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Hotel loyalty program GHA Discovery has a new partnership with Blacklane that offers discounts and credits to use for car services, and that offers the ability to earn upgraded status with rides.
Blacklane sets up car services for you all over the world. It’s mostly pre-reserved. They’re in a lot of places you won’t find Uber and you’re getting a professional driver. At airports you’ll usually have them meet you at baggage claim and assist with luggage. And you’re going to get more consistently nice vehicles and better service than rideshare. They track your flight, arrive in advance and wait for you for an allowable time (like an hour).
Regular readers know that I stay most often with Hyatt. But though I have lifetime Marriott status, I lean much more towards stays with GHA Discovery when possible. They’re less well-known in the U.S. because their footprint is small here, but about 50 hotel brands and around 1,000 properties use Discovery as their loyalty program.
- This includes some of the world’s best hotels (Capella properties) and other really premium properties like The Set, Kempsinki, Viceroy and Corinthia along with Anantara.
- Corinthia, The Leela, Sukhothai, Pan Parcific and Parkroyal Collection impress generally as well.
I’ve written about stays at The Lyle, Viceroy, Dupont Circle Hotel and Hotel Zena in DC (and I have their newest DC property, The Riggs, booked for an upcoming stay).
The Lyle
I’ve stayed at numerous Kempinskis over time, and written about a few like Kempinski Cancun and last summer stayed at an NH Collection property in Venice.
NH Collection Venice Grand Hotel Palazzo Dei Dogi
GHA has extended beyond just hotel brands, now including a restaurant group owned by Minor Hotels and with cruise and short-term rental deals.
What’s new is that GHA Discovery will offer Blacklane customers status based on taking rides and also points redeemable towards stays
- Complete 1 ride and receive GHA DISCOVERY Gold
- Complete 3 rides and receive GHA DISCOVERY Platinum status and 15 DISCOVERY Dollars.
- Complete 6 rides and receive GHA DISCOVERY Platinum status and 25 DISCOVERY Dollars.
- Complete 11 rides and receive top tier Titanium status and 25 DISCOVERY Dollars.
In addition, GHA Discover elites receive:
- Gold: limited-time 5% rebate on future rides
- Platinum: limited-time 5% rebate on future rides plus four $20 Blacklane Vouchers
- Titanium: limited-time 5% rebate on future rides plus five $25 Blacklane Vouchers
Stack These Benefits With Citi Strata Elite<
What’s especially interesting for many readers is that this will stack with statement credits for Blacklane rides from Citi Strata EliteSM Card (See rates and fees.).
The card offers a $200 credit each year with Blacklane – $100 January – June and $100 July – December. No registration is required, just pay for Blacklane trips with the card and the statement credits trigger automatically. And since it’s based on charges to the card, it stacks with other discounts and promotions.
Other Blacklane Offers
Bilt Rewards Platinum members have been promised the ability to redeem $150 in Bilt Cash for $150 Blacklane credit, one time annually, though this hasn’t launched yet. As a result we don’t yet know for sure wehther they’ll stack with the GHA partnership.
Riyadh Air uses Blacklane for their house car, providing premium cabin customers car service within 50 kilometers of Riyadh airport.
There are several cards with Blacklane benefits, such as the HSBC Taj Credit Card in India which offers four domestic and four international rides per year; Emirates NBD Signature Visa Infinite Debit Card offers ~ $100 Blacklane credit the first month then $50 (200 AED) per month as a voucher usable in the UAE, UK, and Switzerland; Visa Infinite comes with a 20% discount in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; HSBC Executive Banking India offers 4 Blacklane airport transfers.
Mastercard’s Business Savings Programme also offers a 5% rebate on Blacklane purchases up to $30 per transaction but the expiration date shows as May 9, 2026. It’s unclear whether this is being renewed – but it would stack.
GHA Discovery-Blacklane Bottom-Line
I’ll take stackable discounts on something I already use, absolutely. At my home airport in Austin, they make you schlepp across the road and through a parking structure, up and down levels, to reach rideshare. Pre-arranged cars park just outside the terminal, and the driver is there to help with luggage. So I find this useful with my family and luggage after multi-week trip.
Uber is acquiring Blacklane this year, so it remains to be seen how these partnerships develop.
Speaking of Blacklane… when is BILT actually going to allow that $100 credit? Feels like an illusory promise… (‘sure, sure… you can use your BILT Cash for this premium benefit… yeah, that’s the ticket, keep earnin’ that BILT Cash… and… waiting… late December… IT’S LIVE! …oh, no, you juuuust missed it!)
GHA Discovery is a bit odd. You can get titanium by a) having 30 days, b) spending US$15,000 or c) staying at 3 of their brands. I got mine by (a), but a crafty person only needs 3 one-night stays strategically spanning brands. They do have the 12, 18, or 24 month (based on status when earned) use-it-or-lose-it expiration that can’t be extended by activity. But, there’s no reason not to use all your dollars on each visit. They have extended expirations that would have occurred prior to 30 September to 30 September because if the Middle East issues.