How to Earn Points on Chick Fil a App

» COVID-19 updates:

The World of Hyatt hotel loyalty program is one of the best hotel elite status programs out there — if not the best. In fact, it's the winner of the "Best hotel rewards program for frequent travelers" category in NerdWallet's Best Hotel Elite Status Programs of 2021 . That's thanks to a best-in-class elite status program and high-value rewards program, easily setting Hyatt apart from all the other hotel loyalty programs out there.

Based on our most recent analysis of hotel loyalty programs , World of Hyatt points hold the most value among hotel rewards programs and the most value for luxury travelers. When using points for free hotel nights, each World of Hyatt point is worth 1.9 cents . The program also allows members to earn additional free nights by earning status, or by holding the World of Hyatt Credit Card .

On the downside, although Hyatt has more than 900 properties in its portfolio, it's still one of the smaller hotel programs, especially compared to big players like the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy programs. Finding a Hyatt hotel at your destination may be slightly more difficult than with other brands.

The World of Hyatt program (formerly known as Hyatt Gold Passport) currently features four different tiers of membership (including the base Member level), with loyalty points redeemable at Hyatt's more than 900 hotels which span six continents.

Is World of Hyatt the right loyalty program for you? Are some World of Hyatt redemptions better than others? We went through with a fine-toothed comb to find the best and worst redemption options of this hotel loyalty program.

The list is here.

See 2021's best travel reward programs and more. All backed by tons of nerdy research.

In this article:

How much World of Hyatt points are worth

Based on our most recent analysis, NerdWallet values World of Hyatt points at 1.9 cents apiece. To determine the value of reward points, we compared cash prices and reward redemptions for hotel stays across several destinations and dates. We divided the cost in cash by the cost in points to determine a "cent per point" value for each hotel night, then averaged this value across several searches. Read more about how we arrived at these figures .

This is therefore a baseline value for World of Hyatt points, based on real-world data collected from hundreds of hotel stays, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award bookings that offer 1.9 cents or more in value from your World of Hyatt points.

To determine the value of your points for specific bookings, divide the cash value (minus any fees associated with the reward booking) by the number of points required. So if a hotel room would cost either $100, or 15,000 points + $10 in resort fees, the math would be as follows:

($100 – $10) / 15,000 = 0.006, or 0.6 cent per point.

World of Hyatt: The basics

The World of Hyatt loyalty program includes 19 global portfolio brands . The most popular Hyatt brands include:

• Hyatt Place: An upscale hotel positioned as the entry-level experience, Hyatt Place offers traditional amenities like workout facilities and cocktail bars. World of Hyatt members who book through the Hyatt website can also get free breakfast during their stay.

• Hyatt House: The upscale extended-stay brand of Hyatt features apartment-style suites with amenities like cooking areas and full-size refrigerators. Hyatt House locations are most commonly found in urban areas, around college campuses, or near airports.

• Hyatt Centric: Hyatt Centric hotels are comparable to boutique, upper-upscale hotels marketed as delivering a lifestyle experience that allows guests to live like a local.

• Hyatt Regency: This upper-upscale brand of Hyatt focuses on the needs of the business traveler. Guests can expect fully stocked business centers, an on-site restaurant, to-go markets and meeting spaces.

• Grand Hyatt: A step beyond boutique hotels, Grand Hyatt luxury hotels are found only at select destinations. Combining eye-catching architecture and design with full-service amenities, Grand Hyatt is one of the group's two luxury brands.

• Park Hyatt: The highest luxury brand in the Hyatt portfolio, Park Hyatt hotels offer smaller properties focused on residential-style accommodations with premium amenities, from on-site spa services to upscale dining and fitness centers.

Other brands in the Hyatt portfolio include: Andaz, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Miraval Resorts and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

World of Hyatt elite status levels

When Hyatt Gold Passport became World of Hyatt, the first noticeable change was the elimination of the traditional loyalty tiers: silver, gold and platinum. Instead, members can qualify for one of four status levels based on how many nights, base points, or qualifying meetings or events they book every year: member, Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. Here's what you need to know about each tier of Hyatt elite status :

World of Hyatt Member

How to earn Member status: All members start as World of Hyatt members. Simply sign up and hand over your email.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences.

Other benefits:

• Free standard internet access at participating hotels.

