(uplifting music)
Welcome to the latest of our
"Business Traveller" videos.
My name is Tom Otley, and
I'm the editorial director
here at "Business Traveller."
Today we're talking about
hotel loyalty programs,
and what they are doing to help you retain
your hard-earned status
with them during this period
when the majority of them are closed.
I'd also like to mention the fact that
businesstraveller.com has
got a lot of this news
and information on it.
It might seem odd mentioning that
if you're actually watching
this video on this website,
but a lot of people are
probably watching on YouTube
saying, "Why doesn't he
give us the information?"
A lot of that information
or most of the information
is on businesstraveller.com,
and if it's not, there's
links through directing you
to the places where you can find out
the information on the airline's
or hotel's own websites
or on government websites.
One point that I should make is that
when you read the articles,
make sure to scroll down to
the comments on the bottom
because there's some very,
very informed people there,
giving some great advice
to people who are in
all sorts of trouble or just distressed
about not being able to get home
or not being able to get their money back
or wondering, you know,
how they retain their
gold or platinum status
in a hotel loyalty program.
Right then, let's look at what
the hotel loyalty programs
are doing at the moment and
we'll keep this updated.
We've got an article
about it on the website,
and that's something that
we're constantly updating.
But this is the situation at the moment
with the big loyalty programs.
Acccor. So Accor All,
or Accor Live Limitless,
so far has only announced changes
for members in greater China,
so if you're there, great for you.
The rest of us will have to wait to hear
what they've got to say.
What they've said there is silver, gold,
platinum, and diamond
statuses will now expire
in December 31st, 2021,
so at the end of next year
regardless of how many eligible nights
a member completes in 2020,
which obviously makes sense.
Best Western, similar sort of thing.
You will maintain your current status
until January the 31st, 2022,
so right the way through '21
into the end of January 2022,
and Best Western reward
members who were downgraded
by a tier at the end of
2019 will be leveled up
to their previous tier and
will be able to maintain
that tier status too until that date,
the end of January 2022.
Hilton, Hilton's being generous.
Members who were due to
have their status downgraded
on March 31st, so just last month,
will receive an extension through
until the end of March 2021,
and that applies to all tier levels,
diamond, gold, or silver.
In addition, all those people
will see their benefits
extended until the end of March 2022,
regardless of their travel
levels over the next 12 months.
And the scheme is also
pausing the expiration
of any points scheduled
to expire between now
and the end of this year,
and extending the expiration
of all its weekend night rewards,
which were unexpired as of March the 11th,
as well as any new ones issued.
So that's good news for Hilton.
World of Hyatt.
They've said that members
based in Asia Pacific countries
will be given tier status
and benefits extensions.
I imagine this will be rolled
out throughout the world,
so they got the strange name,
World of Hyatt Discoverist,
Explorist, and Globalist
members, I know, what can you do,
will now have a tier
expiration February 28th, 2022
rather than February 28th, 2021
to maintain their elite
tier status and benefits,
and all of those things
like suite upgrade awards,
club access awards, free night awards
that would have expired in 2020,
will go through now until the end of 2021.
It's a slightly different
measure for the rest of the world
at the moment, but I think it will change,
so I'm thinking that what
they've announced for Asia,
because obviously Asia went
through this pandemic first,
will also apply throughout
the rest of the world.
But we wait for details
and that will be updated
on the website.
IHG. Again, so far,
not being too generous.
It's reducing the elite
membership criteria required,
both in nights and points
this year by at least 25%.
I think that will increase,
but watch this space.
Marriott, it's emailed
members of Marriott Bonvoy
and paused the points expiration
until the end of August
this year and extended the expiration
of suite night rewards
'til the end of this year.
Again, I think they'll
extend that because,
well, they'll have to
match I think what Hilton
and the rest of them are doing.
Melia, it's gonna extended the
Melia rewards membership tier
for one year to platinum,
gold, and silver members
'til the end of 2020.
The membership tier will remain unchanged,
even for those members who do not meet
the minimum stays, nights,
or points requirement.
Radisson. Radisson Rewards is
suspending point expiration
for six months, effective
from the beginning of March.
It's also extended elite status
for members until February 2022.
You know, again, I think those things
will probably get extended
as this pandemic drags on
through April, May, June.
And lastly, Wyndham, it's
again paused the expiration
of Wyndham Rewards points
scheduled to expire
between now and May 31st, 2020,
and it's extended Wyndham
Rewards member levels
for members initially in greater China
and the Southeast Asia Pacific regions
until the end of 2021, but again,
I'm sure that will be extended
throughout the world as this goes on.
So then, I hope you found that useful.
I've got lots more to say,
but this video's already too long,
so stay tuned, subscribe to the channel.
If you got any comments or questions,
we've got some great topics
coming up, so do let us know.
Until then, goodbye.
(uplifting music)
