Hilton, and Delta Air Lines Partner with Lyft’s Vaccine Access Campaign to Promote Funding Vaccine Rides for Those in Need
Lyft, Inc. announced new partners are joining its nationwide campaign to support access to the coronavirus vaccines. Two of Lyft’s largest loyalty programs, Hilton and Delta Air Lines, are working with Lyft and, alongside founding partners, JPMorgan Chase and others, will mobilize their members to provide access to rides to vaccination sites to those in need. With the help of these and other partners, Lyft is offering individuals a way to support others on their journey to get vaccinated.
Access to vaccine administration sites is a struggle for many. That’s why Lyft is encouraging partners and community members to get involved and help, with the goal of providing access to rides to and from vaccination sites, especially in support of low-income, uninsured and at-risk communities.
Lyft will also launch a new central hub to book vaccine transportation for yourself or a loved one, or fund a ride for someone in need. Funds contributed will provide access to vaccine transportation in the form of Lyft ride credits provided through national and local non-profit partners. These organizations will certify that rides are distributed to those who need them most, including low-income communities, communities of color, and seniors across the U.S. Initial LyftUp Vaccine Access partners include United Way Worldwide, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, NAACP, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the National Down Syndrome Society. Lyft will add new partners continuously as vaccine distribution rolls out to new community groups.
"The combined strength of all of our partners, with our ability to reach vulnerable communities, enables us to support equitable vaccine access in communities that need it most," said Lyft Co-Founder and President John Zimmer. "That's why I am proud to expand our Vaccine Access program, bringing together our longstanding loyalty partners and their members to help provide transportation access to vaccine appointments. Now more than ever, equity matters."
Hilton and Delta will partner with Lyft to mobilize Hilton Honors and Delta SkyMiles members, respectively, in their joint efforts to provide aid to those in need in cities across the country. Through May 31, 2021, Hilton will award 2,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points to members who have linked their Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts, and also contributed to the fund ($5 minimum), as well as match member contributions up to $50,000. Hilton Honors Points can be redeemed in a variety of ways, from future hotel stays at more than 6,400 Hilton properties worldwide, to Lyft rides. Members who have not already done so can link their Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts at www.hiltonhonorslyft.com.
“We’ve seen tremendous engagement from our existing partnership with Lyft and look forward to continuing the momentum through this important initiative that allows our members to connect with their communities in a meaningful way,” said Mark Weinstein, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Marketing and Loyalty at Hilton. “We are committed to ensuring that safe transportation is not a barrier to vaccine access. The sooner everyone is vaccinated, the sooner we can reconnect with the things we love, including travel.”
Meanwhile, Delta will award a one-time bonus of 250 miles to the first 15,000 Delta and Lyft linked SkyMiles members who contribute a minimum of $5 through Lyft’s Fund a Ride feature through May 31, 2021. For more information, visit Delta.com.
“Delta is proud to support vaccination access through our partnership with Lyft and other impactful efforts,” said Prashant Sharma, Vice President – Loyalty, for Delta. “The Delta Flight Museum, adjacent to our Atlanta headquarters, is one of Georgia’s four mass COVID-19 vaccination sites, and Delta is also enabling vaccine shipments at home and around the world, with Delta Cargo teams enhancing existing pharmaceutical delivery protocols to support safe, swift distribution. All of this builds on our longstanding commitment to protect the health of our customers, employees and communities.”
As a previously announced partner, JPMorgan Chase will be mobilizing Chase credit cardmembers with Ultimate Rewards to help fund Lyft rides to vaccines for people who need them. Starting now, all Chase Sapphire®, Freedom® and Ink® cardmembers can earn 10x total points or cash back on purchases made through Lyft’s “Fund a Ride” program, helping to cover the cost of a ride. In addition to earning points, in the next several weeks eligible cardmembers will be able to use the Pay Yourself BackSM option within Chase Ultimate Rewards® to apply points to receive a statement credit for all or a portion of ride credits purchased through Lyft’s “Fund a Ride” program. More details will be shared when this capability becomes available and at that time, cardmembers will be able to select from Lyft “Fund a Ride” transactions that occurred up to 90 days prior.
Today’s partners join the Vaccine Access inaugural partners, JPMorgan Chase and Anthem Inc. as well as community partner United Way, along with many others to ensure everyone has access to affordable, reliable transportation. Corporations and non-profit organizations interested in joining the universal Vaccine Access effort can email [email protected]. Individuals are also encouraged to contribute by funding a Lyft vaccine ride.
Longstanding Lyft partners Delta and Hilton allow riders to earn miles and points with every ride by linking accounts. With Chase, riders can earn more on every ride by paying with an eligible Chase credit card and Sapphire Reserve cardmembers can activate to receive one year of complimentary access to Lyft Pink. More information on these offers can be found at https://www.lyft.com/rider/rewards.