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News broke a few weeks ago about a brand-new, highly involved partnership between Aeroplan and World of Hyatt. This is an incredibly comprehensive partnership with benefits including Elite status earning, converting points between the two programs, converting Aeroplan points for Hyatt Free Night Awards, converting Hyatt points towards Aeroplan Flight Reward Certificates, and more.
There’s also a slew of Hyatt benefits for premium Aeroplan co-branded cardholders, effectively turning these into pseudo Hyatt co-branded cards — of which we have none in Canada.
You can see the full news breakdown in our initial announcement post, but let’s dig into what’s worth it, what’s not, which headlines are worth paying attention to, and whether any of it is powerful enough to adjust our travel patterns.
In my view, Canadians are coming out ahead with this partnership given how powerful the premium Aeroplan co-branded cards have become, while Americans have less to be excited about since they can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) directly to Hyatt and can also earn Aeroplan by transferring both Amex MR, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.
The Best Part — Elite Status
The standout benefit in this partnership is the ability to unlock Hyatt Elite status with significantly lower stay requirements. Anyone with Aeroplan Elite status or a premium co-branded card can unlock Discoverist after 4 qualifying nights (typically requires 10), Explorist after 10 qualifying nights (typically requires 30), and Globalist after 20 qualifying nights (typically requires 60).
If eligible, you can request this status challenge annually, meaning you can requalify for Globalist every year after just 20 qualifying nights. You can actually request this challenge twice per year if you have Aeroplan Elite status and hold a premium Aeroplan card (should you fail to reach 20 nights the first time).
By holding a premium Aeroplan card, you’ll also get 5 qualifying nights each year. Then, if you have Hyatt co-branded cards on the U.S. side, it gets even easier because the personal Hyatt card from Chase offers 5 elite nights as an annual benefit. If these stack, you’ll have Explorist perpetually, with no stays required. You also get complimentary Discoverist status and earn extra Hyatt points on eligible stays.
Globalist is the tier to be after, though, and with the personal Chase Hyatt card, you’ll earn 2 elite nights for every $5,000 in spend. With the business Chase Hyatt card, you’ll earn 5 elite nights for every $10,000 in spend. Combined with the status challenge of needing only 20 qualifying nights, this makes reaching Globalist significantly easier than in the past.
Anshul enjoyed his stay at the Park Hyatt Chicago
Notably, you won’t receive Hyatt Milestone Rewards, as they are based on earned qualifying nights rather than simply given for having Elite status.
What’s also really exciting is a way for Hyatt Elite members to fast-track their way to Aeroplan Elite status — coming soon.
Marriott Bonvoy Status Gives Aeroplan 25K Elite Status
The irony is not lost on me that this partnership makes Hyatt Elite status much more achievable if you have Marriott Bonvoy Elite status, specifically Titanium Elite. Marriott Titanium members receive complimentary United Silver and Aeroplan 25K Elite status, so in a somewhat roundabout way, having Marriott Bonvoy Elite status means you can earn Hyatt Globalist status with only 20 Elite nights.
I’ve already linked my Hyatt and Aeroplan accounts in case I want to take part in the status challenge, but the benefits of Titanium (mostly United Silver to unlock additional United Polaris saver space) still keep me rather tethered to Marriott, and I don’t have enough organic nights when travelling to qualify with both programs, even with the lower 20-night requirement. I’m still running the numbers on upgrading my Amex U.S. Marriott card to the Brilliant to get an extra 10 elite nights each year, then shifting those stays to Hyatt to earn Globalist.
What’s Not Worth It
There are a few aspects to the partnership that are just not ever worth it:
- Converting 50,000 Hyatt points to a 30,000-point Aeroplan Flight Reward Certificate
- Converting Hyatt points to Aeroplan at a 2:1 ratio
- Earn 500 Aeroplan points per stay instead of Hyatt points
On both sides of the border, Aeroplan points are easier to earn than Hyatt points, so there’s no reason to convert Hyatt at a 2:1 ratio. Presumably, most Americans earn Hyatt via Chase Ultimate Rewards, and you can just transfer those points directly to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. The same logic applies towards converting 50,000 Hyatt points into a 30,000-point Aeroplan Flight Reward Certificate – I just don’t see any case where it makes sense to do this.
When should you convert Hyatt to Aeroplan? Never.
Needless to say, earning a flat 500 Aeroplan points per Hyatt stay is never worth it, especially since you earn more Hyatt points the more you spend and receive elevated returns for Hyatt Elite status members.
What’s Maybe Worth It
World of Hyatt Elite status members who link their accounts with Aeroplan receive a $20 CAD Air Canada flight credit each year. The $20 applies to round-trip bookings, or $10 to one-way bookings. Since this is a free benefit, it’s “worth it”, but definitely not a headline piece.
What’s maybe worth it is exchanging Aeroplan points for Hyatt in the following ways:
- Converting Aeroplan points to Hyatt at a 2:1 ratio
- Minimum of 500 Aeroplan points per transaction
- Capped at 100,000 Aeroplan points per day or 250,000 Aeroplan points per week
- Exchange 25,000 Aeroplan points for a Category 1-4 Free Night Award
- Exchange 75,000 Aeroplan points for a Category 1-7 Free Night Award
The reason these redemptions are more compelling is that Hyatt points cannot be earned directly in Canada, as there is no bank transfer partner and no co-branded card. Aeroplan points are fairly accessible and therefore could be worth converting to Hyatt for the right redemptions. “For the right redemptions” is key because 2:1 is still an expensive ratio, so this is best utilized to top up your Hyatt account for an upcoming aspirational stay.
There are times I would consider converting Aeroplan points to Hyatt
Convert Aeroplan to Hyatt Free Night Awards
For Category 1 hotels priced at 3,000 points, 6,000 Aeroplan points is also a worthwhile redemption. If you’re planning to use Aeroplan points to cover the entire cost, exchanging Aeroplan points for Free Night Awards is more compelling than converting 2:1. Category 4 hotels cost 25,000 points in the “Top” pricing band, so this is effectively exchanging Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio.
Similarly, Category 7 hotels cost 55,000 points in the “Top” tier and converting 75,000 Aeroplan to 55,000 Hyatt points is better than 2:1.
With Hyatt, the Free Night Award covers the cost of the stay regardless of the tier any particular night is categorized under.
Takeaway
This is one of the most comprehensive airline-hotel partnerships we’ve seen in recent years, and I think Canadians come out as the biggest winners. The ability to earn Hyatt Globalist after just 20 qualifying nights with a premium Aeroplan card or Aeroplan Elite status is the clear headline, while the new point conversion options give Canadians a long-awaited way to access Hyatt points without needing U.S. credit cards.
That said, not every feature deserves equal attention. We’d ignore converting Hyatt points to Aeroplan or opting to earn a flat 500 Aeroplan points per Hyatt stay. Instead, focus on the Elite status opportunities and treat the new Aeroplan-to-Hyatt redemption options as another tool in your toolkit.
Aeroplan points are still best used for premium cabin flight redemptions, and this partnership doesn’t change that. However, if your Aeroplan balance outpaces your travel plans or you have a specific Hyatt redemption in mind, converting points or redeeming for Hyatt Free Night Awards can absolutely make sense. Like most things in miles & points, the best strategy ultimately comes down to your points balances, travel patterns, and what you’re trying to book.
