2022:

  • (4) Confirmed Suite Upgrade – each worth (7) nights or (28 Confirmed Suite Upgrade nights in total)
  • (1) Category 1-7 Free Night Certificate
  • 5,000 Bonus Points or A $100 Hyatt Gift Card or 10,000 Point savings on a FIND experience
  • Access to My Hyatt Concierge
These are easily the most valuable benefits of Globalist status. I have had great luck getting a suite at check-in most times at Hyatt properties but for really important stays at major resorts or hard-to-get upgrades, those (4) Confirmed Suite Upgrades – especially for how long each is worth) is far and away ahead of any other hotel loyalty program.
Likewise, the Category 1-7 Free Night Certificate can be worth as much as $1,000, and that’s not hyperbole. We used one two years ago which offset the cost of the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris against an €820/night cash price and again in New York when we redeemed one for a stay that would have cost $950+.
hyatt globalist benefits
Lastly, the loss of access to My Hyatt Concierge would have been a substantial loss to me and my family members if our concierge “Q” had remained in her role. She was promoted this year and her replacement has been a disappointment. This is not as big of a loss for us given the drop-off with my new Concierge (I have requested a replacement and never heard back from Hyatt customer service) but for some, this could be a huge loss as well.

Does This Tarnish Globalist Status?

There is always the potential to achieve (60) Tier-qualifying nights through the use of the World of Hyatt credit card (2 nights awarded for each $5,000 spent on the card) but that would require $75,000 just to achieve the missing 30 nights and retain those benefits but that might highlight just how hard it is to gain meaningful status benefits from the card.

A lot of Globalists wouldn’t have noticed the separation of benefits from status until this year. Some will look twice and fill up the customer care lines in the new year when they go to redeem their Category 1-7 and find it absent. Or when they are re-routed from their My Hyatt Concierge becuase they no longer qualify for their service.

For what it’s worth, the other hotel loyalty programs don’t offer the benefits missing from Hyatt’s Globalist *Lite lineup. Hilton doesn’t offer confirmed upgrades, and many Marriott properties have a very interesting view of a standard suite. But that makes Globalist about as good as other loyalty programs and it’s a lot easier to find a Hilton or a Marriott than a Hyatt hotel or resort.

World of Hyatt leadership should be wary of competing programs with fast tracks to status, luring their most elite members.

Conclusion

As I said four and a half years ago, this separation of benefits from status was a mistake. It’s great for entry-level World of Hyatt members who are trying to earn Globalist status for the first time. The method remains terrible for those who can still re-qualify at less than 60 nights but don’t get the benefits they expect because they fell short of 60. This slid under the radar for the last few years, but will be front and center for many travelers who simply couldn’t or didn’t travel as they did in the past.

What do you think? Are you a Globalist that will fall short of 60 nights but still re-qualify? Do you think it makes sense to earn benefits through the qualification process vs having it as part of status? 

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About Author

Kyle Stewart

Kyle is a freelance travel writer with contributions to Time, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, Huffington Post, MapHappy, Live And Lets Fly and many other media outlets. He is also co-founder of Scottandthomas.com, a travel agency that delivers "Travel Personalized." He focuses on using miles and points to provide a premium experience for his wife and daughter. Email: sherpa@thetripsherpa.com

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32 Comments

  1. Amol Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 10:54 am

    I don’t think it was confusing — at the beginning of the year, we did earn double elite nights for all stays. This was on top of the Globalist tier now requiring 30 elite nights, though milestones remained the same levels. Thus instead of 60 nights, it required 15 (doubled for half requirement).

    Everyone knows trying to earn status is much easier when you have the status, and as soon as we were vaccinated we had travel plans set. I mattress ran to 30 nights (not hard given 14 nights just from opening the Hyatt CC and spending $10k, then 8 nights at cheap Cat 1s in January). Now I’m set to end the year at 61 or 62 nights after using my Globalist status the remainder of the year. I believe those who stopped at 30 knew exactly what they were getting into but they will have an easier time getting Globalist next year.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 1:09 pm

      @Amol: Double for half isn’t confusing? I’m not so sure about that. I think “15 stays for Globalist status” would have been clearer, or “quarter requirements in 2021” would have been as well. I am sure Matthew or I commented on it at the time with exuberance but is it still 15 stays for Globalist in 2021? I have more than 15 stays and a lot of those were earlier in the year but I don’t see a requalification tracker when I login so how do my stays count?

      It could have been clearer than it was.

      • Amol Reply
        November 1, 2021 at 3:16 pm

        It’s not confusing. You’re just equating 2 separate aspects of the 2021 program to be the same thing.

