145. Behind the Scenes at World of Hyatt: Loyalty, Care & the Future of Travel with Laurie Blair

Point Me To First Class

Devon Gimbel MD

Finances, Education, How To, Travel, Credit, Expenses, Card, Cards, Society & Culture, Professionals, Tips, Personal, Places & Travel, Business, Points, Rewards

5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on behind the scenes in loyalty programs—and what drives executive decisions about what to offer, add, or take away from their members' experience?

In this episode, I get to do exactly that. I'm joined by Laurie Blair, Hyatt's Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Loyalty, for a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Hyatt designs a program that travelers actually feel loyal to.

We talk about what truly sets the World of Hyatt program apart, how they make decisions about elite benefits and redemptions, and what status holders can expect in the future. We get into everything from the rarity of fixed award charts and hotel loyalty programs, stealth devaluations, and Hyatt's approach to balancing business goals with prioritizing their members—to the underrated redemptions you should absolutely be taking advantage of.

Laurie also shares what it's like to build a loyalty program that discerning travelers trust and love, how Hyatt listens to its members, and why care—not just points—is the foundation of everything they do.

If you've ever wondered how loyalty is built inside one of the most respected travel brands in the world, this is your backstage pass.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/world-of-hyatt-behind-the-scenes/

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Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Point Me to First Class, the only show for employed professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners who are looking to optimize their higher than average expenses to travel the world.
0:10.7	I'm your host, Devin Gimble, and I believe that your expenses are your greatest untapped asset, if you know how to leverage them.
0:17.8	Ready to dive into the world of credit card points and miles so you can travel
0:20.9	more, travel better, and travel often. Let's get started. Have you ever wondered what exactly
0:31.9	goes on behind the scenes and loyalty programs and what drives executive decisions about what to offer, add, or take away from
0:39.9	their members' experience? What if you could sit down with the person behind one of the most
0:44.0	popular hotel loyalty programs in the world and ask all of the questions that you're curious about?
0:49.4	In this episode, I get to do exactly that. Today, I'm joined by Lori Blair, Hyatt's senior vice president
0:56.4	of global marketing and loyalty for a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Hyatt designs a program
1:01.3	that consumers actually feel loyal to. We talk about what truly sets the world of Hyatt
1:06.3	program apart, how they make decisions about elite benefits and redemptions, and what status holders can
1:12.3	expect in the future. We get into everything from the rarity of fixed award charts and hotel
1:17.5	loyalty programs, stealth devaluations, and Hyatt's approach to balancing business goals with
1:23.1	prioritizing their loyalty program members, to underrated redemptions you should absolutely be taking advantage of.
1:29.7	If you've ever wondered what it's like to build a loyalty program that discerning travelers trust and love,
1:35.4	this is your backstage pass. I hope you enjoy this conversation.
1:40.3	Lori, thank you so much for joining me today. I am so excited to have this conversation.
1:45.8	One of the things that I would love to hear from you to kick us off is what made you want to work
1:50.3	in hospitality and specifically at Hyatt?
1:53.4	Thanks, Devin. I'm so happy to be here. So yeah, I am not a hospitality native, which is
1:59.3	not typical for Hyatt and not typical for the industry.
2:02.7	It is a hard industry to tap into. And honestly, who wouldn't want to work in hospitality?
	...

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