I look to maximise each lodge stick with each the advantages I obtain on-property and the lodge factors I earn for my reserving (that I can then redeem for future stays). Sometimes, meaning reserving immediately with a big lodge chain on its web site to make sure I earn elite standing qualifying nights, get pleasure from elite standing advantages and earn factors (Hilton Honors is at present my go-to program). For these causes, I haven’t delved a lot into the Expedia membership loyalty program referred to as Expedia Rewards.
Whereas it won’t be fairly as rewarding because the terrific Inns.com Rewards third-party lodge reserving loyalty program, Expedia Rewards is a factors and miles choice as a result of you’ll be able to earn Expedia factors. Right here’s every part you’ll want to know in regards to the Expedia loyalty program.
Expedia Rewards fundamentals
You gained’t obtain your regular lodge program factors or elite standing nights once you e-book by way of a 3rd occasion, so why select Expedia reasonably than reserving immediately with the lodge?
In contrast to its opponents and subsidiaries within the lodge area resembling Inns.com, which gives a simple eleventh evening free, or Reserving.com, which gives reductions on room charges and the occasional bonus perk to loyal prospects, Expedia Rewards has a standard points-based loyalty program.
Incomes Expedia Rewards factors
You’ll earn 1 Expedia Rewards level for each $1 you spend with this system for accommodations, vehicles, packages and issues to do in addition to 1 level per $5 spent on flights. This makes this system distinctive as a result of you’ll be able to earn factors for each lodge stays and flights, so it may be a one-stop to e-book your subsequent journey. You’ll obtain double factors once you e-book by way of the Expedia app.
So, in the event you booked a $1,000 flight and a $1,000 lodge by way of the Expedia app, you’d earn a formidable 2,400 Expedia Rewards factors for the acquisition.
As a base Blue member (this system is free to hitch), you’ll obtain:
Join our every day publication
- Entry to member costs.
- The chance to earn triple factors at VIP Entry properties.
- Resort worth assure (circumstances apply).
The member costs low cost might prevent a small quantity in your lodging, however the primary advantage of the Blue degree is the flexibility to earn Expedia factors on every buy. I principally noticed reductions of 10% the place member costs have been obtainable, although there have been reductions of as much as 19% on the odd London lodge for 2023.
For every reserving you make as an Expedia Rewards member, you’ll accumulate “Journey Parts” as follows:
- 1 per flight ticket.
- 1 per lodge room per evening.
- 1 per trip rental evening.
- 1 per automobile reservation.
- 1 per cruise cabin evening.
- 1 per exercise ticket.
Every Journey Ingredient requires spending at the very least $25, which should not be tough to fulfill for the above purchases.
Upon getting earned 10 Journey Parts in 12 months you acquire Silver membership standing. You’ll then obtain double base factors for every reserving thereafter; this implies you may get 2 factors per $1 on lodge bookings, vehicles, packages and issues to do (3 factors per $1 when booked on the app) in addition to 2 factors per $5 spent on flights (3 factors per $5 when booked on the app). You may as well obtain free breakfast or spa credit when obtainable at VIP Entry properties.
Upon getting earned 25 Journey Parts in 12 months, you acquire Gold membership standing (so 15 Journey Parts above Silver). At this degree, you’ll obtain triple base factors for every reserving after that, which means 3 factors per $1 on lodge bookings, vehicles, packages and issues to do (4 factors per $1 when booked on the app) in addition to 3 factors per $5 spent on flights (4 factors per $5 when booked on the app). You may as well obtain late checkout and free room upgrades when obtainable at VIP Entry properties.
You’ll be able to solely earn these factors for reserving when you’re logged in to your Expedia Rewards account on desktop, cellular or app. Factors won’t be retroactively awarded in the event you overlook to log in, so do not forget to take this step earlier than you e-book. Factors will seem in your account between 30 and 90 days after the top of your keep; you don’t earn something in the event you cancel the journey.
Redeeming Expedia Rewards factors
Redemptions are very easy. For each 140 Expedia Rewards factors you redeem, you’ll save $1 on a future reserving — so every level is price round 0.7 cents; this implies 1,000 factors are price round $7. No have to seek for award availability — you’ll be able to redeem your factors for something.