• Free breakfast at Hyatt Place for stays booked through Hyatt.com. may also qualify for free breakfast during their stay.

• Member Rate discounts at participating hotels and resorts for reservations made either online or through the dedicated reservations telephone number.

• Resort fees waived when points are used for an award night.

World of Hyatt Discoverist

How to earn Discoverist status: Stay 10 qualifying nights, earn 25,000 base points, host three qualifying meetings or events, or open the World of Hyatt Credit Card .

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences. Plus, earn 10% bonus points when you choose points as your reward.

Other benefits:

• All of the above member benefits included in the lower tiers, as well as...

• Free complimentary bottle of water every day of your stay.

• A dedicated check-in line.

• Late checkout (upon request, and when available) of 2 p.m. at participating locations.

• No upgrades, though you'll receive the preferred room within the room type booked upon arrival.

• Ability to match status to Pearl level in MGM Resorts' M life loyalty program.

World of Hyatt Explorist

How to earn Explorist status: Stay 30 qualifying nights, earn 50,000 base points, or host 10 qualifying meetings or events.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences. Plus, earn 20% bonus points when you choose points as your reward.

Other benefits:

• All of the above member benefits included in the lower tiers, as well as...

• An upgrade to the best room available at check-in (excluding suites), when available.

• Four Club lounge passes on eligible rates or when redeeming points for free night awards.

• Ability to match status to Gold status in the M Life program.

• Ability to request room reservations as soon as 72 hours ahead of your stay, although blackout dates apply.

World of Hyatt Globalist

How to earn Globalist status: Stay 60 qualifying nights, earn 100,000 base points, or host 20 qualifying meetings or events.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences. Plus, earn 30% bonus points when you choose points as your reward.

Other benefits:

• All of the above member benefits included in the lower tiers, as well as...

• An upgrade to the best available room at check-in, including standard suites.

• Late checkout (upon request, and when available) of 4 p.m. at participating locations.

• Access to the hotel club lounge with every stay.

• Complimentary parking at participating hotels and resorts.

• Priority access to available rooms when checking in early.

• Four suite upgrade awards for use on qualifying stays.

• When booking an eligible award for someone else, those guests will receive some elite benefits through the hotel's Guest of Honor program.

World of Hyatt lifetime status

The most loyal guests can earn lifetime Globalist status in World of Hyatt. After earning 1 million base World of Hyatt points over the course of their membership, travelers receive lifetime status. This designation grants all the benefits of Globalist every year, including one free night award up to Category 7 and four suite upgrade awards every March.

In order to qualify for lifetime status, all points must be earned in the same account. Only base points earned from eligible room rates, eligible incidental charges and eligible non-stay charges count toward lifetime status. Points earned from elite status bonuses, points earned from a Hyatt-branded credit card, or points transferred from other programs don't count. And if a member's account is canceled for any reason (including inactivity), any forfeited lifetime points can't be applied to another account.

Earning World of Hyatt points

World of Hyatt points can be earned through staying at Hyatt hotels, spending money with Hyatt's travel partners, or through spending on the World of Hyatt Credit Card .

Earning World of Hyatt points at hotels

No matter what loyalty tier you belong to, all World of Hyatt members earn the same number of base points for their stay: 5 base points for every eligible $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences.

However, elite members of this program earn bonus points on top of base points. The bonus is based on status: Discoverists receive 10% bonus points, Explorists receive 20% bonus points and Globalists receive 30% bonus points.

On a qualifying stay of $100, here's how many points members could expect to receive:

• World of Hyatt members: 500 base points.

• Discoverist elite: 500 base points and 50 bonus points.

• Explorist elite: 500 base points and 100 bonus points.

• Globalist elite: 500 base points and 150 bonus points.

While base points count toward elite and lifetime status, bonus points do not. In the example above, a Globalist member would earn 500 points toward elite and lifetime status, but the extra 150 bonus points apply only toward future awards.

FIND Experiences can earn World of Hyatt Points

In addition to the traditional way of earning points through hotel stays, World of Hyatt members can also earn elite-qualifying points by booking FIND experiences directly on the World of Hyatt website . FIND is a collection of experiences offered through luxury partner IfOnly that are not necessarily available at the hotel or through an online travel agency.

When booked, these offerings can help travelers discover the unique aspects of their destination that are not necessarily found from a simple search. Some interesting experiences include:

• Las Vegas: A private feeding and yoga session with baby goats at Goat Yoga.

