When Max Morganroth, a 22-year-old Wharton graduate, racked up enough airline points to globe-trot across 30 countries—often in business class—his peers were intrigued. Not by his Instagram-perfect travel stories, but by the strategy behind them: mastering the elusive art of “travel hacking.” The only problem? Most of his friends didn’t qualify for premium airline credit cards, nor had the bandwidth to decode the complexities of mile redemptions. That’s where Rove steps in.
Founded by Morganroth and co-founder Arhan Chhabra, a Harvard dropout, Rove is flipping the traditional loyalty model on its head. Designed as the first universal airline mile program of its kind—at least in functionality—Rove lets users earn airline miles not through credit cards, but through everyday shopping and travel bookings. Think of it as the travel world’s answer to Honey or Rakuten, but with far more mileage—literally.
Morganroth found inspiration during his study abroad semester in Hong Kong, where airline miles function more like a parallel currency than a perk. From 7-Eleven purchases to property transactions, locals were stacking up Asia Miles without ever touching a credit card. That frictionless system revealed a massive opportunity: the U.S. market was ripe for a more inclusive rewards model, especially for credit-invisible Gen Z consumers.
What makes Rove revolutionary is its seamless integration into daily life. Through a Chrome extension, users can shop with over
7,000 affiliate retailers and passively earn airline miles. Hotel bookings? Even better. Some partnerships return as much as 40% in commissions, all of which Rove redirects back to users as miles. A $1,000 hotel stay might just score you a round-trip ticket to Europe.
Backed by Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 cohort and $2 million in funding from heavy-hitting investors like General Catalyst and Soma Capital, Rove quickly secured partnerships with 11 major airline programs—including Qatar Airways, Air France-KLM, Finnair, and Aeromexico. Thanks to the web of global airline alliances, users can actually book flights with over 140 carriers, dramatically extending the platform’s value.
And while programs like American Express Membership Rewards or Expedia Points offer some airline flexibility, they’re often tethered to financial prerequisites and limited redemption routes. Rove, on the other hand, opens the jet bridge to millions of users who may not even have a credit history, let alone a premium card.
This isn’t just a travel hack—it’s a lifestyle shift. By democratizing access to premium flights, Rove taps into Gen Z’s wanderlust and tech-savviness. No credit checks, no annual fees, no catch—just browser-based bookings and miles that stack up faster than TikTok likes. For a generation craving global experiences but facing financial constraints, Rove delivers more than just flights—it offers freedom.
Morganroth puts it simply: “You no longer need to wait until you’ve built five years of credit history and can stomach a $700 annual fee. You can be 20, download a browser extension, and start earning today.”
Welcome to the future of travel rewards—young, bold, and credit card–free.
