AAdvantage and World of Hyatt unveil new elite member benefits

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AAdvantage and World of Hyatt unveil new elite member benefits

Research

Clint Henderson Managing editor | The Points Guy

By Sky Industry News

Jan 3, 2025

American Airlines AAdvantage and World of Hyatt have introduced a set of new benefits for their elite members. The two programs, which began their partnership in 2019, are offering new options this year despite the removal of some previous perks.

As of December 31, 2024, the ability for AAdvantage elite members to earn miles on Hyatt purchases and for World of Hyatt elite members to earn points on American flights has ended. "That perk ended on Dec. 31, 2024," the release states.

New benefits include the ability for AAdvantage members to redeem miles for free night awards at Hyatt properties. As outlined in the release: "40,000 Loyalty Points: Redeem 25,000 miles for a Category 1-4 free night award" and "125,000 Loyalty Points: Redeem 65,000 miles for a Category 1-7 free night award."

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Furthermore, starting March 1, AAdvantage's Loyalty Point Rewards will offer new perks such as Hyatt Discoverist status at 100,000 Loyalty Points and higher-tier benefits at increased thresholds.

Hyatt members also have access to new Milestone Rewards including preferred seat coupons and potential upgrades to AAdvantage Gold or Platinum status based on qualifying nights stayed. Additionally, they can redeem Hyatt points for short-term American status matches.

The changes have been met with mixed reactions from travelers who must now weigh these options against other possible rewards. The release notes that many of these new perks require choosing them over other benefits: "Many of the new perks require you to select them over other benefits."

In conclusion, while the updated offerings present intriguing opportunities under certain conditions, they come with trade-offs that may not appeal to all frequent travelers. As highlighted in the release: "Unfortunately...some members could view this as an overall devaluation."