There’s no question that many pent-up travelers have seen the continued vaccine roll-out as the key to returning to the skies (and roads). In fact, the term “vaccine passport” has often been used as airlines and other businesses weigh requiring passengers/customers to have their shots. Now, the link between travel and inoculation is once again presenting itself as, for a limited time, you may be able to add to your travel currency collection while also helping your fellow Americans receive their vaccinations.
Recently, the rideshare company Lyft introduces its Vaccine Access program that aims to make it easier for people across the nation to ride to and from their vaccine appointments. As part of this campaign, Lyft users can arrange rides for their loved ones using the Lyft Family tool. Beyond that, the company has also created the Lyft Fund a Ride program where anyone can donate in order to help ensure those in need have a ride. According to Lyft, funded rides will be facilitated through national and local non-profit partners including United Way Worldwide, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, the NAACP, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the National Down Syndrome Society, and others. Also supporting Lyft’s efforts is Hilton, which is offering donators Hilton Honors points as a bonus for helping out.
If you want to earn Hilton points, you’ll first need to make sure you link your Hilton Honors account to Lyft. To do that, open the Lyft app, tap “View Profile,” and look for “Add rewards program” under the “Linked accounts” section. By the way, when you do link your Hilton Honors account, you’ll earn up to 3 points per $1 spent on Lyft rides going forward. Plus, you can also link your Delta SkyMiles account to earn 2 miles per $1 spend on airport rides, as well as 1 mile per dollar spent on all other Lyft rides in the U.S. (excluding taxes, fees, tolls, and tips).
After you’ve linked your account, you’ll earn 2,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you contribute at least $5 to Lyft’s Fund a Ride program. The hotel chain will also be matching contributions up to $50,000. Additionally, the first 15,000 Delta and Lyft users with linked SkyMiles accounts who donate at least $5 will earn 250 bonus miles. Of course, it’s hard to say whether or not that 15,000-person cap has been hit yet or not. In any case, the Hilton offer is currently set to expire on May 31st, 2021.
I should note that, as of this writing, the bonus points for Hilton (nor bonus miles for Delta) have reached my account. Therefore, I can’t speak to what the timeline is for receiving your rewards. But, even if my points never arrive, I’m happy to have helped out.
Oddly, it doesn’t seem as though there is currently a Vaccine Access donation link within the LyftUp section of the rideshare app. But, you log into your Lyft account and make your donation on the Fund a Ride site.
Personally, I think this is a smart move on Lyft’s part and is a great initiative. On that note, it’s also awesome to see Hilton and Delta — two companies that have a lot to benefit from COVID’s eradication, to be sure — stepping in to help incentivize donations. For more information on the program, I’d recommend checking out Lyft’s Vaccine Access page.