One Key Loyalty Program Now Live
Expedia Group announced today the launch of One Key. This new loyalty program unifies the company’s three flagship travel brands of Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®, and marks the first time a major online vacation rental platform will have a loyalty program.
One Key combines the three travel brands into one simple program, enabling travelers to earn and use rewards across Expedia Group’s marketplace of eligible flights, hotels, vacation homes, car rentals, cruises and activities. You’ll have the ability to earn rewards on a Vrbo vacation rental for example and then and use them on a flight on Expedia or a hotel on Hotels.com. One Key is now live in the U.S. and will roll out globally, starting in 2024.
The company’s combined loyalty programs have more than 168 million members and have provided more than $10 billion in travel savings to date. Expedia says “the program is designed to benefit every traveler, and One Key members instantly save with access to compelling Member Prices on select flights, hotels, cruises, car rentals and activities”.
Members can also reach status quickly with One Key, with the ability to qualify for Silver with just one trip. As travelers progress to higher membership tiers, they unlock deeper discounts and can enjoy great in-stay perks at VIP Access properties. Gold and Platinum members can also take advantage of Price Drop Protection at no extra cost for eligible flight bookings made on the Expedia app. Lastly, the One Key program has a single rewards currency called OneKeyCash, which members earn when they travel and can use on future bookings in addition to all the savings and perks the program offers.
While the new program will make it easier to use points across the three platforms, it also got rid of some valuable perks such as the free reward for every 10 nights that was offered by Hotels.com.
Membership Tiers and Trip Elements
One Key members move up One Key tiers by collecting trip elements. Trip elements are the different parts of a trip that can be booked through Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. One Key takes every trip element and rewards members for it.
Trip elements include the following: an eligible flight, hotel room night, vacation rental night, cruise night, one-day car rental, one round-trip ground transportation ticket (airport shuttles, transfers, etc.), or one activity ticket (a private tour, a theme park ticket, etc.). Trip elements must be worth $25 or more in USD, excluding taxes and fees, to qualify.
It’s fast and easy to move up One Key tiers. The criteria to qualify for each tier:
- Blue – Sign up for free
- Silver – 5 trip elements within a year
- Gold – 15 trip elements within a year
- Platinum – 30 trip elements within a year
So, for example, if a member books two nights in a hotel and a three-day car rental, they would earn 5 trip elements, enough to reach Silver in one trip.
Earning and Redeeming Rewards
Here’s what to know about earning OneKeyCash, our new rewards currency that can be used on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo when One Key launches:
- As long as you’re a member, and sign in before you make any bookings, you’ll earn rewards and collect trip elements across all eligible, global travel bookings made on the US points of sale on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.
- Here’s what you earn: Members will receive 2% in OneKeyCash for every dollar spent1 on eligible hotels, vacation rentals, activities, packages, car rentals, and cruises and 0.2% in OneKeyCash for every dollar spent on eligible flights. And don’t forget, you earn OneKeyCash on top of any airline loyalty program earnings and credit card rewards.
- The account holder who makes the booking earns the OneKeyCash, no matter which travelers are named in the booking. Planning a family trip? All OneKeyCash, including those from roundtrip flights for all family members, will be deposited in your One Key account. No need to set up accounts for your family members or children to collect rewards.
- Your rewards get bigger when you book stays at VIP Access properties. In One Key’s Silver tier, your OneKeyCash earnings go up by 50%. It’s 100% more when you reach the Gold tier and 200% more when you reach the Platinum tier.2
- When you make most ‘Pay Now’ bookings, your OneKeyCash will arrive in your account just three days after you complete your trip. For ‘Pay Later’ and all Vrbo bookings, your OneKeyCash will generally be confirmed 45 days after you complete your trip, but in certain instances it may take up to 90 days.
When you’re ready to redeem OneKeyCash, once confirmed, it’s yours to use at any time. Here are a few details to keep in mind:
- OneKeyCash can be used on ‘Pay Now’ bookings only and participating vacation rentals in US dollars.
- To use OneKeyCash on a flight, you will need enough OneKeyCash to cover the entire cost of your eligible flight, including taxes and fees, and may not add any optional extras like checked bags or seat assignments. You can purchase those extras after booking your ticket.
- OneKeyCash cannot be redeemed for cash and is not transferable to other members, but you can redeem OneKeyCash on eligible bookings in someone else’s name.
You can find more details here.
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