Expiring Hyatt Free Night Certificate Options

We just had this question asked in the Top Facebook Group and it was just the nudge I needed. I had been meaning to write this up since we had to deal with my mom's expiring Hyatt free night certificate options. She had planned to use her cert for our recent trip to Orlando but tested positive for covid the day before the trip. After some back and forth with the Hyatt call center reps, and my buddy (the Hyatt guru) Kevin S. chiming in, I can for certain answer a few pointed questions:

• Can you get your expiring Hyatt free night certificate extended?
• Are there any covid exemptions like some other brands offer?
• Will they give you points for the certificate?
• Is there anything else I can do with this dang thing?

So let's get to it!

Will Hyatt Extend Expiring Hyatt Free Night Certificates?

Some brands, even after the covid extensions dried up, have been willing to continue to extend expiring free night certificates. It is one area Marriott is surprisingly great in, but what about World of Hyatt? Will Hyatt extend your expiring free night certificate? Nope, no, nada, no shot, not a chance in heck. They are sadly extremely firm on this and will not budge.

What About Extenuating Circumstances, Like A Covid Cancellation?

Okay, so we know that Hyatt has their no face on when asking about free night cert extensions but what about if you have a tragic story? Like saving it to see your grandkids in the “most magical place on Earth” but you got covid right before? I can sadly report that is still a big fat no. My mom tried a few different reps and got the same answer, that they couldn't do anything.

Can You Get Points For Expiring World of Hyatt Free Night Certificates?

So we know we can't extended these puppies, but how about getting some type of compensation for them? There is some hope here, but it depends on where the free night certificate came from. If you got the cert from the World of Hyatt credit card, whether it is the anniversary free night or from the $15K in spend, you are out of luck. They are not willing to turn these certificates into points. If you have a free night certificate from the World of Hyatt program's milestones then they will likely work with you. The reps may require the cert to actually be expired to do it, but they will likely offer the following:

• 10,000 points for a category 1-4 free night certificate
• 20,000 points for a category 1-7 free night certificate

How Do You Earn World Of Hyatt Milestone Rewards Free Nights?

The free night certificates earned from the World of Hyatt program come after earning a set number of elite nights each calendar year. This can come via stays, the 5 elite nights you get from the World of Hyatt credit card or from credit card spend on the personal card or the World of Hyatt business card. Once you reach certain levels of elite nights a free night certificate is earned as a milestone reward. I imagine they offer points for these ones since they are only good for 6 months and not 12 months like the Chase certificates. They are also issued directly from Hyatt and not through Chase which probably gives them added flexibility. Here are the milestones where a free night is earned:

• 30 Nights
  • Category 1-4 free night certificate
• 60 nights
  • Category 1-7 free night certificate

What Are My Other Options For An Expiring Certificate?

If your certificate is not from a milestone reward what other options do you have? You can always book a hotel for a friend or family member as a gift or negotiate some sort of compensation. If your friend is into miles and points too you could maybe do an award transfer booking back and forth between the too of you. I'll dive into this option in more detail next week. You could book a night at a hotel near you just for the elite night credit and maybe to swim etc. Or you could give it away to a random stranger like we did!

Expiring World of Hyatt Cert: ToP Thoughts

Your expiring Hyatt free night certificate options really depend on what kind of cert you have. If it is from earning Hyatt milestone awards then you have some options. If it is from the World of Hyatt credit card then you need to phone a friend. The best option is to barter with someone else or use it as an unexpected gift. If you come down to the final days then use it before it expires to just earn the elite night credit, assuming that matters to you. This is why I always shout from the rooftops to use your free night certs first! Points have a much better shelf life so it is important to focus on things with expiration dates first. Don't let great be the enemy of good. If I find a hotel that is 12,000 points or more I tend to use my free night certificate first. That isn't maximizing it, but at least I won't be left holding the bag. If I know for sure that I can use it later down the road I may keep it in pocket, at least if the shelf life has some time left on it. When you get past the 4-5 months left mark it is best to take that good option instead of waiting for the great option that just may never come.