Delta links its loyalty program to Uber, ending partnership with Lyft

Delta Air Lines will link its lucrative SkyMiles loyalty program to Uber this spring, the companies announced Tuesday, as the airline ends its eight-year partnership with smaller ride-hailing rival Lyft. Once customer accounts are linked, Delta SkyMiles members can earn one mile per dollar spent on UberX airport rides, two miles for every dollar spent on “premium rides” such as Uber Comfort and Uber Black, and three miles per dollar on Uber Reserve trips, Uber said Tuesday. For Uber Eats food-delivery service, members will earn one mile for every dollar on orders over $40 from restaurants and grocery stores. “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 CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a news release. Delta and other airlines have expanded their partnerships for earning and using frequent flyer miles, part of loyalty programs that have generated billions of dollars for carriers. Other Delta partners include Starbucks, Hertz and Ticketmaster. Customers who have linked their Lyft accounts to Delta can earn miles through April 7, a Delta spokesperson said.<br/>