Wyndham Rewards Extending Elite Status, And More

Wyndham Rewards is now joining the likes of Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, in extending elite status. They’re also announcing another cool initiative.

Wyndham Rewards extending elite status

Wyndham Rewards is extending all elite status — including Gold, Platinum, and Diamond — through December 31, 2021. This applies to members globally.

Wyndham also says that they are actively exploring additional steps that can be taken to help all Wyndham Rewards members, including relaxed earning requirements, among other options.

Due to the rapidly evolving circumstances, Wyndham says it’s too soon to share specifics on that, which I respect.

Wyndham Rewards pausing points expiration

Wyndham Rewards is pausing the expiration of points until September 30, 2020. Historically Wyndham Rewards points expire after 18 months of inactivity, and after four years from the date they were earned, regardless of account activity.

Wyndham Rewards offering status to essential workers

 This is a cool initiative, though arguably is a bit of a gimmick. Wyndham Rewards is offering complimentary Gold membership to essential workers. This includes everyone from healthcare workers to delivery drivers to sanitation workers.

Eligible people can sign up to instantly receive status here. Registration is required by September 30, 2020, and status will be valid through December 31, 2021.

Wyndham Rewards Gold status comes with a 10% points bonus, preferred rooms, and late check-out subject to availability. Gold status ordinarily requires five qualifying nights in one year.

This seems like a smart promotion on their part — this isn’t costing them much (if anything), and they hope it will encourage people to stay with them.

Wyndham offering increased travel flexibility

While not specific to the loyalty program, Wyndham is making their policies even more flexible for stays:

• Change and cancellation fees are being waived for stays through June 30, 2020, provided the request is received at least 24 hours in advance
• For stays after June 30, 2020, hotels will waive change penalties, provided the request is received at least 48 hours in advance

Bottom line

Wyndham Rewards is more or less following the industry standard here, so there’s nothing terribly surprising. The status for essential workers is a cute concept, though don’t get too excited about the benefits of Gold status.

Is anyone benefiting from these new Wyndham policies?