Hyatt Hotels and American Airlines Expand Loyalty Partnership

14.10.2024 - 21:52 / skift.com / Sean Oneill

Hyatt Hotels and American Airlines announced on Wednesday significant upcoming changes to a collaboration between their loyalty programs.

New redemption options: Starting in 2025, members who link their programs can earn rewards from the partner program at various loyalty tiers.

But goodbye to “double-dipping”: The ability for members to earnmiles and points simultaneously on stays and flights will end on December 31.

Since 2019, Hyatt guests have been able to earn points through Hyatt hotel stays and, at the same time, earn one AAdvantage bonus mile for every eligible dollar spent at qualifying Hyatt properties if they had at least gold status in American Airlines’ program. That perk is ending.

Between the lines: The changes to American and Hyatt’s loyalty partnership allow both companies to offer more redemption options to their most loyal customers without significantly increasing costs.

The big picture: This partnership’s evolution will matter to frequent travelers loyal to both brands. Hotel programs haven’t previously allowed elite members to secure status for a day in an airline loyalty program. Other hotel groups will likely eye the changes closely.

Running a profitable airline in the U.S. is increasingly about loyalty, not just logistics. All of the ‘Big Three’ lean heavily on frequent flyer programs and co-branded credit cards to help drive revenue – but who came out on top in Q2?

What am I looking at? The performance of hotels and short-term rental sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets, including international and regional hotel brands, hotel REITs, hotel management companies, alternative accommodations, and timeshares.

The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more hotels and short-term rental financial sector performance.

Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.