Late last year, World of Hyatt (WOH) and American Airlines (AA) announced their reciprocal benefits and partnership enhancements. If you missed it, you can view our detailed blog post on those changes here.

Today, I noticed some updates within the World of Hyatt app and website that reflect these changes, and I wanted to share the details with you.

Linking Your AAdvantage Account

You can now link your AAdvantage account directly in the World of Hyatt app under the “My Account” section. I attempted to input my AA number but received an error stating my accounts were already linked, which I expected since I had previously connected them.

Updated Milestone Rewards

The most notable updates are the new choices available at various Milestone Rewards thresholds. You can now select these Milestone Rewards for AA Preferred Seat Coupons and Elite Status starting at 20 Elite Qualifying Night stays or 35,000 base points for 2025:

At 20 and 30 nights: You can select 2 Preferred Seat Coupons with American Airlines.

• • Preferred seat coupons allow you to choose more desirable seats in the main cabin, such as those with extra legroom, at no additional cost.

    

At 40 and 50 nights: You can now choose Main Cabin Extra Seat Coupons.

• • These coupons allow you to book Main Cabin Extra seats, which provide extra legroom and more convenient boarding positions.

    

At 70, 80, and 90 nights: You can select to earn AAdvantage Gold Status.

• • This can be particularly beneficial for members who do not already have or plan to pursue AAdvantage Elite Status.

    

AAdvantage Gold® Status Benefits:

• Earn 40% more miles and Loyalty Points on eligible flights.
• Priority check-in, security, and Group 4 boarding.
• Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades (24-hour upgrade window).
• First checked bag free.
• Complimentary Preferred Seats at booking and Main Cabin Extra seats at check-in.
• oneworld® Ruby℠ Status, which includes:
  • Business Class priority check-in.
  • Preferred or pre-reserved seating on oneworld® airlines.
• Discounted Admirals Club membership.

Starting at 100 nights, You can select AAdvantage Platinum Status, which offers even better benefits:

AAdvantage Platinum® Status Benefits:

• • 2 free checked bags.
  • Complimentary Admirals Club access.
  • Priority boarding (Group 3).
  • Complimentary upgrades with an extended upgrade window.

Additionally, you can now redeem WOH points for AA Status for a Day, a new benefit available exclusively to Explorist and Globalist members traveling on their own itinerary.

You are allowed up to 2 redemptions per year

• • 5,000 points for AAdvantage Gold.
  • 8,000 points for AAdvantage Platinum.
  • 12,000 points for AAdvantage Platinum Pro.

Before achieving AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, I would have gladly redeemed 8,000 points for perks like free checked bags, complimentary upgrades, lounge access, and more. I personally value World of Hyatt points at approximately 2.5–3 cents per point, meaning 8,000 points are worth around $200 to me. For the benefits of Platinum status for a day, the value far outweighs the cost. If you’re looking to elevate your travel experience while saving money for a single trip, this could be a great option to consider.

Is This a Win for WOH Loyalists?

The new options may or may not feel like a win for loyal WOH members, depending on your travel patterns and status goals.

As a WOH Globalist and AA Executive Platinum member, these updates don’t particularly excite me, especially since the double-dipping feature was discontinued at the end of last year. However, I can see the appeal for others. Maintaining elite status in both programs can be costly, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. These new Milestone Rewards provide a great opportunity to enjoy valuable AA benefits—like free baggage, preferred seating, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades—without committing to earning status.

Final Thoughts

For members who don’t prioritize previous awards, such as Suite Upgrades or bonus points at Milestone thresholds, these American Airlines benefits could be better options, especially for saving money on checked bags, complimentary upgrades to business class, Admiral lounge access, etc. These benefits can be quite lucrative over an SUA, which is a one-time use.

What do you think of these updates? Will you consider opting for the AA benefits over traditional Milestone Rewards like points or Suite Upgrade Awards? Let us know in the comments!