World of Hyatt and Aeroplan Partnership: Benefits and Poor-Value Redemptions
World of Hyatt and Air Canada Aeroplan have launched a new partnership that gives members more ways to earn, redeem and convert points across both programs. Members must first link their Hyatt and Aeroplan accounts to unlock the new benefits.
Aeroplan members can now redeem points for Hyatt free-night certificates. A Category 1-4 certificate costs 25,000 Aeroplan points, while a Category 1-7 certificate costs 75,000 Aeroplan points. World of Hyatt members can also redeem 50,000 Hyatt points for an Aeroplan certificate worth 30,000 points, which can be used toward eligible Air Canada and partner-flight rewards.
These options add flexibility, but that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean these are good options. A Category 1-4 Hyatt night normally requires between 12,000 and 25,000 Hyatt points, while even a Category 7 property tops out at 55,000 Hyatt points under Hyatt’s current pricing. Redeeming 75,000 Aeroplan points for that same certificate will generally be a poor trade. The 50,000-to-30,000 Hyatt-to-Aeroplan certificate redemption is also a bad deal, especially since Aeroplan is already a 1:1 transfer partner of several major transferable-points programs.
Members can also convert Hyatt points to Aeroplan at a 2:1 ratio, beginning with 5,000 Hyatt points. Aeroplan elite members can transfer points in the opposite direction at the same 2:1 ratio, with a minimum transfer of 500 Aeroplan points and limits of 100,000 points per day and 250,000 points per week. Since Hyatt and Aeroplan points can both be quite valuable, losing half of them during a transfer will never make sense.
Aeroplan members can elect to earn 500 Aeroplan points per eligible Hyatt stay instead of earning Hyatt points. That could potentially work for an extremely cheap one-night stay, but most members will be better off earning Hyatt points.
The more interesting parts of the partnership involve elite status. Aeroplan elite members and eligible premium Canadian Aeroplan cardholders can complete an annual 90-day Hyatt status challenge. Members earn Discoverist after four qualifying nights, Explorist after 10 nights or Globalist after 20 nights. Status earned during 2026 will remain valid through February 2028.
Canadian-issued premium Aeroplan cardholders also receive complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status, five qualifying-night credits each year and two opportunities annually to complete a Hyatt status challenge. Depending on the card, linked Canadian cardholders can earn additional Hyatt and Aeroplan points on eligible Hyatt purchases. These cardholder benefits do not currently extend to U.S.-issued Aeroplan cards.
World of Hyatt Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist members receive a C$20 Air Canada flight credit after linking their accounts and each year afterward while maintaining Hyatt status. The credit is valid for 12 months. Later in 2026, Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members are also expected to receive access to annual Aeroplan status challenges, although those details have not yet been announced.
Guru’s Wrap-up
Overall, the partnership sounds broader and more exciting than it really is. The ability to move or redeem points across both programs is a good option to have, but point-conversion and certificate options offer poor value.
The more useful benefits are the Hyatt status challenges for Aeroplan elites, and hopefully the Aeroplan status challenge for World of Hyatt elites later on. There’s also the Canadian Aeroplan cardholder perks and the small annual Air Canada credit for Hyatt elite members.