• New York: A private bonsai class with artist Julian Velasco.

• Chicago: An Amalfi pasta making class and dinner experience with chef Aram Reed.

• Boston: Group rowing outing in Boston Harbor.

• Miami: Melt and pour soap-making and natural beauty workshop.

While these experiences are an easy way to earn World of Hyatt points quickly, they can be pricey. While some cost less than $100 per person, events like joining a quarterback camp with a former Super Bowl champion in San Francisco or having best-selling author Edward Vilga critique your work in New York can cost upwards of $500.

To book an event, every World of Hyatt member must create a separate account on the FIND website. Each experience will earn 10 base World of Hyatt points per eligible $1 spent, which apply toward elite and lifetime stays. But the rewards apply only to World of Hyatt points, and will not earn points in partner programs, airline programs, M life rewards, or any other substitute in lieu of points.

Credit cards that earn World of Hyatt points

Hyatt has only one credit card that earns points toward future rewards: the World of Hyatt Credit Card . While the card comes with a $95 annual fee, cardholders can receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after their card member anniversary.

New cardholders may qualify for a bonus offer: Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

When using the card, cardholders earn up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels: 4 bonus points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 base points per $1 spent as a World of Hyatt member. Card members also earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, on local transit or commuting and fitness club or gym memberships. Everywhere else, the card earns 1 point per $1 spent.

As long as you have the card open, you will have World of Hyatt Elite status, and will receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year. Additionally, you can also earn two more qualifying night credits every time you spend $5,000 on your card in a calendar year, along with an extra free night at any Category 1-4 hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your anniversary year.

You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio and must be transferred in increments of 1,000 points.

Other ways to earn World of Hyatt points

In addition to the FIND experiences and the World of Hyatt Credit Card , there are plenty of different ways World of Hyatt members can earn points toward rewards. The methods range from renting cars with a partner, to staying at select Las Vegas resorts. Here are a few additional ways to earn World of Hyatt points:

• Earn 500 bonus points for Avis car rentals: World of Hyatt members not only get up to 25% off base rates for each qualifying car rental through participating Avis locations, but they can also earn 500 World of Hyatt points per rental. To receive the points for every car rental, book your Avis reservation with Avis Worldwide Discount number K817700 on Avis.com. Be sure to provide your World of Hyatt number during your reservation and at the time of rental — otherwise, you may not earn the points.

• Earn points from qualifying American Airlines flights: Link your accounts , and you'll earn 1 World of Hyatt bonus point for every eligible $1 spent on qualifying American Airlines flights (likewise you can earn 1 AAdvantage bonus mile in the American Airlines AAdvantage Program for every eligible $1 you spend on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences).

• Earn base points at participating M life Rewards destinations: Fans of Las Vegas can also earn base World of Hyatt points with select stays, even if they aren't at Hyatt hotels. Members can earn 5 base points for every eligible $1 spent at participating M life Rewards destinations, as well as qualifying night and base point credit toward World of Hyatt elite status. Qualifying nights are defined as any night where payment is made directly to an M life Rewards destination, M life Rewards destinations booked through Hyatt.com, or bookings made through the Hyatt Global Contact Center. To earn base points and qualifying nights, members must join both World of Hyatt and M life Rewards and provide both numbers at check-in.

• Purchase World of Hyatt bonus points: If you're short on World of Hyatt points, it's possible to purchase bonus points to get you closer to your next award or keep your account alive. You can purchase bonus points in 1,000-point increments for $24 each, up to 55,000 per transaction. While purchased bonus points don't count toward status, they are a qualifying activity that will keep a dormant account alive. We generally don't recommend purchasing points as a habit, and buying points at 2.4 cents each is above our estimated average value per point when using them for hotel nights.

Using World of Hyatt points

Although most people associate World of Hyatt points with being applied to hotel stays, there are many other ways to use them, such as transferring them to airline partners (though we typically don't recommend it). Here are a few:

Using World of Hyatt points for Hyatt hotel nights

Perhaps the best use of World of Hyatt points is at the over 700 properties around the world. Award categories range from Category 1 to Category 8, with prices for a standard room award ranging from 5,000 points per night to 40,000 points per night.

When using your points for hotel night awards, we estimate your points are worth 1.9 cents each, which is the highest overall return for any rewards program we surveyed. Using your points for hotel awards is one of the best returns you can get anywhere in the industry.

