American and Hyatt Elites Now Get Reciprocal Benefits

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

As we reported back in March, American Airlines AAdvantage and World of Hyatt are joining forces to incentivize members from both programs to do business with the other, with a structure and benefits similar to the (now defunct) Crossover Rewards partnership between Delta and SPG.

Members can link their accounts now to begin taking advantage of benefits, which vary depending on your tier. First, Hyatt elites can earn 1 bonus point per $1 spent on qualifying AA flights, while all American elites can earn 1 bonus mile per $1 spent on qualifying Hyatt stays.

Both programs are offering elite-status "fast track" offers as well, though these may vary from one member to the next, and are only available to Hyatt Explorist or Globalist elites looking for status with American, or AAdvantage Platinum members or above seeking status with Hyatt. Additionally, ConciergeKey members will receive top-tier Hyatt Globalist status.

As a World of Hyatt Globalist and AAdvantage Gold, I wasn't targeted for an offer myself, but an AA Platinum Pro colleague did receive an offer for trial Hyatt Explorist status, with an opportunity to retain status (and earn four Club Lounge Access Awards) after staying 10 qualifying nights within 90 days of registration — a much more achievable requirement than the usual 30 qualifying nights.

Another TPG staffer, Senior Aviation Editor Ben Mutzabaugh, is currently Executive Platinum with American and Discoverist with Hyatt. He was given a fast track opportunity to earn either Explorist or Globalist. By registering before October 1, 2019, he'd enjoy Explorist status for 90 days and then has the following stay thresholds to keep that status or upgrade to Globalist:

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• Stay 10 qualifying nights within 90 days of registration to maintain Explorist through February 28, 2021 and earn four Club Lounge Access Awards.
• Stay an additional 10 qualifying nights within 90 days to earn Globalist status through February 28, 2021.

According to AA, "American Airlines may, from time to time, select certain World of Hyatt members with World of Hyatt Explorist elite status or higher who have linked their AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts for the opportunity to participate in offers to earn AAdvantage elite status by traveling on eligible American Airlines flights during the designated offer period."

In other words, simply holding status with one program doesn't guarantee a match or challenge with the other. Still, it's worth linking your accounts for the extra points and miles alone — we value Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each and AA miles at 1.4 cents, so at the very least you'd be getting a notable additional return on your paid flights and stays.

If you're hoping to participate in this new partnership but don't currently hold elite status in either program, consider adding the World of Hyatt Credit Card to your wallet. In addition to the current welcome bonus, you'd also enjoy automatic Discoverist status, unlocking an additional Hyatt point for every dollar you spend on American flights through this partnership.

See this post for full details on both programs and their benefits.