American Airlines and Hyatt Are Splitting Up. Link Your Accounts by November 15.
American Airlines and Hyatt ended their loyalty partnership on September 9, 2026. If you link your AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts by 11:59:59 p.m. CT on November 15, you keep earning cross-program awards well into 2027. A few hours after that announcement, Hyatt named its replacement partner: Delta.
The short version
American Airlines and Hyatt announced the end of their enhanced relationship on September 9, 2026. The partnership began in 2019.
Link both accounts by 11:59:59 p.m. CT on November 15, 2026. Miss it and the earning stops early.
Linked AAdvantage members keep earning World of Hyatt awards through Loyalty Point Rewards until February 28, 2027.
Linked World of Hyatt members keep earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards until December 31, 2026.
Hyatt and Delta announced their own loyalty collaboration the same day. World of Hyatt has 69 million members.
What did American Airlines and Hyatt announce?
American Airlines and Hyatt published a joint statement on September 9, 2026 ending the enhanced relationship the two programs launched in 2019. Under that partnership, AAdvantage elites earned World of Hyatt awards as they hit Loyalty Point thresholds, and World of Hyatt elites earned AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards. Both sides confirmed the split in identical language. Hyatt said the companies "have mutually decided to not continue our enhanced relationship."
No reason was given. Neither company framed it as a dispute.
One small piece survives the breakup. AAdvantage members keep the option to earn 500 AAdvantage miles instead of World of Hyatt points on eligible Hyatt stays by giving their AAdvantage number at check-in. Hyatt says that continues even after the broader relationship ends.
What do you need to do before November 15?
Link your AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts. That is the whole task, and the cutoff is 11:59:59 p.m. CT on November 15, 2026. Members who link by then keep their earning window. AAdvantage members who linked in time continue earning World of Hyatt awards through Loyalty Point Rewards until February 28, 2027. World of Hyatt members who linked in time continue earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards until December 31, 2026.
Linking takes about two minutes on either program's website. There is no fee and no downside.
Do it even if you are not chasing status this year. You are buying yourself optionality on a benefit with a hard expiration date, at zero cost. Hyatt also confirmed that awards already earned get the standard selection window, so a benefit you earn in October does not vanish on November 16. Frequent Miler and AwardWallet both read the timeline the same way.
What is the new Delta and World of Hyatt partnership?
Delta Air Lines and Hyatt announced a long-term loyalty collaboration on September 9, 2026, hours after the American news broke. The centerpiece is a benefit both companies call Dual Earn. Eligible Delta SkyMiles Medallion members will earn miles for qualifying stays at participating Hyatt properties. Eligible World of Hyatt elite members will earn World of Hyatt points on qualifying Delta airfare purchases in qualifying fare classes.
That is the entire concrete detail so far.
Delta and Hyatt say the collaboration launches "in the coming months" and that enrollment, eligibility and earning rules arrive later. The press release spends more space on suggested flight-and-hotel pairings, such as Delta's Los Angeles to Hong Kong route with Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, than on how much you will earn. Thrifty Traveler reported the same gap.
Our read: the timing is not a coincidence. Delta picked up a premium hotel partner the same day a competitor lost one, and it announced before the terms were finished.
Is Delta SkyMiles a downgrade from AAdvantage?
For most travelers, yes. Delta SkyMiles has no published award chart, prices awards dynamically off cash fares, and consistently returns less value per mile than American AAdvantage. AAdvantage still publishes an award chart with fixed partner pricing, which is what makes it useful for booking premium cabins on Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Etihad. Trading an AAdvantage tie-in for a SkyMiles tie-in is a step down on redemption value.
The counterweight is earning. Dual Earn means points and miles on the same transaction, and nobody offered that under the old structure. If you fly Delta anyway and stay at Hyatt anyway, this adds value you were not getting.
If you fly American, the honest answer is that you lost something and got nothing back. Worth reading our guide to Citi ThankYou cards and the American Airlines transfer if you want to keep feeding an AAdvantage balance without the Hyatt pipeline.
What this means for you
Link the accounts this week. Then look at where your loyalty belongs now. If you are a Hyatt regular who has been crediting Delta flights elsewhere, Dual Earn gives you a reason to stop. If you are an AAdvantage loyalist, the Hyatt status shortcut is gone after February 2027 and you need a different route to hotel status.
Nobody should switch airlines over a partnership with no published earning rates. Wait for the terms. Our best travel credit cards guide covers the cards that earn transferable points, which is the version of flexibility that survives announcements like this one.
FAQ
What is the deadline to link AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts?
The deadline to link AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts is 11:59:59 p.m. CT on November 15, 2026. Members who link by then keep earning cross-program benefits into 2027.
When does the American Airlines and Hyatt partnership end?
The partnership winds down in stages. World of Hyatt members stop earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards after December 31, 2026. AAdvantage members stop earning World of Hyatt awards through Loyalty Point Rewards after February 28, 2027.
Do I lose benefits I already earned?
No. Hyatt says members keep the benefits they earn through each program's current earning year, including the standard window to select an award after earning it.
Can I still earn AAdvantage miles on Hyatt stays?
Yes. AAdvantage members keep 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.
When does the Delta and Hyatt partnership start?
Delta and Hyatt say the collaboration launches in the coming months, with enrollment and eligibility details to follow. Neither company has published earning rates or a launch date.
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