Using World of Hyatt points for Hyatt Points + Cash awards

Those who are short on points can still redeem them for a Cash + Points award. The total cost of the award is based on the hotel category and the standard rate for standard rooms:

In practice: If you are staying at a Category 4 hotel on a Points + Cash award and the standard rate for the room is $150, you would pay 7,500 World of Hyatt points and $75. To determine if a Points + Cash award is a good value for your stay, compare the standard room rate with the value of the points you would use. If your points and cash equivalent is less than the cost of the standard rate, then it is a good deal.

Using World of Hyatt points for room upgrades

If you don't have the points for a full award and can't find a good rate with Points + Cash, you can also use points to upgrade your hotel room experience. How many points you ultimately spend is based on how you plan on upgrading your room:

While upgrades to the Regency Club/Grand Club level cost 3,000 points per night, upgrades to suites can cost between 6,000 and 9,000 points per night. If you have a long stay ahead of you, upgrading with points can cost the same as a standard room award. Unless it's a special occasion, or you have no other use of your points, this might not be the best use of points.

Using World of Hyatt points toward hotel credits

World of Hyatt points aren't just good for reservations. Travelers who want to treat themselves to a spa treatment or a nice dinner can also use points to pay for their bill. Points can be used to pay for in-room movies, parking, transportation and other incidentals at the hotel, by exchanging them for account credits. The exchanges are as follows:

However, this is not an optimal use of your points. Because points exchange at a rate of 0.5 cent per point, you would lose significant value by using points at the hotel for a spa treatment, in-room movie or meal.

Using World of Hyatt points at Hyatt and Miraval Resorts

For those looking for a big getaway, World of Hyatt points are also good at select Hyatt resorts and Miraval resorts. The eight all-inclusive resorts accepting World of Hyatt points are:

Points can also be used at Miraval resorts, for both award nights and Points + Cash awards. Awards at all Miraval resorts are:

Points and cash awards for all Miraval resorts are:

Although they may be expensive, all-inclusive resort stays come with all the amenities one can imagine. Before walking away from these high points prices, consider how much it would cost to go on vacation to one of these resorts. If the points price is better than paying in points at a value of 1.9 cents per point, then it may be worth the splurge on points.

Using World of Hyatt points for MGM Resorts

World of Hyatt points can also be used for free night awards at participating M life Rewards destinations in Las Vegas. The current participating resorts and their points price are:

• Excalibur: 12,000 points per night.

• New York-New York: 15,000 points per night.

• Park MGM Las Vegas: 15,000 points per night.

• MGM Grand: 15,000 points per night.

• The Mirage: 20,000 points per night.

• Mandalay Bay: 20,000 points per night.

• The Signature at MGM Grand: 20,000 points per night.

• Vdara: 20,000 points per night.

• Delano Las Vegas: 25,000 points per night.

• Bellagio: 25,000 points per night.

Considering it's possible to get deeply discounted prices at Las Vegas properties, we don't generally recommend using World of Hyatt points toward these destinations. Based on our average value of 1.9 cents per point, use your points only if the resort prices are above:

• Excalibur: $228 per night.

• New York-New York, Park MGM Las Vegas or MGM Grand: $285 per night.

• The Mirage, Mandalay Bay, The Signature at MGM Grand or Vdara: $380 per night.

• Delano Las Vegas or Bellagio: $475 per night.

Other ways to use World of Hyatt points

While hotel rooms are the primary way World of Hyatt members use their points, there are still other ways members can use excess points. The three additional ways members can exchange their well-earned points are toward FIND experiences, exchanging them for airline miles with participating airlines, or exchanging points for Avis car rental certificates.

• FIND experiences: If you have a once-in-a-lifetime experience lined up but don't want to pay cash for it, FIND experiences can be paid for with World of Hyatt points. The number of points you will need for an experience directly correlates with the price of the experience.

• Exchanging for airline miles: World of Hyatt points can be transferred to 30 airline frequent flyer programs, including American AAdvantage , Delta SkyMiles , Southwest Rapid Rewards and United MileagePlus . Points convert at a ratio of 2.5 World of Hyatt points for every one frequent flyer mile, and a minimum of 5,000 points is required for each conversion request. Over 5,000 points, points must be transferred to miles in increments of 1,000 points.

• Using points for car rentals: You can also exchange World of Hyatt points for Avis car rental certificates, to cut down on car rental fees. For 6,000 points, members can receive a certificate good for one day of an intermediate-size car rental with Avis.

Good World of Hyatt redemption options

With so many options to redeem World of Hyatt points, which make the most sense? Based on our value of World of Hyatt points, here are the best uses of points we could find.

• Booking at Hyatt hotels: It should go without saying that the most value for your points comes from redeeming them at hotels. When using your points at hotels around the world, we estimate your points are worth 1.9 cents each. At Category 5-7 hotels, the value you can get for your points can easily range from around 1 cent each to over 3 cents each. If you enjoy staying at upscale and luxury hotels, your best use of World of Hyatt points is toward free room nights.

• Traveling during peak seasons: For now, Hyatt assigns a set point value to each hotel. Whether you're staying in Chicago on a gloomy winter night or a summer weekend when the Cubs are in the World Series, the cost to book in points remains the same (even if the cash price is wildly different). But take advantage of this now, as Hyatt plans to introduce "off-peak and peak point redemptions" starting in mid-October 2021, which will be implemented for stays in March 2022 and beyond.

• Booking weekends at tourist destinations, and weeknights in business districts: In the same vein of booking award stays during peak seasons, save your points to cash in on the most expensive night of your stay, as rates are the same no matter what night of the week you book. Room rates in Las Vegas tend to peak during weekend nights, so even if you're booking five nights at the Bellagio, it might make more sense to book on points for Friday and Saturday and pay cash the other nights.

• Using points to book Points + Cash awards: When Hyatt changed its Points + Cash awards from a flat fee and points to 50% of the required points and 50% of the standard room rate, many people called it a devaluation of points. However, in some situations, 50% of the standard room rate is less than the flat fee. Points + Cash options remain a good deal, especially if it can get you a discount on a great place to stay.

• Staying at hotels with steep resort fees: No one, it seems, likes resort fees . While they typically range from $20-$30 a night, some get even steeper. Resort fees at Hyatt's Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort will run you $48 plus tax per night. The good news: World of Hyatt members won't pay resort fees on free night awards, which could amount to significant savings just by opting to pay in points vs. cash.

Bad World of Hyatt redemption options

• Staying at some MGM Resorts: Considering how easy it usually is to get a discounted rate on a resort room in Las Vegas, redeeming World of Hyatt points for rewards tends to be a losing bet. At our estimated value of 1.9 cents per point, some hotels would have to be going for over $200 per night for points to be a better deal. While that could be the case at Bellagio or Vdara, that probably won't be your price for a stay at Excalibur or New York-New York. Skip the lower-tier Las Vegas hotels when booking on points.

• Transferring to airline partners: When forced to exchange 5,000 points for 2,000 frequent flyer miles, you are leaving a little bit of value on the table. We value 5,000 World of Hyatt points at around $100 of value toward hotels, which you may not be able to recover when using them to book an airline award. While this can be useful in an emergency to get the final miles needed for a flight, this isn't the best way to use your World of Hyatt points.

• Using points toward Hyatt hotel credits: You can exchange points for purchases such as spa treatments, in-room movies and meals. But to do that, your points exchange rate is just 0.5 cents each — significantly less than the average value of 1.9 cents per point we found. You're better off charging your splurges to your hotel room and earning 5 base World of Hyatt points for each qualifying $1 to get a little closer to a free night or elite status.

Frequently asked questions

How do you earn World of Hyatt points?

How many points do you earn per night at Hyatt?

How are Hyatt points calculated?

The number of Hyatt points you earn depends on your status level and how much you spend on qualifying stays (including hotel dining and spa services). Base World of Hyatt members earn 5 points per $1, and higher elite members earn a bonus of between 10% and 30% on top of their base points.

How do you get a free night at Hyatt?

How do you earn Hyatt status?

You can earn Hyatt elite status by staying the required number of nights or earning the required number of points. For example, the lowest true elite level (beyond just being a "member") is Discoverist, which you earn after staying 10 nights or earning 25,000 points . You can also get automatic Discoverist elite status by holding the World of Hyatt Credit Card .

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what's important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2021 , including those best for:

How to Earn Points on Chick Fil a App

Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/earn-500-hyatt-points-by-booking-through-new-app

Share this post