Hyatt delays peak pricing, extends point validity and announces more Bonus Journeys

Good news comes in threes, apparently because Hyatt just dropped three major announcements regarding the World of Hyatt program. If you've been dreading the implementation of Hyatt's peak/off-peak pricing award chart, you can breathe a sigh of relief because Hyatt has once again postponed its change. The new award chart was supposed to go into effect in March 2020 but got pushed to June 2021 due to the pandemic.

Now, Hyatt is delaying the change until mid-October, which is when we'll start seeing peak/off-peak pricing for stays in March 2022 and beyond.

That's not the only good news Hyatt just dropped: The World of Hyatt program is also extending point expiration dates. If you have points expiring by June 30, 2021 they'll be valid until Dec. 31, 2021.

Hyatt also announced a new Bonus Journeys promotion, offering 3x bonus points on stays of two or more qualifying nights. The promotion is open to all members and applies to stays between July 20 - Sept. 15, 2021. Registration opens July 7, 2021 and is open to all Hyatt members.

Here's a more detailed look at all three announcements and what they mean for your rewards balance:

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Hyatt's Peak/Off-peak pricing delay

As anxious as the peak/off-peak award chart made most of us, its implementation may have been a good thing. As you may recall from our initial announcement, this new award chart would drop the cost of some awards by as much as 30% while others would increase by that amount.

If Hyatt had decided to implement this change now, most of us would be looking at peak pricing for much of our summer bookings made at Hyatt hotels. So in that sense, the delay is a positive thing. With travel demand skyrocketing, most awards would probably price out at the peak level.

On the other hand, leisure travel demand will likely drop this fall as more families get back on the school calendar. If Hyatt had implemented off-peak pricing, those of us traveling in the fall might have been looking at lower redemption rates.

In any case, having an extra four months to prepare for such a substantial change is a good thing overall. If you have plans to stay at a Hyatt hotel in March 2022 or beyond, it might be a good idea to secure those bookings before the new award chart goes into effect. If rates later price out at the off-peak level, you can always cancel your reservation and rebook at the lower rate.

Related: 11 Hyatt hotels changing award categories tomorrow

Hyatt point expiration delay

If you have points expiring by June 30, 2021, they'll be valid until Dec. 31, 2021. Hyatt points don't technically expire, but they are "forfeited" after 24 months of inactivity. With an extra six months, you'll have more time to keep your hard-earned points intact.

Beyond that period, you can do any of the following to keep your Hyatt points from expiring:

• Receive points (via eligible stays at a participating Hyatt or M life Rewards property)
• Redeem points
• Receive credit with a travel partner or M life Rewards Tier Credits for a stay at a Hyatt hotel or resort
• Gift eligible awards to another member
• Convert Hyatt points into miles to a travel partner
• Buy points
• Combine points with another World of Hyatt member’s account
• Have an active Hyatt card associated with your account

Related: How you may be able to save 25% on your Hyatt award redemptions this summer

Details on the Bonus Journeys promotion

The Bonus Journeys promotion can be very lucrative if you have upcoming travel with Hyatt this summer and fall. You can earn a maximum of 120,000 bonus points. Normally, World of Hyatt members earn 5 points per $1. With the Bonus Journeys promotion, that goes up to 15 points per $1, excluding elite bonuses.

If you’re a World of Hyatt Credit cardholder, you can maximize this promotion further by charging Hyatt hotel stays to your card for a combined 19 points per $1 spent. For example, a $500 hotel stay would earn a total of 9,500 Hyatt points, which is enough for two nights at a Category 2 Hyatt hotel:

• 5 points per $1 via the standard earning rate = 2,500 points
• 10 points per $1 via Bonus Journeys = 5,000 points
• 4 points per $1 from the Hyatt credit card = 2,000 points

Elite members would earn even more, with bonuses ranging from 10-30% of the standard rate.

Related: The most valuable hotel points: World of Hyatt Credit Card review

Bottom line

Overall, these announcements are positive for World of Hyatt members. Not only do members earn triple points as part of the continued Bonus Journeys promotion, but points don't expire until the end of the year and the dreaded peak/off-peak award chart won't go into effect until October.

While the pandemic is slowing down and travel is picking up again as millions of people have gotten vaccinated, I know many of you have been concerned about your points devaluing or expiring altogether. It's nice to see travel brands like Hyatt continue to make customer-friendly moves despite the uptick in travel. Let's hope that continues and other brands follow suit.