Delta announces end of loyalty program partnership with Lyft - here's what the airline is offering instead

After an eight-year partnership, Delta Airlines has ended its relationship with Lyft, choosing its direct competitor, Uber as its new ride-sharing partner for its loyalty program starting this spring. 

The move will allow Delta SkyMiles members to earn miles on Uber rides and food deliveries. 

Members can earn one mile per dollar spent on UberX airport rides, two miles for 'premium rides' like Uber Comfort and Uber Black, and three miles per dollar on Uber Reserve trips. 

For Uber Eats, members will earn one mile for every dollar spent on orders over $40 from restaurants and grocery stores. 

Delta broke the news via to Skymiles members via email on January 19, confirming in a press release that customers with linked Lyft accounts can continue earning miles through April 7. 

'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 explained.

The partnership marks another step in Delta's broader effort to expand loyalty program collaborations, which have become major revenue drivers for airlines. 

Other Delta partners include Starbucks, Hertz, and Ticketmaster.

In a statement, Lyft reflected on its partnership with Delta: 'Years ago we teamed up with our first airline to unlock more ways to uplevel and innovate around travel experiences, thereby turning those customers into Lyft loyalists.

'We're continuing to expand our horizons by joining forces with major brands who share our customer obsession, like Alaska Airlines, Chase, DoorDash, Mastercard, Hilton, Disney, and Bilt.'

Delta did not disclose the reasons for the switch, though its worth noting that their credit card partner, American Express, offers some cardholders credits for Uber rides and food delivery. 

In November, Delta projected earning $7 billion from its AmEx partnership in 2024, with a long-term goal of $10 billion annually. 

While Lyft reported 24.4 million active riders and over 216 million rides in the third quarter of 2023 (a 16 percent increase), Uber, with its significantly larger user base of 161 million monthly active users, recorded over 2.8 billion trips, reflecting a 17 percent year-over-year growth. 

Uber has also been expanding its offerings, including a shuttle service to New York’s LaGuardia Airport introduced last year.

The new partnership was announced during the CES tech show in Las Vegas, where Delta also revealed plans to introduce an AI-powered assistant in its app and enhance in-flight entertainment systems.