Everyone is starting to get paired off in the airline-hotel loyalty square dance. American Airlines and Hyatt announced a new partnership in March in which elite members in either loyalty program could earn points or miles for flying or staying with the other partner. Then, in June, Accor and Air France-KLM one-upped that promotion and launched a partnership in which elite status wasn’t even required to earn bonus points. Now Marriott and Emirates are getting into the game.
The Your World Rewards partnership, announced last week, awards Marriott Rewards elite members bonus points when making bookings on Emirates. Emirates elites, in turn, can earn extra frequent flyer miles in the Skywards program when booking nights in a Marriott hotel. In addition to the mileage benefits, Marriott elites will also earn priority boarding and check-in at Emirates counters around the world while Skywards elites get late checkout and free Wi-Fi when staying in partner hotels.
On the surface, the partnership is quite similar to what American and Hyatt launched earlier this year. To benefit, travelers need to be elite in one of the loyalty programs and then book a flight or hotel on the other. Unlike its competitor though, the Emirates and Marriott partnership doesn’t have as wide of a footprint. While there’s a Hyatt hotel in most major cities in the U.S. and American Airlines canvasses the country, the reach of Emirates is limited to largely international destinations connected to its hub in Dubai.
Still, for those who travel frequently to or through the Middle East, the promotion is effectively free points for elite travelers who are willing to stay in a Marriott hotel or fly on Emirates.
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