Rove Helps Gen Z Earn Airline Miles Without Credit Cards

Rove: Earn Airline Miles Without a Credit Card

22-year-old Max Morganroth, inspired by his extensive travels, launched Rove, a startup designed to help people earn airline miles without relying on credit cards. During his time abroad, Morganroth noticed that many, especially Gen Z, were interested in travel hacking but lacked access to the necessary credit cards.

Traditional frequent flyer programs often rely on credit card partnerships, generating significant revenue for airlines. However, millions lack the credit history to qualify. Morganroth saw an opportunity to create a more inclusive system, inspired by programs like Cathay Pacific's Asia Miles, where miles are earned through everyday purchases.

How Rove Works

Rove partners with 11 airlines, including Air France-KLM, Aeromexico, Finnair, and Qatar Airways, offering a universal mile loyalty program. Users earn miles through a Google Chrome shopping extension, partnering with over 7,000 merchants. This affiliate marketing model, similar to Honey and Rakuten, allows users to accumulate miles while shopping online.

Rove also offers miles for hotel bookings, with some bookings offering up to 40% back in miles. This can translate to significant savings, with a $1,000 hotel stay potentially earning a round-trip ticket to Europe from the United States.

Users can combine miles earned through shopping, hotel bookings, and even existing credit card rewards. Rove's travel portal then helps users find the best award flight deals across approximately 140 airlines, leveraging airline partnerships and alliances.

Targeting Gen Z Travelers

While available to everyone, Rove specifically targets Gen Z, a demographic eager to travel but often lacking access to traditional travel rewards programs. Rove simplifies the process, allowing users to earn miles without credit card applications or complex point systems.

Gen Z wants to travel more than any other demographic, yet they have the least access to tools that make it cheaper. They no longer have to wait for years to build credit; they can download the Chrome extension and start earning miles immediately.

Rove, a Y Combinator-backed startup, has raised $2 million from investors like General Catalyst and Soma Capital. The platform offers a new way for airlines to expand their miles business and reach a wider audience.