There are many programs in place that allow you to earn airline points or hotel points on purchases you’re already making without having to open up a new credit card.
These programs are also great ways to keep your accounts active. Some programs have expirations on your points. So, if you aren’t a frequent flier or hotel visitor your points may be forfeit if you haven’t used them in a while. These programs offer you a way to add points and keeping your account active without having to book a flight or a hotel.
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Earn Airline Points and Hotel Points with Uber and Lyft
Uber
Starting in spring of 2025, Delta is moving their partnership from Lyft to Uber. You will be able to link your accounts to earn Skymiles for every trip taken.
Marriott Bonvoy members can link their Uber account with their Bonvoy membership. With every ride (or Uber Eats order) you will earn Marriott points. These can be used for hotel stays, or transferred to an airline partner. If you have an existing account, then you can link it here.
If you are located in Canada you can link your Air Canada Aeroplan account with Uber to earn miles. However, miles are only earned on rides and eats orders made within Canada. If you have an existing account, then you can link it here.
In the UK you can link your British Air account to earn Avios miles, which is one of the most flexible travel programs around. This allows you to earn point from Uber and train travel. If you have an existing account, then you can link it here.
Lyft
Through Lyft you can earn airline points or hotel points with Alaska Airlines, Hilton and Bilt. Points and bonuses vary per partnership. You can also only link one partner per account. Find partner information here.
Earn Airline Points with Dining Programs
Many credit cards offer bonus points or cashback for dining in restaurants. You can also earn additional points by setting up a dining program account with your preferred airline. In order to do this, you must open a dining program account, separate from your mileage program account.
When you open an account, there will likely be a 500 mileage bonus if you spend $25-30 (depending on the airline) on a qualifying meal within the first 30 days. However, not all restaurants earn airline points, they have to be part of the dining program.
You can have multiple accounts open, but you can only link each credit card to one account.
- Alaska Mileage Plan Dining: Register here
- American AAdvantage Dining: Register here
- Delta Skymiles Dining: Register here
- Jetblue TrueBlue Dining: Register here
- Spirit Dining Program: Register here
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining: Register here
- United MileagePlus Dining: Register here
- Marriot Eat Around Town: Register here
Earn Airline Points with Shopping Portals
Like the dining programs, most large US airlines also have shopping portals. The way these portals work, you go into the website, find the online store you want to use, then when you click on the link it will direct you to that site. As long as you reach the site through the online portal, you will receive your bonus miles simply by shopping as you would if you had gone directly through the site to begin with. This is helpful because you earn bonus miles on purchases you would already be making.
If you have an airline branded credit card, this will also typically provide additional miles on top of what you get just through the portal.
- Alaska Mileage Plan Shopping: Login here
- American AAdvantage eshopping: Login here
- Delta Skymiles Shopping: Login here
- Jetblue TrueBlue Shopping: Login here
- Spirit Online Mall: Login here
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping: Login here
- United MileagePlus Shopping: Login here
If you use multiple airlines, you can maximize your airline points by checking which site has the best current offers for any given store. I use Cashback Monitor, which you can easily search to find the best offers.
If you have a card that has monthly shopping “offers” be sure to check those regularly and add to your card. These offers can include gas, groceries, hotels, and even cash back for tax filing services. After you add the card you don’t have to do anything else other than use that card for the vendor and you’ll automatically get the points added to your account.
Earn Delta Points through Airbnb
You can link your Delta Skymiles account to Airbnb and earn points with your Airbnb reservations. However, this is not automatic like with Uber or the dining programs. You have to use this link (which will redirect you) to book your Airbnb otherwise you will not receive the credit to your account. If you book directly on the app you will not earn points.
Additional travel tips and resources