The news: United Airlines teamed up with Instacart to give its loyalty program members sweetened perks like free grocery delivery and bonus miles.

• The $0 delivery fee—what United calls a first for an airline—applies on orders placed just before, during, or shortly after a domestic flight.
• Loyalty program participants can also earn miles for setting up new Instacart+ memberships and for linking their United and Instacart accounts.

Under the partnership, Instacart will work with United’s retail media network, Kinective Media, to provide in-flight and app-based promotions like ads on boarding passes and seatback screens.

What’s in it for Instacart: The delivery platform gains access to millions of United loyalty members. With wealthy shoppers fueling growth for airlines as lower-income consumers cut back, Instacart gets exposure to more affluent travelers. United’s bonus mileage offer could spur new Instacart sign-ups and repeat orders—and aid the delivery company’s ad business, Carrot Ads.

This move also helps Instacart—which has sealed tie-ups with Home Depot, Sephora, Samsung, and Ulta Beauty—expand further beyond grocery and restaurant partnerships.

How it benefits United: The tie-up lets United loyalty members accrue miles even when they aren’t flying. It also helps United’s retail media network sell targeted ad space and collect more data on shopping habits.

United’s deal follows a similar collaboration between Delta and Uber that lets SkyMiles members earn miles on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. In their hunt for additional revenues, airlines are adding loyalty benefits beyond travel to keep customers engaged in an uncertain economy.

Implications for brands: The United-Instacart partnership shows how consumer-facing brands across sectors are trying to answer the call for sweeter loyalty rewards.

Four out of 10 customers cited more diverse ways to earn rewards among their top loyalty program wishes, per the Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025 from Antavo. The survey also found that consumers valued personalized offers (36.3%) and free shipping (36.1%).

The United-Instacart collaboration is more than just a marketing tie-up. It shows how companies are responding to the desire for more flexible loyalty programs and sets the stage for more cross-industry ties among retailers, travel companies, and other industries.

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