Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards Clubs, Hilton Honors, Choice Privileges, Radisson Rewards, Wyndham Rewards Loyalty program are the most known hotel reward programs for frequent travelers.
Hotels promise the lowest rates on their website, room upgrades, free internet, early check-in, late check out, suite upgrades, free breakfast, lounge access, free phone access, use of premium facilities for their best clients. To reach a status, travelers are required to book with hotels directly on their booking website, and stay a required number of nights, or spend a minimum amount of money with the hotel group.
COVID-19 makes it difficult, often impossible to stay in hotels due to travel restrictions and closed hotels. Wouldn’t it be logical for all hotel groups to make it easier this year to fulfill the requirement for a 2021 status? Some hotels agreed and extended status for the most loyal guests, others did do nothing so far.
Here is a list of how Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Best Western, Choice, Radisson, Wyndham is currently handling the after COVID-19 season.
Best Western
Best Western has announced that all Best Western Rewards members will maintain their current elite status through January 31, 2022. Additionally, all Best Western elite members whose status was downgraded at the end of 2019 will be restored to their previous status and also will keep that status through January 2022.
Choice Hotels
Choice has not yet announced an extension of elite status, though it’s said that it’s “[continuing] to evaluate opportunities around Elite status.” Choice has also paused points expiration until May 31, 2020.
Hilton
Hilton Honors is extending 2020 elite status through March 31, 2022. Additionally, if your 2019 status was set to downgrade in March 2020, the hotel brand has extended that status another year, through March 2021. Points expiration is paused through December 2020, and the expiration date for all Hilton credit card free nights has been extended until August 2021.
Hyatt
Hyatt is extending 2020 World of Hyatt status to February 28, 2022. Hyatt is also pausing points forfeiture through December 31, 2020, and the expiration date on Free Night, Suite Upgrade, and Club Lounge Access awards will be extended to December 31, 2021.
IHG
IHG has reduced the number of nights required for elite status by 25% for 2020. For any points that were set to expire between April 2020 and December 2020, IHG is pushing back the expiration date to December 31, 2020.
Marriott
Marriott Bonvoy is extending the status that you earned in 2019 all the way to February 2022. Points expiration is paused until February 2021, and the expiration date on Suite Night Awards set to expire in December 2020 has been moved to December 2021.
Radisson
Radisson members will maintain the elite status they currently have through February 2022. Radisson is also suspending points expiration for six months and extending the expiration date on free night e-certificates earned with the Radisson Rewards credit card. All e-certificates set to expire between March 1 and July 31 of this year will now expire on June 30, 2021.
Wyndham
Wyndham has announced that it’s extending the elite status through the end of 2021. Wyndham is also pausing the expiration of points between now and September 30, 2020.
