Underrated Reasons Why You Need the World of Hyatt Card
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For travelers who stay at Hyatt hotels, adding the to your credit card portfolio is almost a no-brainer. One perk alone, the card’s annual free night certificate, can single-handedly justify the card’s . But if you have the or are looking to apply for one, don’t overlook some of the lesser-known benefits it provides if you want to maximize your value.
is packed with a number of , including:
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Along with the well-known benefits, the also has a number of underrated benefits, including:
When you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year (your account open date and 12 billing cycles after), you earn an additional Category 1-4 award night. That's on top of the Category 1-4 award night that comes automatically with your card anniversary.
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You’ll earn a bonus of 4x on Hyatt purchases made on the for a combined 9x points per dollar spent at Hyatt (thanks to the 5x points you already receive as a World of Hyatt member).
Don’t overlook the fact that cardmembers also earn 2x points on airfare, local transit, fitness and gym memberships, and at restaurants.
Hyatt offers three levels of annually achievable : Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. The comes with Discoverist status, which saves you the time, effort and cost of the 10 nights or 25,000 base points normally required to earn that level.
Speaking of elite tiers, the comes with five elite night credits every calendar year. These elite night credits help you on your path to earn the next level of status, no matter where you are in the process.
Hyatt incentivizes you to spend on this card by offering additional elite night credits as well. With every $5,000 in spending on , you earn two additional elite night credits. There’s no limit to how many elite night credits you can earn — so if you’re chasing Explorist or Globalist status, your credit card spending might get you the additional elite night credits you need.
When you use the internationally, you will not pay foreign transaction fees. This is typically a savings of 1% to 3% per transaction compared to using a card that charges a fee.
Most travel cards don’t have foreign transaction fees, so this feature is good, but not exceptional.
We already like this card for booking airfare (you’ll get 2x points per dollar spent on airline tickets booked directly with the airline), but the lost luggage reimbursement is one more incentive to use this card to pay for plane tickets.
If your bags are delayed more than six hours, you will be reimbursed for spending on essentials, like clothing and toiletries, up to $100 per day for five days. The definition of "essential" is a little nebulous, as it won’t cover some items you may personally deem essential, like contact lenses, hearing aids and documents (like passports).
If your luggage is gone for good, you’ll be covered for up to $3,000 per passenger whose ticket was booked on your Hyatt card.
For both situations, you’ll have to file the claim within 20 days of the item(s) being lost, and you need to include relevant documentation, like receipts. This benefit is on par with the coverage on the revered — yet that card has a annual fee.
Note that you must use the for these essential purchases to qualify for reimbursement.
If a trip paid for with your card is delayed or completely canceled for reasons including sickness or severe weather, you and your immediate family members can be reimbursed for travel expenses up to $5,000 per person, for a maximum benefit of $10,000 per trip for prepaid nonrefundable expenses.
The benefit isn’t quite as generous as what you’ll get from the most (another Chase card, the , covers up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).
If you get into an accident while driving a rental car or your rental car is stolen, you may be covered if you charge it to your Hyatt card.
The insurance is secondary coverage in the U.S., which means that your credit card will only pick up the fees and charges that your primary car insurance policy doesn't. Here’s how that works:
Some costs that are ineligible are theft of personal items left inside the vehicle, damage to motorcycles and mopeds, as well as “expensive, exotic, and antique automobiles.”
The ’s well-known benefits can provide immediate value to cardmembers, but underrated benefits, like earning additional award nights, earning higher elite status, no foreign transaction fees and travel insurance, make this a card to consider holding on to.
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the , including those best for:
