Hyatt & ANA Devaluation Strategy, Deal Roundup & MMC Update ✨
Hyatt & ANA Devaluation Strategy
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Hyatt & ANA Devaluations
Long time readers will know that Hyatt and ANA are my two favorite methods to redeem points. While the headlines for both devaluations sound rough, my hot take is that this isn’t all that bad. For those without context it’s worth noting:
Hyatt changes hotel category ratings annually, this latest round will shift 137 hotels up in category and 46 down in category, meaning 91 net hotels will require higher point redemptions for free nights.
ANA on the other hand hasn’t changed award ticket pricing in years and while rates are increasing (full overview below), I don’t think it’s relatively that sharp of an increase considering that they’ll maintain their mileage transfer partnership with American Express Membership Rewards® Program (terms and conditions apply) and there’s been an abundance of outsized sign-up points offers for various American Express cards. If points are “easier” to earn, it should be expected that they’ll lose relative value.
Let’s dive into strategy for both of these devaluations:
Hyatt
Generally speaking, if you have the points and know you’ll need a Hyatt, I’d recommend to book as early as possible since the number of “award night” rooms is limited. This annual reassessment taking place on March 26th just amplify the urgency.
Rest assured, if you book a room that is moving up in category, you’re not charged the extra points. Better yet, if you book a room that is moving to a lower category, you’ll get an automatic points refund.
For fellow optimizers, you’ll want to make sure you’re redeeming your Category 1-4 free Hyatt night certificates before March 26th if your desired property is moving beyond category 4.
A full list of hotels that are changing category is available via Hyatt here.
The less widely spoken of devaluation that has happened in the World of Hyatt was the move of the Hyatt Destination residences from their standard program into the “Homes and Hideaways” program. While we haven’t experienced these properties yet, they were on the consideration list for our next trip to Hawaii. More info on FlyerTalk.
ANA (All Nippon Airways)
There’s not much more that can be said beyond FrequentMiler’s post. In summary, ANA is releasing a new and pricier rewards chart that will go into effect on April 18th increasing the miles required for many of their business and first class rewards sweet spots. ANA operates each rewards flight on an off-peak / standard / peak rate card, and here are some of the new prices for roundtrip business class flights:
US to Japan (via ANA): 75k / 85k / 90k —> 100k / 105k /110k
US to Europe (via Star Alliance): 88k —> 100k miles
US to South America (via Copa): 88k —> 96k miles
A devaluation isn’t ever fun, but true to form, ANA went about it in the best possible way by giving us a two month heads up and increasing rewards rates gently. If you’re planning a trip to Japan in the next year, remember you can book ANA rewards flights up to 355 days in advanced. ANA is an exclusive transfer partner of American Express, so be on the look out for Amex Membership Rewards.
ANA flights can also be booked through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, with the added benefit of allowing one way bookings. Availability is significantly impacted in this route, but the flexibility and occasional transfer bonus to Virgin Flying Club can make the added effort well worth it. In fact, there’s a 30% transfer bonus featured in the Deal Roundup below.
Deal Roundup!
Hotels
Hyatt Bonus Journey’s is offering 3,000 bonus points for every three nights stayed between March 1 and April 30, 2024. Register here.
Wydham is offering 7,500 bonus points for two nights stayed (up to two times) through May 13, 2024. Register here.
Marriott is offering 1,000 bonus points and 1 bonus Elite Night Credit on each eligible paid night with no earning limits. Register here, then earn from February 13 through April 29, 2024. Registration ends April 15, 2024.
Flights
Cathay Pacific’s AsiaMiles has a 10% inbound transfer bonus from both Citi ThankYou Points and American Express Membership Rewards until March 31, 2024.
Citi ThankYou Points has a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club until March 16, 2024.
Southwest is offering a “Fly your way to 30k” bonus for 2, 6 or 8 one-way flights between now and May 10, 2024.
Other
Clear is offering a $75 Uber voucher for those who signup for a new account and enter the promo code SAVETIME75. If you’ve been procrastinating signup or are eyeing a new card that offer Clear credits, this is a nice bonus to stack on top.
Staples has had fee-free $200 Visa gift cards from last Sunday and ending today. Limited to 8x per person and best purchased with a card that earns increased points at office supply stores.
Capital One Venture X Business
Earn up to 300,000 bonus miles 150,000 miles once you spend $20,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional 150,000 miles once you spend $100,000 in the first 6 months.
Capital One has publicly launched the Venture X Business card, previously only available through a Capital One Relationship Manager. The card, a rebrand of the Spark Travel Elite card, offers a massive welcome bonus but with a large minimum spending requirement.The card comes with an annual fee of $395 but offers perks like $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, and lounge access, which more than offset the fee. Designed for small-business owners, the card is especially beneficial for those who can meet the high spending requirements to earn the welcome bonus.
It is important to note that your balance must always be paid off in full every month.
Learn More
Looking for more offers?
Many of the offers shared in the last newsletter are still valid here.
❤️ Armand
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Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired.