Sometimes, in this travel hobby, you just get lucky to jump on a deal or loophole before it closes. These opportunities don’t come around all the time. But when they do, they can be very lucrative.
Hyatt Diamond Status Match of November 2015
In November 2015, I read on this blog post from Leana that Hyatt was matching some people to Hyatt Diamond status (now called Globalist) if they had status at other hotels. This was an incredibly generous match because Hyatt Diamond status came with suite upgrades and lounge access.
I sent a message to Hyatt on Twitter with my Hilton Gold status (which I had from a credit card I owned) and, surprisingly, I was matched to Hyatt Diamond status! Hyatt quickly became overwhelmed with requests and started matching to lower status tiers, so I consider myself extremely lucky to have been matched.
Of course, I wasn’t able to keep that Diamond status for too long because my family didn’t have enough stays at Hyatt to re-earn the status. But, the next year, I dropped to the next lower status (now Explorist). And, due to Hyatt’s former partnership with MGM, I was able to maintain my Hyatt Explorist status for 6 years due to matching from Hyatt to MGM back to Hyatt (this loophole is sadly now over).
It’s been 8 years since my Hyatt Diamond status match gift and, if you can believe it, I’m still benefitting from that miraculous match!
Benefits from that Fateful Status Match
During the first few years of the status match, I was able to use some suite upgrades at several Hyatt hotels for my family of five. Having that extra space made a world of difference!
Check out this gigantic suite we had at Hyatt Lost Pines Resort!
This family suite at Hyatt Regency Orange County was also fabulous:
Even as an Explorist over the next few years, my family benefitted from lounge access on several trips. (Unfortunately, this benefit is no longer automatic for Explorists and lounge access must be earned). Sometimes, we would eat both breakfast and dinner at the lounge. For 5 people, that saves a bunch of money while traveling!
In addition to the suites and lounge food over the past several years, I really hit the jackpot with my cruise status matches. By continuing to match my Hyatt Explorist status to MGM and then matching MGM to Carnival and Holland America, I received 3 free cruises this year! I’m going on my third and final free cruise next month.
One Last Hurrah
But, this past weekend I got one last hurrah from my original 2015 Diamond Status upgrade. A few months ago, I mentioned on here that I got an offer to match my Hyatt Explorist status to American Airlines Platinum status for 4 months. I did the match, but I won’t be flying enough to maintain the AA Platinum status. However, I was able to use my temporary status to move my family to Main Cabin Extra Seats on some future flights I had already booked. That’s a win in my book.
I took one of those flights on Friday night, and I was perfectly happy sitting in Main Cabin Extra with some additional legroom. But imagine my surprise when I was notified that I was upgraded to First Class! Yes, it was just on a short domestic flight. But, apparently my Platinum status put me on the upgrade waitlist, and I made it.
I definitely understand why people who fly often want to chase and maintain airline status. It was so nice to have a bit of extra space without the middle seat.
I am flying on AA again later this week. I’m not counting on an upgrade again, but you never know!
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to believe that these upgrades and perks all came from that original lucky status match 8 years ago. I’ve really enjoyed these extra free amenities, and I’m very thankful for that Hyatt employee that matched me!
The only way to take advantage of opportunities like this one is to read blogs and follow travel gurus on social media daily. I know that’s not possible for everyone, and sometimes deals like this are gone within hours. But, you never know when you might get lucky.
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
There’s also a free princess cruise with MGM gold match that you can book until end of March.
@Lynn I didn’t initially submit for that match due to my schedule, but I just decided to try it because I’m curious what will happen. I’m fairly certain it will be a “no” for me since I didn’t gamble at all on my first two free cruises on a sister brand. Are you going on a free Princess cruise?
Yes, I booked the enchanted princess for end of Feb. I didn’t gamble much either on the other 2 sister cruises. Think that Grant said he was able to get someone to even give him an Alaskan cruise because he said it wouldn’t work out for him sooner. You will most likely get it or did you already?
@Lynn I actually did get an offer! I’m surprised because other bloggers have reported being denied after cruising on Carnival with no gambling. I’m not sure if I will use it or not.
Nice post 🖊️
Explorist doesn’t give lounge access, what am I missing? Also suite upgrades are not given based on status matches but are earned for night milestones. Your story makes no sense.
@tjk Explorist members used to get 4 free lounge access passes per year. And Diamond status members used to receive Diamond Suite Upgrades (DSUs). The rules changed in 2018/2019, but I got to use those perks for a few years.