Hyatt and American Airlines have reciprocal points earning programs for elites of one or both programs. Members who hold status in either of these programs need to link accounts as they will quickly earn bonus points in both programs. Earning these bonus points is very simple and easy to complete in just minutes. So if you fly American or stay at Hyatt occasionally, this is a fantastic way to stack and triple-dip the rewards opportunities. Referral links below are included.
Reciprocal Points Earning
You miss out on easy bonus points if you haven’t linked your American and Hyatt accounts. So what exactly are you missing out on, and is it worth the effort of linking your accounts?
World of Hyatt elites: Earn 1 Hyatt point per $1 spent on American Airlines flights.
American AAdvantage elites: Earn 1 AAdvantage mile per $1 spent on Hyatt stays and experiences.
These bonus points/miles are in addition to the points and miles you would already earn for staying at a Hyatt hotel or flying on American or one of its partners.
What if you aren’t an Elite status member?
Unfortunately, you won’t earn reciprocal benefits with either program. Luckily, it’s straightforward to earn Hyatt’s elite status with the World of Hyatt Credit Card (referral included) as it gives you automatic Discoverist status.
American Advantage has wholly overhauled its loyalty program for 2022. As a result, there are now more ways to earn elite status with American Airlines thru their Loyalty Points program. For example, to make American Airlines Gold status, you’ll need to earn 30,000 Loyalty Points, typically between March 1 thru February 28 of the following year. However, for 2022 the transition to the new program will allow you to achieve status between January 1 and February of 2023.
You can now earn Loyalty Points by:
- Flying American Airlines
- Flying American’s Partner airlines
- Spending on American Airlines credit cards
- Shopping on American Airlines portal sites
- Hotels
- Car Rentals
- Cruises
So, suppose you have elite status with one program and want to earn bonus points in the other. In that case, it’s worth linking your accounts for future travel opportunities, even if you aren’t an elite status member in both programs.
Linking your loyalty accounts is simple and easy, and there’s no downside to doing it. It’s a simple set it and forget it option that will earn you additional points based on your already established travel habits.
To link your accounts:
Just input your membership number from the other loyalty program, and you’re finished.
Military Considerations
The World of Hyatt Credit Card will waive the annual fees for active-duty military members and their spouses. The World of Hyatt card currently offers a 60,000 point sign-up. You’ll receive 30,000 bonus points after spending $3k within the first three months. Afterward, you can receive up to 30,000 additional points as Hyatt will award you 2x points on everyday spending. In addition, utilizing this combination each quarter allows you to earn an extra 5x of valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards towards the use of future vacation. The 60k sign-up bonus is enough for a two-night Park Hyatt New York stay. A hotel that consistently goes for $600+ a night.
Bottom line
As someone who lives near an American Airlines hub and loves the World of Hyatt program, this partnership is a fantastic opportunity to earn additional points in both programs just from my usual travel habits. Even if you aren’t an elite in both programs, it could still be lucrative to leverage one elite status to earn points in another program.
If you fly with American and stay with Hyatt, linking your accounts will earn extra rewards. As American’s loyalty program changes, the ability to earn American Loyalty Points with stays at Hyatt will become even more critical. Hyatt’s points are some of the most valuable in the hotel loyalty world; earning them from travel on American will get you closer to that next vacation stay.
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