National Geographic Orion on a Lindblad Expeditions journey to Antarctica.
If you’re a frequent traveler, loyalty and rewards programs probably factor heavily into your life and, justifiably, your travel decisions. As brands compete for your miles and nights, new partnerships between hotel groups, airlines and car rental agencies are announced regularly, allowing you to rack up more points in more ways, and, hopefully, choose program partners more often as you seek to spend your rewards. Now that most major brands are onboard, what is left for a loyalty program to offer that others haven’t? Antarctica.
Earlier this year, World of Hyatt welcomed Lindblad Expeditions to its loyalty program with a collaboration that could land you a free trip to the white continent, among other bucket-list destinations like the Galápagos Islands, Patagonia and French Polynesia. Lindblad’s luxury expedition ships are far smaller (most accommodate between 28 and 148 passengers) and more agile than the behemoth cruise ships circling the Caribbean and Mediterranean, allowing amateur explorers to access both the world’s most beloved and most remote locations with intimate access to wildlife and nature. Thanks to Lindblad’s own partnership with National Geographic, these expeditions often include leading scientists and photographers who are both researching and leading excursions, too. (If you’re starting to recognize the name, you may recall that these ships bring Alex Trebek and the Jeopardy! Clue Crew to sensational spots for some of the show’s most memorable video clues.)
A perfect match
In additional to owning the 9 National Geographic branded ships in its fleet, Lindblad Expeditions … [+]
World of Hyatt is no stranger to exclusive and mindful experiences. As part of the ever-expanding loyalty program, members can redeem reward points for more than 200 experiences around the world ranging from vineyard tours in India to desert horse riding in Abu Dhabi. These memorable moments are curated to fit within the categories of Feel, Fuel and Function, Hyatt’s three landmarks of wellbeing, and can be booked on the program’s FIND platform with either cash or points. The offers have proven popular and, in looking to expand Hyatt’s offerings, Lindblad Expeditions caught the attention of World of Hyatt’s vice president of partner marketing, Ari Levin.
Like World of Hyatt, Lindblad Expeditions caters to a similar high-end traveler and both portfolios represent a commitment to high-quality, genuine experiences. This relationship builds on our current adventure experience offerings as we are able to offer our members access to more than 300 expedition trips per year in hard-to-reach destinations around the globe. Plus, Lindblad’s offerings strongly align with Hyatt’s wellbeing strategy by providing authentic experiences that support Hyatt’s three landmarks of wellbeing. Through Lindblad Expeditions’s photography experiences with certified photo instructors, wildlife encounters, a renowned expedition team and group travel outings, members are able to enhance their personal wellbeing while gaining a new perspective of their surroundings.
Inclusive includes you
Hyatt and Lindblad Expeditions are LGBT-inclusive organizations that promote safe environments for … [+]
Another key element of the partnership is a commitment from both companies to be inclusive of all travelers, including members of the LGBT community.
Through our global efforts and strategic alliances, Lindblad Expeditions included, we want our guests to feel welcome no matter where they are traveling or exploring, and hope they will enjoy confident and comfortable stays and experiences that encourage them to proudly and authentically be who they are. Hyatt is a proud Platinum Sponsor of NYC Pride, through which it also supported WorldPride 2019. Also, for the twelfth year in a row, Hyatt earned the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s title as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” Hyatt believes that travel is a unique portal for open-mindedness, enabling us to challenge our everyday experiences and essentially help us all become more compassionate and understanding of not only the world, but each other.
Echoing his sentiments, Jeremy Lindblad, global business development director for Lindblad Expeditions notes, “Lindblad’s guiding principles guide our conduct toward every guest we serve equally, and do not discriminate in treating everyone with the same dignity and respect. As such, we embrace the LGBTQ community—as employees, colleagues, ship staff, crew and guests.”
In an increasingly divisive world, vulnerable populations like the LGBT community can take comfort in visiting culturally and politically diverse destinations with corporate allies like Hyatt and Lindblad Expeditions guiding their journeys.
How to get there
Where you go with Lindblad Expeditions is up to you, but being a World of Hyatt member will benefit … [+]
Whether you’re angling for an Alaskan adventure or FOMOing over a fjord fantasy in Norway, here’s what being a World of Hyatt member will get you on a Lindblad Expedition:
· A $250 onboard credit to use on expeditions
· Elite tier qualifying night credits for eligible nights on a Lindblad expedition (just as if you were in a Hyatt hotel)
· Five base points per $1 USD of eligible spend (not including incidentals)
· Standard elite tier bonus points on eligible spend (10% Discoverist, 20% Explorist, 30% Globalist)
As with any good loyalty program, carrying a branded credit card will sweeten the pot. In the case of this new partnership, legacy Hyatt Credit Card holders can earn an additional 3x points per $1 USD of eligible spend on Lindblad Expeditions, while World of Hyatt Credit Cardmembers can earn an additional 4x points.
To get you there faster, don’t forget that World of Hyatt points can be redeemed for Lindblad excursions or, if you’re not ready to take off for the Amazon just yet, points can be redeemed for specially curated Lindblad Expedition experiences during limited times through FIND. (Read more about FIND’s limited-time offers here).
Finally, if you’re American Airlines AAdvantage member with elite status (gold or higher) who is also an elite member of World of Hyatt and have linked your accounts, you can also earn 1 AAdvantage bonus mile per $1 USD of eligible spend on Lindblad Expeditions to help you get closer to free flights for your next grand adventure.