        • Felix Reply
          December 24, 2021 at 1:01 pm

          Exactly this

  2. pacifico Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 11:14 am

    Hyatt T&C are very clear:

    Prior to January 1, 2019, a member who qualified for Globalist status (after March 1, 2017) by satisfying the minimum Tier-Qualifying Night or Base Point accrual standards had the opportunity to re-qualify for Globalist status for the following year by either recording a minimum of fifty-five (55) Tier-Qualifying Nights or by earning one hundred thousand (100,000) Base Points during the current Calendar Year. This benefit has been discontinued for new participants as of January 1, 2019. Members who earned (and retained eligibility for) this benefit prior to January 1, 2019, will have the opportunity to utilize this benefit for the 2019 Calendar Year earning period. However, this benefit will be discontinued entirely as of January 1, 2020. For the 2020 Calendar Year earning period and beyond, no Member will be able to requalify for Globalist status through the relaxed threshold described in this paragraph.

    URL: https://help.hyatt.com/en/hyatt-terms/world-of-hyatt-terms.html

    • Josh Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      Agreed. Contrary to the article, requal at 55 nights is no longer possible.

  3. Larry Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 11:15 am

    This again? I guess the uniformly negative comments the last time this not confusing and entirely reasonable first world issue came up on the blog didn’t do much. Dear LLF readers — please nobody tell Kyle that American just announced that 30 segments will be required in addition to loyalty points to get full benefits. We will have to hear about that for five years.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 11:27 am

      @Larry – Always great to meet a fan. Thanks for your support.

      • Larry Reply
        October 31, 2021 at 11:54 am

        It has nothing to do with you personally. It is about topic choice. You do write good stuff. The blind spot on how far you are into dead horse territory on this is … odd.

        • Kyle Stewart Reply
          October 31, 2021 at 1:12 pm

          @Larry – See Santastico’s comment. He’s been a regular commenter for many years on this blog. He’s confused. I was confused at the beginning of the year because Hyatt never really came out and said “status extension not benefit extension” and still hasn’t this year in the same way that Delta and Marriott have.

          I do appreciate your discourse.

          • UA-NYC
            October 31, 2021 at 5:36 pm

            Said poster also defended a sexual assaulter on an airline in a recent post, so maybe not someone whose credibility you should be defending yourself

  4. BC Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 11:34 am

    I’m not sure what’s confusing. They are making the status super easy in recognition of the pandemic and reduced travel, but are actually requiring stays/spend to gain some of the more valuable benefits. As a Globalist with 100+ nights (admittedly, a chunk from credit card spend), I applaud the way they are handling it. In fact, I wish that they continued to the milestone awards beyond 100 nights as I change credit cards when I hit the 100 number.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 1:14 pm

      @BC – Thanks for reading and commenting. The folks that don’t seem to be confused are all logging more nights than would be needed anyway. One logged 82, you’ve checked in over 100 nights. As I said in the post, it’s the folks that hit 30 that will be confused.

  5. Pete Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 11:54 am

    Exactly to echo the above comments, those of use who still need to live our lives and travel will get the actual benefits for continuing to stick with Hyatt.
    There are plenty of benefits already that come with globalist but I’m glad that Hyatt is actually rewarding those of us who are actually spending money with them.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 1:16 pm

      @Pete – I would mostly agree with you. I outlined all of the benefits, not just those that aren’t going to be there for the 30-night crowd. But objectively, Hilton offers the same without the milestone benefits but is much easier to find and often less expensive.

  6. UA-NYC Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 12:05 pm

    The alternative is Marriott extending for everyone and basically crapping on people who actually met their requirements and doing nothing for them. No thanks. See the outrage on that topic on FT.

    I salute Hyatt here. And that goes a few months ago when I had no chance of making 60 nights. I understood it then. And guess what it also incented me to get to 60.

    And agreed too this topic has already been beaten to death.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 1:17 pm

      @UA-NYC – So friendly today. See my next post about those extensions and Status Lite going live in about 20 minutes.

  7. Dan Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    Hi Kyle,

    I also disagree with your statements in this article.

    1. Hyatt made it incredibly clear that the relaxed requirement of 55 nights to renew was always temporary. Looks like someone posted the T&Cs above.

    2. The milestones being separate from status is very clearly indicated on all their communication. Their website and mobile app even have charts showing you progress towards each and how they are separate.

    3. Can’t we just thank Hyatt for providing extensions of rich globalist benefits? And if you got another year (or two) comped, then maybe you say “thank you” and move on? Sure other programs are extending, but the trend in the industry has been to separate out the more rewarding benefits for people that actually stay, or fly.

    WoH is the best program in the industry. It has been very clear, for at least 4 years, that what you want is not going to happen. Maybe time for some other “news” now?

