Tag Archives: Hyatt Hotels

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Miles & Points Mantra #1: “Use Hotel Free Night Certificates ASAP”

Good afternoon everyone, I hope your week is going well. I’m kicking off a new series on the blog called Miles & Points Mantra, where I’ll be sharing the personal “rules” I follow when it comes to using airline miles, hotel points, credit card rewards, and all things travel.  I try to follow these rules 100% of the time, but I have been known to break the rules from time to time.  Whether you’re brand new to travel hacking or a seasoned pro, I’d love to hear if you agree or disagree with these “rules.”  I have a long list of mantras to share, but if you have one you swear by (or want me to cover), please share it in the comments section below.  Let’s get started…

Miles & Points Mantra #1: “Use Hotel Free Night Certificates ASAP”

If you are just starting out and only have 1 or 2 hotel Free Night Certificates (FNCs), it might not be too difficult to remember to use them before they expire.  Fortunately / unfortunately, between Laura and myself, we have earned / received 15 FNCs in the last 12 months from various credit card sign up bonuses, paying renewal annual fees on our hotel credit cards, and from completing a Hyatt Brand Explorer challenge.  15 FNCs means we have to spend at least 15 nights in hotels throughout the year in 4 different hotel brands (Hilton, Hyatt. IHG, and Marriott) within certain categories and point limitations.  The only way I can manage these FNCs is in a spreadsheet.

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When Does the Free Night Certificate from the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card Post and Expire?

Good afternoon everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  Yesterday, my dad asked me about his Hyatt Free Night Certificate (FNC).  He told me he just booked a Hyatt stay using the FNC but wasn’t sure if he got a good deal on the hotel stay.  I asked him when the FNC expired, but he didn’t know or remember.  I told him how to figure out when the Hyatt FNC posted to his account and how to find out when the FNC expired.  I figured this post would be helpful to others who are in the same situation.  It is really easy to find out, here is how.

Figure out when your $95 annual fee is charged to your Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card.  For Laura’s card, her $95 annual fee posted on February 1, 2025.  You can find this charge using the Chase website, Chase app, or by looking at your credit card statements.

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After 12 Years, I Finally Earned My First Hyatt Brand Explorer Award!

Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to pop the champagne bottles!  After 12 years, I finally earned my first Hyatt Brand Explorer Award! If you are not familiar with the Hyatt Brand Explorer, you earn a category 1-4 free night certificate after every 5 different Hyatt brands that you stay at.  As of now, Hyatt has 32 different brands, so you could earn up to 6 Brand Explorer Awards.  Scroll down to see the current list of brands.

On Friday, February 21, I went to a Warriors @ Kings NBA game in Sacramento and stayed at the nearby Hyatt Centric Downtown Sacramento.  Fast forward to today (Monday, February 24), I received an email from Hyatt congratulating me earning a Brand Explorer Award.

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My 2024 Travel Recap: Elite Statuses, Flights & Hotel Nights

Good afternoon everyone, I hope your week is going well.  I thought it would be cool to share the hotel and airline elite statuses I earned (and matched to) in 2024 along with the number of flights I flew and the number of nights I stayed in hotels.  Fun fact: I might be the only travel blogger without Hyatt Globalist Elite Status (I actually don’t have any Hyatt status).  Read on to learn more interesting facts about my 2024 travel recap.

2024 Flights & Airline Elite Statuses

  • Alaska Airlines is the only airline status that I earned (and care about).  I took 14 flights and earned 13,658 elite miles.  I also earned 8,000 elite miles from spending $20,000 on my Bank of America Alaska Airlines Credit Card.  I am looking forward to earning Alaska Airlines MVP Elite Status in 2025 with several Companion Fare flights and awards booked with Alaska Airlines miles.
  • SFO is my nearest international airport, but I only flew United Airlines 3x last year.
  • Before the end of 2024, I status matched to Hawaiian Airlines Pualani Gold (allows better seat assignments on Hawaiian Airlines) and Southwest Airlines A List, but I don’t have any Southwest Airlines flights planned in 2025 since all my favorite routes were moved from SFO to OAK.
Loyalty Program Status Status from Credit Card Notes Flights
Alaska Airlines MVP 13,658 Elite Miles from flying + 8,000 Elite Miles from credit card spend 14
Delta Airlines 3 trips: SFO-ATL-DAB, DAB-ATL-SFO, and MIA-JFK 5
United Airlines 3 trips: SFO-SNA, SNA-SFO, and SFO-DEN 3
Air France / KLM 1 Business Class Award: ARN-AMS-LAX 2
Avelo Airlines 2 trips: STS-BOI and BOI-STS 2
Finnair 2 trips: DUB-HEL and HEL-ARN 2
Aer Lingus 1 Business Class Award: DEN-DUB 1
JetBlue 1 trip: SFO-FLL 1
Hawaiian Airlines Pualani Gold Status matched from Alaska Airlines MVP Elite Status (Dec 2024) 0
Southwest Airlines A List Status matched from Alaska Airlines MVP Elite Status (Dec 2024) 0
Total Flights:  30

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8 Buy Miles / Points Promos Ending Soon: Avianca (160%), JetBlue (130%), Hilton (100%), Southwest (50%), Wyndham (45%), United (30%), Air Canada (30%), & Hyatt (25%)

Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found 8 offers that end in the next week.  Always check the math to make sure that buying miles & points makes sense for you.  Do not buy miles & points speculatively unless you have a use in mind.  With that said, here are 8 offers that end soon.

Up first, Avianca Airlines is offering up to a 160% bonus, depending on the number of Avianca Airlines LifeMiles you purchase. This offer expires on December 31.

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