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Hyatt and American Airlines have just announced that they’re once again offering elite status challenges to members of each other’s loyalty programs. From today, select AAdvantage and World of Hyatt members will be offered the chance to earn elite status in the other’s loyalty program through January or February 2023. Challenges are targeted, require registration, and are appearing on dedicated American Airlines and Hyatt web pages.
Note: Do NOT register for this promotion until you have read this entire post.
Details For Hyatt Elites
The headline terms:
- Targeted elite levels: World of Hyatt Discoverists, Explorists, and Globalists.
- World of Hyatt and AAdvantage accounts must be linked (here)
- Register by 30 September 2021 (here)
- Must complete qualifying AAdvantage activity within a pre-set period of time to earn AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, or Platinum Pro status through January 2023.
The challenges for linked accounts:
The details that I’ve seen so far don’t specify what challenges are for each Hyatt status level so I can only tell you what the challenge being offered to me looks like (Hyatt Globalists with AAdvantage Platinum status):
ETA: I’ve now seen some other challenges which I’ve also added below
World of Hyatt Globalists with AAdvantage Platinum Status
Earn $2,300 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) and either 18,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or 21 Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) to earn AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status through January 2023. Qualifying activity must be completed within 3 months of registration.
World of Hyatt Globalists with Gold AAdvantage Status
- Earn $1,500 EQDs and either 12,000 EQMs or 14 EQSs for Platinum status
- Earn $2,300 EQDs and either 18,000 EQMs or 21 EQSs for Platinum Pro status
World of Hyatt Globalists with No AAdvantage Status
- Earn $700 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) and either 6,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or 7 Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) for Gold status
- Earn $1,500 EQDs and either 12,000 EQMs or 14 EQSs for Platinum status
- Earn $2,300 EQDs and either 18,000 EQMs or 21 EQSs for Platinum Pro status
World of Hyatt Discoverist with No AAdvantage Status
- Earn $700 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) and either 6,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or 7 Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) for Gold status
Qualifying EQDs, EQMs, and EQSs are earned when you fly on eligible tickets for flights operated by American Airlines or marketed by American, American Eagle, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, and Qantas.
Don’t forget that World of Hyatt Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist elites who have linked their accounts to the AAdvantage program can earn one World of Hyatt Bonus Point for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying American Airlines flights. These points are awarded in addition to the World of Hyatt points these elites already earn on Hyatt stays.
Details For AAdvantage Elites
The headline terms:
- Targeted elite levels: AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum members.
- AAdvantage and World of Hyatt accounts must be linked (here)
- Register by 30 September 2021 (here)
- All members registering, get trial Explorist status for 90 days following registration
- Members must complete qualifying World of Hyatt activity within 90 days to achieve World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status through February 2022.
- World of Hyatt qualifying activity is earned when an AAdvantage member books an eligible rate or award night through Hyatt channels.
The challenges for linked accounts:
The details that I’ve seen so far don’t specify what challenges are for each AAdvantage status level so I can only tell you what the challenge being offered to AAdvantage Platinum members looks like:
AAdvantage Platinum Members
- Register by September 30, 2021 to receive World of Hyatt Explorist status for 90 days.
- Complete your challenge within 90 days of registration to earn:
- Explorist status by staying 10 qualifying nights (typically requires 30 in a calendar year), or
- Globalist status by staying 20 qualifying nights (typically requires 60 in a calendar year).
Don’t forget that AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum elites can earn one bonus AAdvantage mile for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences. These points are awarded in addition to the AAdvantage Miles these elites already earn when they book through American Airlines.
A Key Aspect To This Promotion
World of Hyatt elites and American Airlines AAdvantage elites may only have 3 months or 90 days in which to complete the challenges set, but they don’t have to start the clock on those challenges until later this year if that’s what suits their travel plans best.
Qualifying elites from Hyatt and American Airlines have until 30 September to register for their challenges so if you’re in one of the targeted elite bands and your busiest travel period is towards the end of this year (given the current state of travel that may be quite likely), it may make sense to hold off registering until you’re closer to your dates of travel.
Important To Note
Hyatt views milestone rewards (the rewards that offer free nights, lounge passes, and suite upgrades) as being separate from these elite status challenges so AAdvantage elites earning status through these challenges will still have to earn the same number of elite qualifying nights as World of Hyatt members if they want access to those benefits.
Essentially, these challenges do not offer a quick path to lounge passes or suite upgrades.
Bottom Line
It’s great to see another set of status challenges being offered by Hyatt and American Airlines and now that AAdvantage Platinum Pro status is equivalent to oneworld Emerald status, and that the lower elite tiers are also being targeted for these status matches, this looks to be a better status match offer than we saw in 2020.
If anyone has been targeted for a Hyatt or American Airlines status challenge that hasn’t been mentioned here, please let me know what it is (along with what statuses you currently hold) and I’ll add it to the post above.
FYI, terms for a Hyatt Globalist and AA Gold status holder:
Register by September 30, 2021, and complete the qualifying activity below within 3 months of registering and you’ll enjoy AAdvantage® Platinum Pro elite status through January 2023:
Earn $1,500 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) and either 12,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or 14 Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) for Platinum status
Earn $2,300 EQDs and either 18,000 EQMs or 21 EEQSs for Platinum Pro status
Thank you very much – post now updated to show this.
Discoverist w/ no AA status here. Can achieve AA Gold with: $700 EQD’s, and 6k EQM’s or 7 EQS’s.
Thank you! I’ve updated the post -looks like Discoverists aren’t being given the change to earning much more than what a well-chosen AAdvantage credit card offers.
I’m an AA Platinum Pro with Globalist status, and Hyatt emailed me an opportunity to challenge to Platinum Pro??? Not sure what to make of this one.
I guess Hyatt doesn’t know when your status runs out so as far as it’s concerned you may currently only have PP status through January 2022 while the challenge would give you PP status through January 2023.
I have Hyatt Globalist status and have been offered a challenge for Globslist status by AA. This is of no use to me as my status runs through February 2023 (I’ve already requslified for next year) but had I not already requalified,the chance to do so via a challenge would probably have been very useful.
Can you use and EQD Waiver (over 30k spend on AA card) and flying enough EQMs in conjunction with the 3 month challenge numbers?
I don’t know the answer to this but I’d be very surprised if the two stacked.
Is there a delay between when you register and when the Hyatt 90 days starts? I want to register as close as possible to my trip, but don’t want to risk arriving on my vacation only to find out that my Hyatt status trial hasn’t kicked in!
My understanding is that registration is immediate and I’m pretty sure that was what the Hyatt website told me the last time I registered for this kind of promotion. Having said that, unless you really need to cut things fine, I suggest registering the night before your trip just to give the systems time to update should they need to. Failing that, take a screenshot of your registration before your trip and use that as evidence that you registered on time should an issue arise.
Has anybody been able to get an answer if you can use the 30K spending waiver in conjunction with his promotion?