Rainbow Railroad Donations Exceed Expectations — But We're Not Done Yet
DONATE MILES. DONATE MONEY (AND EARN POINTS!)
Last week, I wrote about a cause that is saving LGBT lives around the world — the Rainbow Railroad — and I encouraged you all to donate. Now, just a few days after the post went live, I'm blown away that TPG readers have donated more than one million miles! That's more than 50% of our goal of two million miles.
These donated miles go into an Aeroplan account that Rainbow Railroad uses to book award tickets for asylum seekers. There are currently 30 LGBT people in a safe house in Russia, and once they're cleared, Rainbow Railroad books award tickets to get them out of the country. They're then kept in a safe house in another country where they can seek asylum. Simply put, your frequent flyer miles are saving lives.
If you don't have any Aeroplan miles, you can transfer them instantly from American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. You can transfer as few as 1,000 points, which equal 1,000 Aeroplan miles that'll go directly to Rainbow Railroad. There are no fees to transfer. You can also transfer hotel points to Aeroplan, such as Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints (1:1 ratio), Hilton Honors (10:1 ratio), Marriott Rewards (varying ratio depending on the amount of points transferred). Keep in mind if you transfer from SPG, for every 20,000 Starpoints you transfer, you'll get a 5,000-point bonus that'll go directly toward Rainbow Railroad.
To show how important this cause is, I donated $10,000 of my own money and 200,000 Aeroplan miles. Every mile and dollar counts, so if you can afford, please consider donating whatever you can. Peoples' lives depend on it.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app


