Yesterday I wrote about an awesome promotion where you can get a free night at ANY Wyndham property after completing two separate stays at any hotel within the Wyndham umbrella – this includes beyond inexpensive Days Inn’s, Howard Johnson’s, Super 8’s, etc. While some folks will be staying at Wyndham properties anyways to receive their 15,000 points (the number of points needed for a free night), many many many readers will complete this promotion via mattress runs. That means finding the cheapest possible hotel they can, check in, and not actually stay at the hotel. During an incredibly quick search I found a $33.99 rate at a hotel in the Orlando area, so $77 including taxes for the two nights. While you are spending money for a hotel room (or 2) you do not need, you can turn around and redeem those points for a free night at a Wyndham hotel that can cost way more money!
But be cautious. Have a plan in mind. Wyndham points do expire.
- If there is no activity in your account within 18 months, your account will be inactive and you will lose all points.
- Points expire 4 years after they are earned, regardless of activity in your account. And if you redeem the points for a hotel, and then cancel the hotel stay, they will still keep the original expiration date!
Keeping your Wyndham account active every 18 months isn’t too difficult, but extending them beyond the 4 year mark is close to impossible (although I have heard of one roundabout method that involves applying for the Wyndham credit card). And getting Wyndham representatives to re-activate your account via a goodwill gesture isn’t so easy!
You can keep your points active by earning or redeeming points, for example:
- Staying at a Wyndham property and earning points or redeeming points for a free night award
- Earning points through the Wyndham Rewards credit card
- Earning points through a partner – car rental, purchasing flowers, etc.
- Redeeming your points for a partner program (not always recommended though as typically not a great value) – magazine, car rental
- Redeeming points for a charitable donation – the easiest option and only requires 50 points!
- Transferring points to an airline program
So before you go ahead and accrue a bunch of Wyndham points, just make sure you have an idea of where you are going to use them!
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Even if you have and occasionally use the credit card points still expire?
@Dan’s the Man – It will keep your account active, but your points will still expire 4 years after they are earned.
Is there a limit on the number of two days.
ie. if i complete 10 separate stays, will i get 15k for each two days?
@Frank – You can only take advantage of the promotion once per account.
Points transferred from Laquinta Inn to Wyndham would count as a clock reset or NO?
@Leo – Since the Wyndham/La Quinta transfer is new, I am not 100% sure. Let me find out and I’ll get back to you.
does buying points with the AMEX daily travel deals in April count as an activity for the 18 months extension?
What about transferring to LaQuinta? I believe you don’t have the 4 year requirement with LQ although you have to have some activity every 18 months.
What’s the roundabout method?
When these blog posts started to appear I checked my and my wife’s accounts and her points had recently been forfeited due to no activity in last 18 mos. Messages customer service and they were gracious enough to reinstate as a one time courtesy.
@Ted – Great!
Wow, that’s great Ted. Just checked my wife’s account, and she just lost 69+K points 3 days ago…. Do hope we’re as fortunate. We’d been planning to use those points for an upcoming Rocky Mtn & Hawaii adventure.