American Just Lost Hyatt - And Delta Is Moving In to Take Its Place

✈️ Miles & Points Daily

Two completely unrelated stories today, but they tell the same story about where hotel loyalty is heading. Airlines are competing harder than ever for your hotel points - and one of them just pulled off a clean swap.

Which airline is replacing American Airlines as Hyatt's new loyalty partner?

• 🔵 United Airlines

• 🔴 Delta Air Lines

• 🟤 Alaska Airlines

• 🟠 Southwest Airlines

The answer is near the bottom of today's newsletter... keep scrolling. 👇

American AAdvantage and World of Hyatt launched their partnership back in 2019 with real promise - reciprocal status, cross-earning opportunities, and a free night certificate that sweetened Hyatt elite status. Over time, the partnership was quietly hollowed out. Reciprocal points earning ended on December 31, 2024. Now the whole thing is being shut down.

The practical losses are real, though not catastrophic. AAdvantage elite members currently get complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status, access to extra-legroom seats on American flights, and a free night certificate. All of that goes away when the partnership officially ends.

Here is where it gets specific. You need to link your AAdvantage and Hyatt accounts by November 15 to keep earning any remaining partner rewards during the wind-down window. Hyatt's earning window closes December 31, 2026. American's runs a little longer, through February 28, 2027. Miss the November 15 linking deadline and you lose access to both.

If you have linked accounts and qualifying Hyatt stays planned before year-end, make sure they are booked and completed before those windows close. Award stays do not count toward this promo earning, only paid nights.

Here is the twist. Hyatt is not walking away from airline partnerships - it is upgrading. The program has confirmed it is replacing American with Delta, launching a new arrangement in the coming months. Hyatt elite members will earn hotel points on Delta flights, and Delta Medallion members will earn SkyMiles on Hyatt stays on top of their usual Hyatt rewards. That is a step up from what the AA partnership had become.

For anyone who holds Delta Medallion status, this is genuinely good news. You will soon be earning in both programs from a single hotel stay, which is exactly the kind of stacking that makes loyalty programs worth playing. Watch for the official launch date from Hyatt in the coming months.

If you hold AAdvantage status or Hyatt Discoverist through the partnership, link your accounts before November 15 and complete any eligible stays before December 31. Then shift your hotel loyalty attention toward how the Hyatt-Delta arrangement unfolds - it looks like a better deal for most frequent travelers than what American was offering in its final form.

Capital One has updated its Venture card welcome offer, and the change is worth paying attention to. On top of the existing 75,000-mile bonus after spending $4,000 in three months, the card now also includes a one-time $300 lodging credit to be used within your first year. That brings the total first-year value of the welcome package up meaningfully.

At a standard valuation of around 1.7 cents per Capital One mile, 75,000 miles is worth roughly $1,275. Add the $300 hotel credit and you are looking at close to $1,575 in first-year value against a $95 annual fee. That math is hard to ignore for anyone who has been on the fence about the Venture.

If you have received a Venture X bonus in the last 48 months, you are not eligible for this Venture offer. Capital One treats the Venture and Venture X as the same product family for bonus eligibility purposes, so check your records before applying. If you are clear, this is a strong moment to jump on it.

The $300 lodging credit works as a statement credit on hotel purchases, which is straightforward to use. Book any hotel through Capital One Travel or directly and the credit applies. No hoops, no special portals required for the credit itself - just spend it within your first year.

Marriott Bonvoy has opened registration for its second global promotion of 2026. The offer runs from September 22 through November 22, and the structure is simple: earn 1,500 bonus points on eligible paid stays of two or more nights, with an additional 3,000 bonus points if that stay is at a resort. That tops out at 4,500 bonus points per qualifying stay.

At Marriott's standard valuation of around 0.6 cents per point, 4,500 points is worth about $27 per resort stay. Not life-changing, but if you have travel already planned at a Marriott resort this fall, that is free money sitting there waiting. One-night stays and award bookings do not qualify, so plan accordingly.

The key here is registration. You must register your Marriott Bonvoy account before your stay for the bonus to apply. The promo window does not open until September 22, but registration is live now. If you have a fall trip at a Marriott property on the calendar - especially a resort - go register today. It takes under a minute and there is no downside to doing it early.

This is Marriott's only second global promo of the year, which means opportunities like this do not come around constantly. If you are actively chasing Bonvoy points for a future redemption, every stay between now and November 22 should be counting toward this bonus.

