Max Morganroth’s transformative travel journey during his junior year abroad saw him visit 30 countries, enjoying business and first-class flights, largely funded through airline points acquired via savvy credit card applications and miles redemptions. His experiences sparked a keen interest from friends and classmates at Wharton, eager to learn how to secure free flights through “travel hacking.” However, many in his circle struggled to qualify for premium airline rewards cards or lacked the time needed to optimise their mile collect strategies.
Frequent flyer programs have emerged as significant revenue streams for airlines, primarily through lucrative partnerships with banks promoting co-branded credit cards. Yet, Morganroth pointed out that around 70 million Americans are left out due to insufficient credit histories to access these rewards.
During his travels, he observed a unique system in Hong Kong, where miles from Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program can be earned without credit cards — essentially functioning as a second currency. This revelation inspired him to develop a similar concept, allowing consumers to earn airline miles through everyday shopping. His vision aims to attract a broader demographic, particularly Gen Z, who are enthusiastic about travel but often lack established credit histories.
Upon graduating, Morganroth, now 22, partnered with Harvard dropout Arhan Chhabra to found Rove, touted as the first universal mile loyalty program. While not the first of its kind—American Express’s rewards program permits point redemptions across various airlines—Rove represents a rare approach towards multi-airline loyalty schemes. The startup has joined Y Combinator’s winter 2024 cohort and has since established partnerships with eleven airlines, including Air France-KLM and Qatar Airways, raising $2 million in funding from investors.
Rove’s model is distinct in that it provides airlines an opportunity to reach millions more consumers not by collaborating with credit card companies, but by leveraging affiliate marketing with over 7,000 retailers through a Google Chrome shopping extension. According to Morganroth, points accumulated from shopping can be converted into airline miles, which generally carry more value than cash equivalents. Moreover, Rove offers users the chance to earn miles through hotel bookings, with commissions from hotel stays translating into substantial mile rewards—sometimes enough for a round-trip ticket to Europe.
Users can seamlessly combine miles earned from hotel stays, the shopping extension, and any existing credit card airline points they own. Despite its seemingly complex framework, Rove simplifies the earning process, making it accessible – particularly to younger adults. Morganroth emphasised that Gen Z is the most travel-hungry group yet has had limited access to economical travel opportunities due to the credit barriers. Rove’s approach empowers them to engage with travel loyalty programs without the need for extensive credit histories or high fees, thereby revolutionising how younger generations can benefit from loyalty schemes.
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