Airbnb, famously the outsider in the lodging industry and a proponent of a new “sharing economy” is learning to play a different sharing game as it links up with numbers of points and loyalty programs.
You can now turn Airbnb bookings into additional miles, beyond what you might get from your point-per-dollar credit card use on Delta, United, Qantas and likely a growing roster of partners.
Delta is the latest relationship, and involves booking Airbnb stays directly through the Delta website at Delta.com/airbnb. Reservations made that way will earn a Delta SkyMile for each dollar, in addition to whatever you might get from your card issuer. Virgin America and Australia’s Qantas also pays points on bookings made through its website.
United has a portal, MileagePlus X, which operates like a shopping mall of merchants who give points for bookings; bookings on Airbnb through the mall offer 3 miles per dollar.
