Starting January 1, 2024, American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels will redesign their loyalty program partnership, bringing changes to how AAdvantage and World of Hyatt members earn rewards. Under the new structure, individuals with AAdvantage or World of Hyatt status will no longer be able to earn AAdvantage miles for Hyatt stays or World of Hyatt points for American Airlines flights.
Instead, the partnership will introduce a series of enhanced perks for members who link their AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts, offering a range of benefits as they accumulate points and status.
These new perks will include complimentary stays at Hyatt hotels, free extra-legroom seats on American Airlines flights, and the opportunity to gain elite status in both loyalty programs. For instance, starting March 1, 2024, AAdvantage members who earn 100,000 loyalty points will automatically receive Discoverist status in World of Hyatt. Those who reach the 175,000 and 250,000-point thresholds can select Hyatt’s Explorist status. Members who accumulate 400,000 points will become eligible for free stays at Hyatt properties.
On the flip side, World of Hyatt members will also gain access to American Airlines perks. Beginning in January, World of Hyatt members can choose to receive AAdvantage Gold status upon reaching 70, 80, or 90 nights, and can select AAdvantage Platinum status starting at 100 nights. Additionally, members who complete 20 hotel nights will be eligible for preferred seat coupons on American flights.
Another benefit launching on January 1 allows Explorist and Globalist members to redeem World of Hyatt points to access AAdvantage status for a day. For example, members can spend 12,000 World of Hyatt points to receive AAdvantage Platinum Pro status for one flight day.
Despite eliminating the ability to earn dual rewards, executives from both companies describe the changes as an enhancement to their loyalty programs. “We feel that these changes in our program really make us share status and benefits that enhance the experience across travel,” said Alyssa Heath, Managing Director of the AAdvantage program.
These updates reflect the evolving nature of loyalty partnerships, focusing more on status-based rewards and personalized travel experiences.