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

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.

If you have elite status with American Airlines AAdvantage or World of Hyatt, you should ensure your accounts are linked. The linking process is very straightforward and can be completed in minutes. But it’s worth doing if you’re eligible, as then you’ll earn extra points, miles and perks during your travels.

Why to link your Hyatt and American accounts

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

World of Hyatt elite members: All World of Hyatt elite members earn one bonus Hyatt point per eligible dollar on qualifying American Airlines flights. This includes those with the World of Hyatt Credit Card or the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card — both of which confer automatic Discoverist status.
American AAdvantage elite members: All AAdvantage elite members earn one bonus American mile per eligible dollar on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences.

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. Check out the following screenshots for two examples of my reciprocal earnings on flights and hotels as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member with Hyatt Globalist status.

Earning Hyatt points on an American flight

Elite members with linked accounts may also get opportunities to fast-track to elite status in the other program. In particular, Explorist and Globalist elite members may get opportunities to fast-track to higher AAdvantage elite status. And AAdvantage elite members may get opportunities to fast-track to higher World of Hyatt elite status. Meanwhile, ConciergeKey members can receive top-tier Hyatt Globalist status without meeting 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.

How to link your Hyatt and American accounts

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:

World of Hyatt elite members: Go to WorldofHyatt.com/aa
American AAdvantage elite members: Go to aa.com/WorldofHyatt

From there, provide your membership number with the other program. If you have elite status in both programs, you only need to link once from either program.

Bottom line

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.

This partnership may not help much if you only use one of these programs, though. When American Airlines and Hyatt announced this partnership in 2019, I held Executive Platinum elite status with American but rarely stayed with Hyatt so the partnership didn’t significantly help me. But now, I hold Executive Platinum status and Globalist status. So, although the status fast track offers don’t help me, the reciprocal earnings on qualifying American Airlines flights and Hyatt stays provide some value.