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 6:42 pm

      @Dan – Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful comments.

      1) That seemed to me. Who reads the Terms and Conditions? A lot of companies put things like this in the fine print to protect themselves from policy changes in the future. I also corrected the post removing the 55-night reference.

      2) Yes and no. They made it clear if you looked, but they didn’t advertise it in the same way that Marriott and Delta did. I knew about it but many other Hyatt elites I know had no clue because they are new to Hyatt or aren’t following the stories as closely as we are.

      3) I think you’re going to have to try pretty hard to find a bigger fan of Hyatt than I am – search this page some. That said, I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of separating benefits from status. It makes two classes of the status tier. Globalists and GINOs (I am making it up so it’s pronounced “guy-no”) Globalists-In-Name-Only. My (4) suite upgrades have gone unused this year because I haven’t been traveling to worthy places to use them, why not just extend the useful life date. They don’t have to give out new ones, just don’t expire the unused ones instead. There are options.

      If you’re looking for other news, you could see my other two posts for the day, one about American Airlines delays and the other about status extensions across the industry.

  8. Jerry Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 12:15 pm

    Didn’t they drop the 55 night requalification and require 60 for all?

    Considering all of the double night promos, credit card nights, and Q4 2020 counting for 2021, if you haven’t hit 60 nights with Hyatt than you really don’t deserve full Globalist benefits. It just wasn’t that hard this year. I hit night 100 tonight and my conundrum is that without any more milestones and no current bonus, I’m sort of inclined to book away from Hyatt for the rest of the year.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 12:24 pm

      And you should if you’re past 100, certainly.

  9. Christian Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    I thought the 30 nights promo for Globalist was smart and quite generous, particularly with double nights. People got a taste of Globalist without Hyatt giving away the store. I’ll have 82 nights by this weekend.

  10. Santastico Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    I am kind of “new” to Hyatt meaning I never really had any status other than what comes with the Hyatt card since I almost never traveled to a place that had a Hyatt hotel. Now I have a job that puts me in a Hyatt all the time so I just hit 33 nights and 42k base points this year becoming Globalist. Based on what you said above I still need to reach 60 nights or 100k base points to get full benefits. Is that correct? So I would need to spend $60k until the end of the year on the Hyatt card to ge to that level if I don’t have any new stays?

  11. Gary Leff Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    As I flagged for folks in December of last year,
    https://viewfromthewing.com/top-hyatt-elites-who-dont-stay-60-nights-next-year-will-lose-their-concierge/

  12. RJ Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    Current Globalist–we put together our schedule to end year with 61-62 qualifying nights. Agree w/ above–the Cat. 1-7 award, suite upgrade certificates and concierge access are absolutely worth getting to 60, even if normal travel/spending plan would leave me a bit short this year.

  13. Foamer Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 4:12 pm

    Why are you refusing to fix the factual error (about 55 vs 60 nights required for requalifying Globalists) when multiple commenters have pointed it out? Do you believe in some alternate version of truth?

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 5:58 pm

      Sorry, Connie.

      https://youtu.be/A0Gn9PlU7BA?t=98

  14. FlyBird Reply
    October 31, 2021 at 10:52 pm

    @Kyle, forget about all the losers posting negative BS.
    Are you planning to return to Bangkok anytime soon? There are plenty of grear hotel deals at the moment (Hyatt, Conrad…)

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      October 31, 2021 at 11:42 pm

      @FlyBird – Thanks. I would love to be headed back there now that they have quasi re-opened but we haven’t scheduled it yet.

      • FlyBird Reply
        November 1, 2021 at 3:01 am

        @Kyle Well, you’d better hurry up as these $60 a night offers won’t last when mass tourism returns. Best deal I had so far was $35 a night at Marriott Marquis + Elite benefits + Breakfast + 5000 Bonvoy points

  15. Angela Reply
    January 6, 2022 at 10:19 am

    I enjoyed reading your article. I thought Hyatt did a great job during COVID expanding the time frames as to when the awards expire, lowering the status program, etc. However, we had suite awards that expired the end of last year that we were never able to use. We have been planning a trip to Baha Mar in the Bahamas for 3 years (canceled the last 2 years because of COVID) and we lost those the beginning of the year. Having been a Globalist for so long and now not being able to even get extra suite night awards (not to mention the NUMEROUS club access awards that will go to waste), I am discouraged. I wish they had a program to trade in some of the awards for others or something!

  16. Mark Reply
    February 26, 2022 at 9:06 pm

    I just went thru the experience, where are my suite awards, category 7 upgrade. 10 years or more of Diamond and Globalist status and now disappointed. Covid impact has not stopped so why am I getting penalized. Your article confirmed what customer service skirted around during questioning. Totally disappointed.

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