Frequent flyers will have a new way to earn airline miles without ever leaving the ground.
Delta Air Lines recently announced a new partnership with Uber that enables members to earn SkyMiles frequent flyer points on the ridesharing app. The airline made the announcement as part of its keynote event at the Consumer Electronics Show inside of the Sphere Las Vegas.
Riders will soon be able to earn one SkyMile per dollar on UberX rides between an airport, two miles per dollar on premium rides, and three miles per dollar on Uber Reserve rides. Travelers can also earn one mile per dollar on UberEats orders above $40 from restaurants or groceries. The ride-sharing company revealed that nearly 15 percent of all rides on its platform are to and from airports. Delta CEO Ed Bastian was joined on stage by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to kick off the partnership, which launches this spring. The airline previously had a partnership with competitor Lyft.
Travelers can sign up on the waitlist for a notification of when the program launches through Uber’s website.
Delta has been rolling out partnerships and perks to SkyMiles members, such as offering free Wi-Fi, as well as offering points for purchases made at Starbucks. At the same time, Uber has been expanding with new services to enhance the travel and airport experience, such as a 55-passenger shuttle that provides discounted airport rides.
“With a record number of travelers taking to the skies, we’re focused on helping to make your airport travel journey as efficient, affordable, and effortless as possible,” Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi shared in a statement to T+L.
The Delta keynote event served as a kickoff of the airline’s 100 year anniversary, with a look at technologies and enhancements in the future. In addition to the new Uber partnership, Delta revealed a new Delta Concierge which utilizes artificial intelligence to provide personalized customer updates and troubleshooting, as well as helpful tips such as reminding a passenger their passport will be expiring soon. The airline also announced a partnership with YouTube which will provide access to YouTube premium without advertisements, as well as YouTube Live TV.
The event also featured appearances by Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, and NFL star Tom Brady. Musician and singer Lenny Kravitz Lenny Kravitz concluded the event with a performance of his hit song “Fly Away”.
