Hyatt Free Night Awards Will Now Count Toward Status, Plus Extended Expiration Dates

World of Hyatt today announced two new – major – program changes and both are very positive.

First, “Starting January 1, 2018, all nights on free night awards will count toward tier status. You can now earn elite status and additional benefits faster.”

Most major hotel chains already have this benefit in place, so it’s nice to see Hyatt catching up. With top tier Globalist status requiring 60 nights, having free award nights count will certainly help towards achieving this number.

Second, “We’re extending the validity dates for the following free night awards. Starting with those issued January 1, 2018, you can use them up to 180 days for issuance.

• Free night in Cat 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort when you stay 30 qualifying nights or earn 50,000 Base Points in a calendar year
• Free night in Cat 1-7 Hyatt hotel or resort when you stay 60 qualifying nights or earn 100,000 Base Points in a calendar year

Previously, these certificates were only good for 90 days, severely limiting their usage for upcoming trips. I’m excited to see these expirations now extended a bit, allowing for more advanced usage and me better being able to plan for trips coming up.

Overall, two positive changes to the World of Hyatt program – both long overdue.