This is one other approach of it: By utilizing the $2,000 flight and lodge reserving instance above, these 2,400 factors you’d earn from the reserving could be price round $17. In contrast with saving 10% off every lodge room with Inns.com (by way of the eleventh evening free), solely incomes $17 price of worth on a $2,000 reserving isn’t nice — it’s lower than 1% off reasonably than 10%. What’s enticing about this program is that you need to use your factors towards flights, automobile leases and experiences reasonably than simply accommodations. It’s simply that the incomes charges on this program are actually low.
Associated: Find out how to maximize Inns.com Rewards at no cost nights and extra
Your factors gained’t expire until you go greater than 18 months with out incomes or redeeming any of them.
Notice: You may as well redeem American Specific Membership Rewards factors or Citi ThankYou factors for journey with Expedia and this may nonetheless earn Expedia Rewards factors.
Will Expedia Rewards proceed in 2023?
In 2021, the Expedia Group introduced plans to unify and develop its loyalty applications throughout its household of manufacturers, which incorporates Expedia, Inns.com, Orbitz and trip rental website Vrbo. The Seattle-based firm stated that this transfer would kind what might be “probably the most full journey rewards providing within the trade.”
The brand new loyalty program might be referred to as One Key and can launch, barely later than initially deliberate, in 2023 (although as 2022 involves a detailed, there’s nonetheless no launch date). The unified program might be free to hitch.
The brand new program will serve greater than 154 million present loyalty members, in response to Expedia. One Key will deliver collectively 4 present applications — Expedia Rewards, Inns.com Rewards, Orbitz Rewards and Ebookers Bonus+ — and can, for the primary time, provide prospects rewards by way of manufacturers resembling Travelocity and Vrbo that had no loyalty applications earlier than. All Expedia Group manufacturers will take part, together with far-flung manufacturers like Ebookers from the UK and Wotif from Australia.
When One Key launches in 2023, it’s prone to be later within the 12 months, given there isn’t any launch date as of November 2022.
Associated: Expedia introduces One Key, unifying loyalty applications for Orbitz, Inns.com and Vrbo
When to make use of Expedia Rewards
In the event you’re going to remain commonly at giant lodge chains like Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Radisson, then I imagine it’s nonetheless greatest to e-book immediately with these properties and earn lodge elite standing, advantages and factors. High-tier standing in a lodge program is enormously priceless and you’ll simply get hold of hundreds of {dollars} a 12 months in advantages.
Associated: Evaluating 4 prime lodge elite standing ranges — and the way to earn them in 2022
It’s greatest to make use of Expedia when distant locations the place there could also be no chain properties. For instance, it is useful if you wish to e-book a boutique lodge or a novel property or you recognize you will have a one-off keep at a series you’ll by no means (or nearly by no means) make the most of once more. Additionally, in the event you’re a “free agent” with no loyalty to anybody specific lodge chain or program and can by no means keep sufficient to earn elite advantages with a person lodge loyalty program, Expedia could be a good solution to obtain some advantages (like that up-to-10% low cost) at plenty of totally different, unaffiliated properties.
Bear in mind, in the event you’re seeking to e-book a luxurious property, it may very well be greatest to make the most of a Virtuoso agent or Amex Advantageous Inns + Resorts and evaluate the advantages you’ll obtain over any financial savings towards a future stick with Reserving.com.
Backside line
In the event you e-book sufficient of the big-box chain accommodations to hold elite standing and earn lodge factors, Expedia Rewards might not make sense for you. Do not forget that for bookings made with on-line journey companies like Expedia, usually you gained’t earn lodge factors or elite credit score, and the properties don’t should honor your present elite standing (although some do anyway). I additionally discover upgrades to be much less beneficiant and room assignments poor when reserving by way of on-line journey companies in comparison with reserving immediately.
Expedia Rewards might be merged into the brand new One Key platform subsequent 12 months, although particulars are nonetheless scarce.
Individually, the up-to-10% low cost on some properties with the incredible Inns.com Rewards program mixed with the poor points-earning charges don’t look compelling. Mixed, it’s a good, although pretty advanced, loyalty proposition. I choose the straightforward, clear worth of the Inns.com loyalty program. Nevertheless, if you’re reserving giant quantities of several types of journey (accommodations, flights, automobile rent and experiences), and may attain Silver or Gold standing, you would discover some actual worth in specializing in the Expedia Rewards loyalty program.
