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Quick points: How Hyatt and American loyalists can earn more rewards by linking accounts

Katie Genter
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Katie Genter is a location independent digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. Her focus at TPG is points, miles, loyalty and credit cards.
Dec. 24, 2021
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4 min read
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Although we cover loyalty programs and credit cards in-depth on TPG every day, sometimes you want a snippet of helpful information that you can put into action on the fly. That’s why we launched the series Quick Points. Every week, we’ll highlight a new or easily forgotten tip that can help you travel more for less.

In today’s edition of Quick Points, I’ll discuss how and why you should link your accounts if you have elite status with American Airlines AAdvantage or World of Hyatt. The process is very straightforward and can be completed in a matter of minutes, and doing so can help you earn extra points, miles and perks when you’re on the road.

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Why you should link your Hyatt and American accounts

(Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

In short, you’re missing out on easy rewards if you use both programs, have elite status with at least one of them but haven’t linked your American and Hyatt accounts. So, let’s rectify that. But first, let me tell you what’s in it for you.

  • World of Hyatt elites: All World of Hyatt elites earn one Hyatt point for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying American Airlines flights.
  • American AAdvantage elites: All AAdvantage elites earn one AAdvantage mile for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences.
Earning American miles on a Hyatt stay with $304 of qualifying spend. (Screenshot courtesy of aa.com)

And, to be clear, these bonus earnings are on top of the World of Hyatt points you’d already earn on stays and the American Airlines AAdvantage miles you’d already earn on flights.

Elites who have linked accounts may also get opportunities to fast-track to elite status in the other program. In particular, Explorist and Globalist elites may get opportunities to fast-track to higher AAdvantage elite status. And Platinum and higher elites in the AAdvantage program may get opportunities to fast track to higher World of Hyatt elite status. Meanwhile, ConciergeKey members can receive top-tier Globalist status (read: free breakfast and suite upgrades) without needing to meet any stay requirements.

So, if you have elite status with one program and want to earn elite status with the other, it’s undoubtedly worth linking your accounts.

Related: Hotel and airline elite status extensions stretching into 2023 — Full list of extensions and promos

How to link your Hyatt and American accounts

Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort in Malaysia (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)

Linking your World of Hyatt and American Airlines AAdvantage accounts is quick, and there’s no downside to doing so. So, here’s where to go to get started:

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From there, simply provide your membership number with the other program. And that’s it.

If you have elite status in both programs, you only need to link once and you can do so from either program.

Related: See if you are eligible to earn 1,000 bonus American Airlines miles on your next Hyatt stay

Bottom line

When American Airlines and Hyatt announced this partnership back in 2019, I frankly didn’t care. Although I held Executive Platinum elite status with American, I rarely stayed with Hyatt. So, the partnership didn’t really help me.

And, this partnership won’t help you much if you only use one of these programs. But, if you frequently fly with American and stay with Hyatt, then linking your accounts will earn you extra rewards and potentially even let you boost your status in one (or even both) of the programs. And as American’s loyalty program enters the Loyalty Points era, I suspect we may see some valuable promotions for those with linked accounts.

Featured image by The Hyatt Andaz Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi was a great experience. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.