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World of Hyatt is making significant changes to its airline partnerships. Hyatt and American Airlines have announced that they will end their enhanced loyalty relationship, while Hyatt has simultaneously announced a new long-term partnership with the Delta SkyMiles program.
Hyatt’s relationship with American Airlines dates back several years and was most recently reworked in 2025, shifting away from the previous dual-earning structure toward benefits available through AAdvantage and World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards. That relationship will now wind down, although Hyatt and American are giving members some time to use the benefits available during the current qualification year.
tl;dr: World of Hyatt is ending its enhanced loyalty partnership with American Airlines AAdvantage and beginning a new relationship with Delta SkyMiles. The American partnership will wind down through early 2027, while the upcoming Delta partnership will initially offer reciprocal earning opportunities for eligible elite members.
Hyatt and American Airlines Are Ending Their Enhanced Partnership
Hyatt and American Airlines have mutually decided not to continue their enhanced relationship. The good news for members is that the partnership isn’t disappearing overnight. AAdvantage and World of Hyatt members will continue to earn, select and redeem eligible benefits for the remainder of their respective current earning years. A couple of dates are worth keeping in mind;
- AAdvantage members who link their AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts by November 15, 2026 can continue earning World of Hyatt awards through AAdvantage through February 28, 2027.
- World of Hyatt members who link their accounts by November 15, 2026 can continue earning AAdvantage miles through World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards through December 31, 2026.
Members will also retain the normal amount of time to select an award after earning it. AAdvantage members will still have the option to earn 500 AAdvantage miles instead of World of Hyatt points on eligible Hyatt stays by providing their AAdvantage number at check-in, even after the broader partnership ends.
Hyatt Is Moving On With Delta SkyMiles
Hyatt has now announced a new long-term strategic relationship with Delta. There aren’t many specifics yet, and members should probably hold off on deciding whether the new partnership is better or worse than the outgoing American Airlines relationship until we see the full details.
What Hyatt and Delta have confirmed, however, gives us a reasonable idea of where the partnership is headed. The biggest feature announced so far is dual earning for eligible elite members.
Eligible World of Hyatt elite members will be able to earn World of Hyatt points on qualifying Delta airfare purchases in eligible fare classes. Meanwhile, Delta SkyMiles Medallion members will be able to earn Delta miles on qualifying stays at participating Hyatt properties. Hyatt has not yet announced exactly which elite tiers qualify, how many points or miles members will earn, or which Delta fares and Hyatt stays will be eligible.
Hyatt and Delta have also indicated additional elite benefits and experiences associated with the partnership, but those details will come later.
PMB Takeway
For Canadian World of Hyatt members, the timing of this announcement is particularly interesting because Hyatt only recently launched a substantial new partnership with Air Canada’s Aeroplan program. The Aeroplan relationship is much broader than what Hyatt has announced with Delta so far.
Within a relatively short period, World of Hyatt has launched a substantial partnership with Aeroplan, ended its enhanced relationship with American Airlines and announced a new long-term partnership with Delta SkyMiles. And the structures are very different. Aeroplan incorporates credit cards, elite status, reciprocal earning, points conversion and redemption opportunities. Delta is initially being positioned around elite members and reciprocal earning. The outgoing American partnership had evolved toward selectable rewards tied to milestones within each loyalty program.
In the U.S., Delta will now become Hyatt’s primary enhanced airline relationship once the American partnership winds down. We’ll have a much better idea of where Delta fits into that picture once Hyatt and Delta publish the earning rates, eligible elite tiers, qualifying fares and stays, status benefits and other details later this year.
Hyatt Airline partnerships – FAQ
When is the Hyatt and American Airlines partnership ending?
The enhanced World of Hyatt and American Airlines AAdvantage relationship is being phased out after the current earning year. Members who link their accounts by November 15, 2026 can continue accessing eligible benefits during the transition. World of Hyatt members can continue earning eligible AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards through December 31, 2026, while eligible AAdvantage members can continue earning Hyatt awards through Loyalty Point Rewards through February 28, 2027.
What happens to my Hyatt and American Airlines benefits?
Eligible members can continue earning, selecting and redeeming benefits through the applicable transition periods. Even after the broader relationship concludes, AAdvantage members can continue choosing to earn 500 AAdvantage miles instead of World of Hyatt points on eligible Hyatt stays by providing their AAdvantage number at check-in.
What benefits will the new Hyatt and Delta partnership offer?
Hyatt and Delta have confirmed that eligible elite members will receive reciprocal earning opportunities. Eligible World of Hyatt elites will be able to earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta airfare, while eligible Delta SkyMiles Medallion members will be able to earn Delta miles on qualifying Hyatt stays. Exact earning rates, qualifying elite tiers and other benefits have not yet been announced.
When does the World of Hyatt and Delta SkyMiles partnership start?
Hyatt and Delta have not announced an exact launch date. The partnership is expected to launch in the coming months, with further information about enrollment, eligibility, earning opportunities, and additional benefits to be announced.
