Max Morganroth traveled extensively during his junior year, leveraging airline points acquired through strategic credit card usage, which spurred interest in travel hacking among his peers. However, many lack access to rewards programs due to credit constraints. During his trip, he noted how Hong Kong residents earn airline miles without credit cards as they're used like currency. This revelation inspired his startup, Rove, developed with Arhan Chhabra, which aims to democratize earning miles through shopping, targeting Gen Z consumers with limited credit histories.
âMiles there are treated like a second currency,â he said. âYou go to 7-Eleven to buy a water bottle; you earn Asia Miles.â
By marketing credit cards and sharing fees with banks, frequent flyer programs have become significant revenue generators for airlines.
Morganroth saw an opportunity to create a program similar to Asia Miles, where consumers could earn miles on various airlines when they shop in certain stores.
He teamed up with Arhan Chhabra, a recent Harvard grad, and the duo set out to build Rove, a startup that claims to be the first universal mile loyalty program.
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