It just so happens that I fell into the ideal combination of preferred ride share service, airline, and hotel. The combination of travel reward programs that my husband and I use have a synergistic relationship.
If yours differ but you aren’t married to it, I highly recommend the combination that we have as it has yielded huge rewards. Initially I had a different hotel rewards program, but I felt indifferent to it. My then-fiancé liked Hilton, so I adopted it.
Still missing from the equation? Amtrak.
how to optimize Lyft rides
Even though many of the same drivers work for both Uber and Lyft, I prefer the latter. So much so that while I was pregnant with the Pamper Pirate, I took Lyft rides to and from work every weekday. Starting each day off with a relaxed ride to work rather than what I might run into on the Metro (or on my walks to the Metro) was just the best way to kick off morning. I was logging about $100 a week on Lyft rides. I signed up for Lyft Pink.
Lyft Pink is $19.99 monthly membership. Members enjoy 15 percent off rides. As I was paying about $400 a month on rides, I quickly saved more than the membership fee. In addition to the 15 percent off, Lyft Pink allows more leniency for ride cancellations, as well as other benefits which have been added since my job adopted WFH.
how to optimize air travel
I was a member of the Northwest Airlines rewards program since I was a child. My membership shifted to Delta after the 2008 acquisition of Northwest. It just so happens that linking a Delta account to a Lyft account results in earning one Delta mile for every dollar spent on Lyft.
Over the course of the time that I commuted exclusively with Lyft, I earned more Delta miles than I did from actually flying. And I took a three leg (each way) round trip to Hawaii in the first class cabin. (Give me a break, I was six months pregnant.)
how to optimize hotel rewards
Did you know that you can also link up your Lyft account with Hilton Honors account? Like Delta, it is a dollar to points system. Every dollar spent on Lyft earns three Hilton Honors points.