Register now, then book qualifying two-night or longer stays between September 22 and November 22. Resort stays are the sweet spot where you pick up the full 4,500 points. If you need a push on whether a Marriott card makes sense for your travel style, our guide on which Marriott card you are eligible for is worth a quick read before fall travel kicks in.

A couple of transfer bonuses worth flagging before they close. The Amex Membership Rewards to British Airways Avios, Aer Lingus Avios, and Iberia Avios 30% bonus runs through September 27 - that is 17 days from today. If you are sitting on Amex points and have a BA or Iberia redemption in mind, this is the window to move points. Our transfer bonuses tracker has the full current list.

Also worth noting: the Chase Ultimate Rewards to Air Canada Aeroplan 20% bonus and the Capital One Miles to JAL Mileage Bank 30% bonus both end September 30 - 20 days out. Aeroplan is one of the most versatile programs out there for Star Alliance redemptions, and JAL is a consistent sweet spot for business class to Japan and beyond.

And if you have been considering buying miles, the JetBlue TrueBlue buy-points offer with a 120% bonus is one of the strongest available right now, running through October 1. That is 21 days to take advantage of one of the highest buy-miles bonuses currently on the market. Check all live buy-points promotions before any of these windows close.

Award Travel Finder has been tracking some solid Aeroplan redemptions for transatlantic business class if you are thinking about putting those transferred Chase points to work right away.

The answer is Delta Air Lines. Hyatt confirmed it is launching a new partnership with Delta, replacing its long-running arrangement with American Airlines. Hyatt elite members will earn hotel points on Delta flights, and Delta Medallion members will earn SkyMiles on Hyatt stays. The partnership launches in the coming months - watch your Hyatt and Delta accounts for details.

With the AA-Hyatt partnership ending and Delta stepping in, does this change which hotel program you will focus on this fall - or which airline you will fly to earn hotel points? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response and genuinely want to know how you are thinking about this shift.

The Hyatt-Delta news is the kind of quiet reshuffling that matters more than people realize at first. Once that partnership goes live, the math on where to stay and which airline to fly is going to change for a lot of readers. I will keep tracking it as the details emerge.

Not everything needs to be award bookings this fall - Friday Flight Deals has been finding some strong cash fares to Europe and Latin America if you want to save your points for something bigger.

- Jack

A real US flight runs today. Pin the airport on the map, then guess the route in 5 tries. Wordle for plane geeks.

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Business Gold Card: 200,000 points after spending $15,000 in 3 months ($3.75/yr)

2. American Express Green Card: 175,000 points ($8.95/yr)

3. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on t... ($5.5/yr)

Whether you're spending hotel points or airline miles, these are the standout deals right now via Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

• The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo - Tokyo, JP | 3.4cpp value | 121,000 pts/night

• Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection - Kohala Coast, HI, US | 1.6cpp value | 97,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique - Guanacaste, CR | 2.1cpp value | 120,000 pts/night

• Calala Island, an SLH Hotel - NiCaribbean, NI | 2.9cpp value | 150,000 pts/night

• InterContinental Hotels Chicago Magnificent Mile - Chicago, IL, US | 1.2cpp value | 44,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

• Flying Blue Status Match - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue (New Markets) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue UK (BA Status Holders) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → Aer Lingus Avios: +30% bonus - ends September 27 (in 17 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → British Airways Avios: +30% bonus - ends September 27 (in 17 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Hilton: +30% bonus - ends October 14 (in 34 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Iberia Avios: +30% bonus - ends September 27 (in 17 days)

• Capital One Miles → JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank: +30% bonus - ends September 30 (in 20 days)

• Chase Ultimate Rewards → Air Canada Aeroplan: +20% bonus - ends September 30 (in 20 days)

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at - ends October 10 (in 30 days)

• Copa Airlines (ConnectMiles): 80% bonus at - ends October 2 (in 22 days)

• Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles): 50% bonus at - ends October 31 (in 51 days)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 25% bonus at - ends October 10 (in 30 days)

• Garuda (GarudaMiles): 100% bonus at - ends September 30 (in 20 days)

• JetBlue Airways (TrueBlue): 120% bonus at - ends October 1 (in 21 days)

Full live tracker → milesandpointsdaily.com/buy-points-promotions

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →