Isn’t it funny how “loyalty” programs have evolved in recent years? Although the term “loyalty” program might have you believe that you’re only rewarded for supporting a singular brand, these days, it’s common to find several partnerships in place that allow you to earn loyalty currencies across different brands. The latest example of this comes from Delta and Turo, which have just announced a new opportunity for vehicle renters to earn Delta SkyMiles.
Whether you’re a Turo newcomer or a current customer, you can now link your Delta SkyMiles to your Turo account. If you, like me, have yet to rent a vehicle on Turo, you can currently earn 2,000 bonus miles once you complete your first trip. Then, you’ll earn 500 miles for each subsequent rental you book on the platform. So, while current Turo customers will miss out on that 2,000-mile bonus, they can at least take advantage of that 500-mile offer going forward.
If you value Delta SkyMiles at 1¢ each (which is actually a bit conservative based on estimates from sites like The Points Guy and Nerdwallet), this would basically amount to a $20 one-time perk and then a $5 recurring bonus. That’s a pretty decent return given the minimal effort it takes to connect your SkyMiles account. Of course, it’s also likely not a large enough benefit to sway you to choose Turo if you can find a better rental deal elsewhere.
Meanwhile, if your travels don’t require you to rent a vehicle, you can still earn SkyMiles while traversing the city streets. That’s because Delta also maintains a partnership with Lyft, allowing customers to earn 1 mile per dollar spent on regular rides — or 2x miles on U.S. airport rides. Sadly, though, Lyft no longer allows you to earn more than one loyalty point currency at a time, so you’ll need to choose between this option and others such as Hilton Honors.
Even though Turo is a company that’s been on my radar for a while, I have yet to actually rent a vehicle from them — mostly because I’ve really only rented a car once in my life. Nevertheless, I did make sure to link my SkyMiles account on the off chance that I do eventually need to rent. In any case, this is another great reminder that savvy travelers and shoppers should keep an eye out for these types of partnerships so that they can maximize their “loyalty” rewards.