Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Update: Just hours after Hyatt and American announced the end of their partnership, Hyatt and Delta announced a new long-term partnership that will launch in the coming months. The new partnership will initially include reciprocal earning opportunities for elite members of both programs, with additional benefits expected to be announced. See our Delta/Hyatt Breaking Point for more information.

Hyatt and American Airlines are ending their loyalty partnership after more than seven years. If you link your World of Hyatt and AAdvantage accounts by November 15, 2026, you can continue using the current reciprocal Milestone and Loyalty Point Rewards through the end of each program's current earning year. AAdvantage members can continue earning Hyatt awards through Loyalty Point Rewards through February 28, 2027, while Hyatt members can continue earning AAdvantage awards through Milestone Rewards through December 31, 2026. One benefit will remain after the partnership ends: AAdvantage members can continue choosing to earn 500 AAdvantage miles instead of World of Hyatt points on eligible Hyatt stays (we do not recommend this). Hyatt recently launched a separate partnership with Air Canada Aeroplan, offering reciprocal status challenges, new earning and redemption options, and a handful of other benefits. The most interesting is that Aeroplan elite members can fast-track to Hyatt Globalist after earning 20 elite nights in 90 days, compared to the usual requirement of 60 elite nights in a calendar year.

The Capital One Venture Rewards card is offering 75,000 miles plus a $300 Stays credit to use on hotels and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel. You must spend $4,000 on the card in three months to earn the bonus. The standard offer for the card is 75,000 miles with the same spending requirement, so the $300 Stays credit is the extra bonus. The annual fee on this card is just $95, making this an excellent return for a card with a relatively low annual fee.

Targeted Marriott Amex Offers are appearing for certain cardholders, so be sure to check the Amex Offers section of your cards to see if you've received any interesting offers. The best offer we've seen is $150 back after spending $300 at participating Marriott properties, while some cardholders are seeing $200 back after spending $450. Both represent substantial discounts of roughly 50% and 44%, respectively. Offers are valid at participating Marriott properties in the U.S., U.S. territories, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean through November 30, 2026. These appear to be heavily targeted, with early reports suggesting they're showing primarily on Marriott Bonvoy Amex cards, although availability can vary by cardholder.

AARP members can earn I Prefer Gold status plus 2,500 bonus points after completing just one eligible stay. Book a stay using promo code IPAARP, then complete the stay to receive both the status upgrade and bonus points. I Prefer Gold includes benefits such as potential room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout, a welcome amenity, and 20% bonus points on eligible stays. Make sure you compare the AARP rate with other available rates before booking. This could also potentially stack with the targeted Amex Offer for $100 back after spending $500 at participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts properties, but that offer expires on September 13, 2026.

Amex is targeting certain cardholders with an offer for $100 back after spending $500 or more at participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts properties. You must activate the offer and book through the dedicated Preferred Hotels offer page, with eligible stays completed by September 13, 2026. The $500 spending requirement can include both the room rate and room charges, meaning you could potentially trigger the credit on an award stay if you have at least $500 in eligible charges at the hotel.