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.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app