Maximize Your Travel Perks

(Image credit: Westend61 / Daniel Ingold (Westend61 / Daniel Ingold (Photographer) - [None])

published 3 July 2019

A spate of loyalty partnerships in the travel industry are making it easier to increase your stash of points at no additional cost. But these benefits are not automatic; you need to opt in through the partnership program’s website.

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For example, Hilton and Lyft recently joined forces to reward Hilton Honors members with two or three points for every dollar they spend on Lyft, depending on the type of ride. (Customers cannot yet redeem Hilton points for Lyft rides.) This deal can be stacked with JetBlue TrueBlue points and Delta SkyMiles you earn on Lyft rides. Meanwhile, American Airlines and Hyatt recently set up reciprocal benefits for their members. Another program exists for Marriott and United members.

Grant Martin, who covers the business of loyalty at Skift, a travel industry website, says a couple of trends are coming into play. Uber and Lyft are competing for customers, which motivates them to seek out partners who will help them snare riders. At the same time, major airlines “are getting more judicious in how they target loyalty customers,” he says. As their pools of members get smaller, partnerships help attract new, high-spending prospects.

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Miriam lived in Toronto, Canada, before joining Kiplinger's Personal Finance in November 2012. Prior to that, she freelanced as a fact-checker for several Canadian publications, including Reader's Digest Canada, Style at Home and Air Canada's enRoute. She received a BA from the University of Toronto with a major in English literature and completed a certificate in Magazine and Web Publishing at Ryerson University.