Hyatt has just released an update to its cancellation and modification policy, and 'World of Hyatt' benefits, adding flexibility for its guests and loyalty members in light of today's difficult and unpredictable circumstances.
Existing reservations for stays through June 30, 2020, that were booked on or before April 1 can be changed or canceled at no charge up to 24 hours before a guest's scheduled arrival. This also applies to Advance Purchase Rate reservations.
New reservations that are being booked between April 2 and June 30, 2020, for any future arrival date can be modified or canceled at no charge up to 24 hours a guest's scheduled arrival, which also applies to Advance Purchase Rate reservations. The only exceptions would be reservations at Destination Residences and Special Events Rate reservations that were booked after April 1, which are subject to their own cancellation policies as outlined during booking.
These refreshed policies apply to reservations that were booked directly through Hyatt, so guests who booked their stays through third parties, including travel agents and online booking engines, will need to contact their booking providers for assistance. These policies don't apply to group business or convention guests, owing to the contractual nature of their reservations.
Since most companies' customer service lines are being flooded with inquiries amid fallout from COVID-19, reservations can be most easily altered or canceled on Hyatt.com or via the World of Hyatt mobile app. Guests with reservations at Hyatt Residence Club property who did not book through Hyatt channels should contact Hyatt Residence Club.
World of Hyatt loyalty program members will also find that additional flexibility being applied to their benefits. For all members, globally, World of Hyatt benefits will be extended in the following ways:
-More time to use points: While points do not actually expire, they are usually subject to forfeiture if a member's account is inactive for 24 months. Now, Hyatt is suspending that forfeiture rule through December 31, 2020.
-More time to use rewards: All unused Free Night, Suite Upgrade or Club Lounge Access awards set to expire between March 1 and December 31, 2020, are being extended through December 31, 2021. This extension will be applied automatically by World of Hyatt and includes existing awards and covers both existing rewards and rewards that may be earned throughout this year with a 2020 expiration date. Those that recently expired between March 1 and March 31, 2020, will be replaced on April 20, 2020. All other qualifying unused rewards will be refreshed by the 20th of their original expiration month.
-All existing elite members' status and benefits will be extended without the need to re-qualify. Whatever a member's status stood as of March 31, 2020, will be automatically updated to reflect an expiration date of February 28, 2022. The extensions should appear on elite-tier members' accounts by no later than April 15, 2020.
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