Uber announced during CES 2025 an exclusive multi-year partnership with Delta Air Lines that allows SkyMiles members to earn miles when they take an Uber ride or deliver an order through Uber Eats in the United States. The deal means the end of Delta’s partnership with Lyft. The Uber partnership will launch in the spring, giving Uber customers access to perks like the “Uber pickup and drop off experience at Delta hubs,” according to a statement from the company. When asked what this meant, an Uber spokesperson declined to elaborate. Lyft and Delta formed a partnership in 2018; will expire on April 7, 2025. “A year ago, we partnered with our first airline to unlock more ways to elevate and innovate the travel experience, thereby turning these customers into Lyft loyalists,” an email statement from Lyft read. “We continue to expand our horizons by partnering with major brands that share our customer obsession, such as Alaska Airlines, Chase, DoorDash, Mastercard, Hilton, Disney, and Bilt. Connect your Lyft account and discover the growing benefits. Uber promises customers with an account associated with Delta Skymiles membership 1 mile per dollar spent on $40+ restaurant and grocery orders with Uber Eats and UberX rides to and from the airport Premium Rides, like Uber Comfort or Uber Black, will earn users 2 miles per dollar spent. And for riders who reserve in advance, they can earn 3 miles per dollar spent. The relationship with Delta may be one of the steps that connects the airline and Uber with Joby Aviation (electric vertical takeoff and landing ) which has separate partnerships with Uber and Delta.Delta’s partnership with Joby means Delta customers will be able to tap into Joby’s electric air taxi service, starting in NYC. Uber’s partnership with Joby is more involved. Joby acquired Uber Elevate, Uber’s urban air mobility unit, in 2020. Part of the deal is to integrate their respective services into each other’s apps for a smoother connection between land and air travel. Additionally, Joby’s air taxi software, ElevateOS, which came out of the partnership, promises to enable on-demand mobility not unlike riding an Uber. Last October, the three companies held an event in NYC where they talked about their vision of connected mobility, stopping just shy of announcing a three-way partnership. Joby, which is backed by Uber and Delta, still needs to obtain the necessary certification to operate an electric air taxi service, but plans to launch in 2025. Spokespeople for Uber, Joby, and Delta declined to share progress on what I’m looking for. I predict it will be a clear alliance.
Delta SkyMiles members can now earn miles with Uber, as a deal with Lyft is imminent
