Today’s announcement that Southwest has a new marketing relationship with a rideshare company was no surprise. As rideshare services have become an ever-larger part of the travel landscape, such tie-ups have proliferated. It won’t be long before every airline and hotel loyalty program has a rideshare company on its roster of points-earning partners.
Somewhat surprising however was the identity of the designated rideshare partner. It wasn’t Uber; it was Lyft.
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Of the two, Uber has a presence in more markets than Lyft. And Uber’s coverage isn’t only wider, it’s deeper as well, with far more available cars on tap. Which explains why Uber was chosen over Lyft by American, United, Hilton, and Starwood.
As such tie-ups go, the new Southwest-Lyft partnership is more hookup than marriage. Through the end of the year, first-time Lyft users can earn a one-time bonus of 1,100 Rapid Rewards points for their first ride in any of 11 markets:
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport Dallas Love Field Los Angeles International Airport Louisville International Airport McCarren International Airport (Las Vegas) Nashville International Airport Oakland International Airport Reagan National Airport (Washington, D.C.) San Antonio International Airport San Diego International Airport
So, limited time, limited markets, limited earning potential. At this point, it all feels pretty tentative. But it could be the first step toward Lyft becoming a Rapid Rewards earning partner on an ongoing basis.
This isn’t the first time Southwest and Lyft have teamed up. Last summer, Southwest featured Lyft discount offers for flyers departing from Dallas Love Field in the airline’s flight-confirmation emails.
Reader Reality Check
Are you a fan of Uber, or Lyft?
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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.
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Travelers looking to explore the continent of Africa now have new options when traveling from the United States.Announced this week, Delta Air Lines is expanding it's partnership with Kenya Airways allowing frequent flyers to earn miles on each other's flights when flying on the same itinerary, and provide a more seamless travel experience to 31 destinations in Africa and 57 in North America. Kenya Airways currently operates a nonstop service from their hub at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to New York's John F.
Alaska Airlines is justly lauded for its Mileage Plan loyalty program, which among other features boasts 17 airline partners, allowing program members to earn and redeem miles for flights throughout the world.
Enter the United Airlines “Billion Mile Giveaway” sweepstakes by September 30, 2016, for a chance to win one of 100 grand prizes of 1 million United MileagePlus miles, plus $750 to cover taxes, each. Runner-up prizes include smaller numbers of miles. In total, 1 billion miles will be given away.
By traditional measures, Alaska Airlines is a carrier of decidedly modest size, even after its acquisition of Virgin America. Its own flight network is small, compared to those of American, Delta, and United. And it’s not a member of one of the three global airline alliances.
On Friday evening—traditional timing for bad-news announcements that companies hope will go unnoticed by the public and unreported by the media—American published the new mileage-earning rates, effective from August 1, for travel on AAdvantage partner airlines.
I recently dubbed Alaska Airlines’ loyalty program, Mileage Plan, the “Best Mileage Program for Average Travelers.” It’s a hard-won honor, awarded for two principal reasons. First, Alaska has chosen to retain Mileage Plan’s distance-based earning scheme, even as most other airlines have adopted less generous spend-based earning. And second, Alaska has cobbled together a roster of earning and redemption partners that rivals those of the world’s largest airlines.
Although Uber has relationships with several airline and hotel loyalty programs, it has so far stopped short of launching its own program. That changes this week, with the announcement of a simple buy-nine-get-one-free offer in conjunction with Capital One.
In the airline’s first major initiative since replacing CEO Jeff Smisek with Oscar Munoz, United today announced details of a major upgrade to its international business-class product.
For years, Southwest, which already flies more domestic passengers than American, Delta, or United, has been known to have aspirations to fly to Hawaii. Last night, the company made those intentions official.
“Lay back, relax and enjoy the flight in the comfort, privacy and exclusivity of your own suite. Delta Air Lines is redefining international business class travel with the introduction of the Delta One suite, the first business class cabin to feature a sliding door at each suite.”