I find it interesting that any loyalty program sends out membership cards and kits anymore since you can use the airline and hotel APP for most things including a digital version of your loyalty card. SPG has really down-sized the kit the past few years and the only meaningful bit, to me anyway, has been their version of the “Job Well Done” cards that you can give out to employees who do a good job. So what did Hyatt send me?
Being someone who enjoys airport lounges what caught my eye right away was the two one-time United Club passes. The T&C on the back are a bit of a bummer as it says:
“Effective August 18, 2016, same-day boarding pass is required for entry”.
I am assuming they mean a United boarding pass even though that is not spelled out. I may push that if I still have them by then. I have very few plans to fly United in the near future! 😉
Next came a thick benefits and rewards guide. Now again, I can read all of this online so not exactly sure of the point of all of this.
I do like the “black” look of the Diamond membership card but it will go on my ring of cards I only get out now and then when I have to. Again, digital cards are just better.
I have to say I was impressed with my 1st Diamond stay at the Grand Hyatt DFW and enjoyed the perks they offer and they are a solid step up from SPG. My 2016 hotel year, focused on Hyatt, is going to be a fun year for me.
When it comes to Delta, I really want my Job Well Done and HOOU certs but they could digitally send those to me if they wanted to and I can print them at home. So what do you think of hotel and airline “welcome” kits. Are they worth sending out or just a waste of paper? – René
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Does NOT have to be a United boarding pass to use lounge coupon. Any same day airline boarding pass will do. Theory I have heard is that requiring a boarding pass stops United workers from dropping into the lounge to relax/eat/drink but not sure if that reason is true.
@Sharon – Ah, ok. Nice.
@Sharon – not just United workers, but any airport workers with a United Club membership paying ~$500/year for daily light meal(s) and free drinks when finished their shift. If I worked in an airport, I would get a club membership in a heartbeat!
Know if matched Platinums will get this?
@Adam – I did a match and got the welcome pack so expect it in the mail. 🙂
I received my diamond pack in the mail as well. One benefit I didn’t see mentioned is they will give you top tier status at MGM. You have to go to the Mlife desk and it has to be a Las Vegas MGM property (but the status is good at any MGM) and you have to have the physical card, they won’t accept a digital Hyatt Card. For people who stay in Vegas this is a nice benefit because it gets you free limo service to and from the airport and an MGM hotel.
Hilton still mails out physical cards. The past two years they mailed it out with a pack of two decks of playing cards with a booklet of card games.
@Rene, No one answered your question. The point of a membership packet is that it is something you can actually hold and browse through. Some of us appreciate that. To me, reaching top tier and then getting a note that says go to our website to see your benefits falls flat. That may or may not be a minority view.
I matched to Hyatt and Hilton Diamond and am looking forward to checking out the packets. My Lifetime SPG Platinum packet was very nice. It included a map showing the location of my stays and a thick metal membership card that I put in my wallet to show the next time I checked into a SPG property. A couple of weeks later I went through airport security and set off the metal detector. At first I couldn’t understand why. 🙂
Other than the ability to reserve at booking suite upgrades for up to seven days, I’m not sure how Hyatt Diamond benefits are better than SPG Platinum. What were you referring to when you said they were a solid step up from SPG?
Hi, Rene. Love the blog. I want to match to Hyatt Diamond. They need a screenshot of my SPG nights for last year. Do you know how I can get that now that it is 2016? Thanks!
@Lee – Yes I think they are still doing it but you must have many nights to get it.
Any idea how I can get a screenshot showing my 2015 nights for SPG? Thanks.
@Lee – You Starwood online page?