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Tag: Hyatt

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  • Hyatt and Delta Are Launching a New Exclusive Loyalty Partnership

    Hyatt and Delta Are Launching a New Exclusive Loyalty Partnership

    On the same day Hyatt announced the end of its exclusive loyalty relationship with American Airlines, it lined up its replacement, too.

    Hyatt and Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday, September 9, that they’re forming a new long-term partnership. The relationship will formally launch in the coming months.

    World of Hyatt elites will be able to earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta flights, while Delta Medallion members will earn SkyMiles on qualifying Hyatt stays.

    That’s about as specific as Hyatt and Delta are getting for now. The companies haven’t said which elite members will qualify, how much they’ll earn, or even exactly when the partnership will launch.

    But the timing clears up at least some of the mystery from earlier Wednesday. Hyatt isn’t walking away from airline partnerships. It’s swapping one exclusive airline relationship for another.

    World of Hyatt and Delta SkyMiles Members Will Be Able to Double Dip

    The first confirmed benefit is reciprocal earning.

    Eligible World of Hyatt elite members will earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta airfare purchases in eligible fare classes. Delta Medallion members, meanwhile, will be able to earn SkyMiles on qualifying stays at participating Hyatt properties.

    Those rewards will come on top of what members already earn through the program they’re doing business with. Naturally, this will create a chance to double dip across flights and hotel stays.

    But there are still plenty of blanks to fill in.

    Hyatt and Delta haven’t shared which elite tiers will qualify, the earning rates, which Delta fares or Hyatt properties will participate, or exactly when the partnership will launch. Enrollment details are also coming later.

    And apparently, reciprocal earning is only the beginning. The companies say additional benefits and experiences will be unveiled later this year.

    Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-900 airplane at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan.
    BOARDING1NOW / ISTOCK

    Hyatt Is Swapping American for Delta

    Earlier Wednesday, American and Hyatt announced that they won’t continue their enhanced loyalty relationship. American later confirmed to Points Insider that its exclusive Hyatt partnership expires in November and won’t be renewed.

    A few hours later, Hyatt described its new relationship with Delta as exclusive.

    That explains quite a bit.

    The 2-year new Thompson Houston, by Hyatt, hotel tower in a cloudy afternoon.
    MAK STUDIO / ISTOCK

    We’ve covered the American breakup separately, including what happens to existing benefits and what AA told Points Insider about the decision. The short version is that a relationship that had already been scaled back in 2025 is winding down, while Hyatt is preparing to launch a new one with Delta.

    There’s an interesting reversal here, too. American and Hyatt eliminated reciprocal earning last year. Hyatt and Delta are putting it back at the center of their new partnership, at least for eligible elite members.

    However, the full details will determine whether that’s as useful as it sounds.

  • American and Hyatt Are Ending Their Exclusive Loyalty Partnership in November

    American and Hyatt Are Ending Their Exclusive Loyalty Partnership in November

    American Airlines and Hyatt are calling time on a loyalty partnership that once tied the two programs much more closely together.

    The two companies announced Wednesday, September 9, that they have “mutually decided” not to continue their enhanced relationship, which currently gives AAdvantage and World of Hyatt members opportunities to unlock benefits across both programs.

    The partnership had already been watered down considerably in 2025, when American and Hyatt eliminated reciprocal bonus earning on flights and hotel stays in favor of rewards tied to each program’s elite status qualification system.

    Now, those benefits are going away, too.

    For the moment, little is changing. Members can continue earning and redeeming eligible benefits through the current earning year, with parts of the relationship stretching into early 2027.

    American and Hyatt Are Going Their Separate Ways

    American and Hyatt have worked together since 2019. Initially, eligible elite members could earn bonus AAdvantage miles on Hyatt stays or bonus World of Hyatt points on American flights after linking their accounts.

    That arrangement changed in 2025. Rather than earning bonus points or miles whenever they stayed or flew, members began unlocking benefits in the other program through AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards and World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards.

    Those are the benefits now headed for the exit.

    American and Hyatt issued nearly identical statements Wednesday, saying the decision came “after careful consideration.”

    “We have mutually decided to not continue our enhanced relationship.”

    The initial announcement didn’t offer much more explanation than that. But an American spokesperson provided Points Insider with some additional context, confirming that what it described as the “exclusive loyalty partnership” with Hyatt expires in November and won’t be renewed.

    American said it’s focused on partnerships that provide AAdvantage members with “global scale and premium experiences” while also building relationships that are beneficial to customers and the airline’s financial outlook.

    The reference to exclusivity is what sticks out.

    Air Canada and Hyatt recently announced a new enhanced partnership between Aeroplan and World of Hyatt, giving members opportunities to earn rewards and access status benefits across the two programs.

    We specifically asked American whether Hyatt’s new Aeroplan partnership played a role in the decision not to renew its exclusive relationship. The airline didn’t address that question.

    American Airlines tails and fuselage at sunrise at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Oct 2024
    KAMERAWORLD / ISTOCK

    Current Benefits Aren’t Disappearing Immediately

    Members who already leverage the American and Hyatt partnership have some time before the biggest changes take effect.

    AAdvantage members who link their American and Hyatt accounts by November 15, 2026, can continue earning World of Hyatt awards through AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards through February 28, 2027.

    World of Hyatt members who link their accounts by November 15 can continue earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards through December 31, 2026.

    Benefits already earned won’t suddenly disappear, either. Both companies say members will receive the usual amount of time to select an award after earning it.

    One American and Hyatt Benefit Is Sticking Around

    Not everything is going away.

    AAdvantage members will still be able to earn 500 AAdvantage miles on eligible Hyatt stays after the broader relationship ends. Members can choose to earn the miles instead of World of Hyatt points by providing their AAdvantage number at check-in.

    It’s a much narrower tie-up than what American and Hyatt once offered, but the two programs aren’t severing ties completely.

    Entrance of Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.
    JHVEPHOTO / ISTOCK

    Why End the Partnership Now?

    That’s still the big unanswered question.

    American’s response offers a glimpse at what the airline wants from its loyalty partnerships, including global scale, premium experiences, and relationships that make financial sense. But it doesn’t explain why the Hyatt relationship no longer fits that strategy.

    The timing of Hyatt’s new Aeroplan partnership, coupled with American’s description of its Hyatt agreement as exclusive, makes the question particularly interesting.

    For now, though, there’s no confirmation that the two developments are connected.

    And the practical impact won’t be immediate. Members have several more months to earn benefits before the relationship winds down, and the option to earn AAdvantage miles instead of Hyatt points will remain.

    But the broader partnership has been shrinking for some time. It lost reciprocal earning in 2025, will lose its remaining cross-program milestone benefits over the coming months, and its exclusive contract expires in November.

    This time, American and Hyatt aren’t renewing it.