{"id":17182,"date":"2014-07-09T18:45:42","date_gmt":"2014-07-09T18:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17182"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:38:52","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:38:52","slug":"expedia-rewards-cheat-sheet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/expedia-rewards-cheat-sheet\/","title":{"rendered":"Expedia+ rewards cheat sheet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s have some travel real talk. Travel loyalty programs, as rewarding as they can be, can be so confusing that they leave travelers feeling less than confident that they are mastering the art of savvy travel. The equations behind these programs often feel like something of a multistep algebra problem. Not to mention that many programs have changed in the last few years or months, leaving you wondering how you earn points, where you can use them, and when you can cash them in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Having our own\u00a0Expedia rewards program<\/a>, we\u2019ll be the first to tell you that it\u2019s not always easy understanding these programs. We\u2019re here to help break it down. On the heels of a newly overhauled rewards program, we wanted to take some time to get you acquainted with the refreshed Expedia+ rewards program we\u2019re announcing today and tell you precisely how you can maximize your earning potential.<\/p>\n

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Over the last 18 months, we\u2019ve spent a lot of time studying what travelers really want in a travel points program. Most travelers, we\u2019ve found, are relatively loyal to a single airline, often going out of their way for the airline of their preference. On the other hand, most travelers don\u2019t tend to be nearly as loyal to specific hotel programs, usually placing more importance on star rating, price, location, and amenities over earning potential when they\u2019re choosing a hotel.<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve heard from customers, that means there are really three real gaps in travel loyalty programs that we\u2019re aiming to fill with this program:<\/p>\n

1. Confidence in air travel<\/strong>. With Expedia+ rewards, we strive to be the icing on the airline cupcake. Travelers who are members of airline loyalty programs can continue to earn their program points while, as a bonus, earn Expedia+ rewards points over and above that program. This helps consumers feel confident that they are maximizing their travel dollars amidst an ever-evolving loyalty travel landscape.<\/p>\n

2. Save money and earn points<\/strong>. Many customers tell us that they feel like they have to choose between saving money and earning points these days (even The Points Guy, founder Brian Kelly<\/a>, says so). One of the top reasons to book with Expedia to begin with is saving money by booking your flight and hotel at the same time as a package (saving, on average, up to $540). Instead of making customers choose between that kind of savings and maximizing their rewards points, we reward customers by giving them ten times the points on airfare that they book as part of a vacation package than airfare that they book as a standalone ticket. \u00a0And, of course, they\u2019re earning points on the rest of the vacation package at the rate of 2 points per $1 spent.<\/p>\n

3. Make the most of the travel that means the most<\/strong>. It\u2019s funny how counterintuitive we are as travelers. \u00a0Even I, someone who talks about travel all day long, did a mileage run to Las Vegas on Christmas Eve last year to make sure I got my airline status. It\u2019s a crazy example of how we\u2019ll go out of our way to optimize for the four hours we\u2019re going to sit on a plane to get to a destination yet often ignore the four days we\u2019re going to spend once we\u2019re there when it comes to how we make decisions about loyalty programs. That\u2019s why, for the Expedia+ rewards program, we want to help travelers not only have a good experience high above the clouds, but, even more importantly, to really optimize for what happens when they\u2019re on the ground. There are a couple of ways we\u2019re working to achieve that goal of getting a great experience when they\u2019re on their trip:<\/p>\n