Expedia Group Loyalty Programs: One Key, Expedia Rewards and Hotels.com Rewards – A Comprehensive Guide

Expedia One Key: Unifying Rewards Across Platforms

Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo (also branded Stayz in Australia and New Zealand) are distinct brands under the Expedia Group umbrella, catering to various aspects of your travel needs. Each platform offers a unique booking experience with its own set of benefits and a shared commitment to enhancing your travel and customer experience with their loyalty programs. With the launch of One Key in 2023, Expedia Group's unified loyalty program, the rewards landscape has shifted. One Key simplifies the way you earn and redeem rewards on flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises, and activities across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo to maximise your points earning value and redemption opportunities.

Let's delve into One Key and the classic Expedia Rewards and Hotels.com Rewards loyalty programs still operating in some non-US regions to see how your rewards will be affected.

Why Choose Expedia or Hotels.com for Your Bookings?

Expedia and Hotels.com provide several advantages for travelers:

• Wide Selection: Access to millions of hotels, vacation rentals, flights, car rentals, and activities worldwide.

• Competitive Prices: Regularly updated deals and discounts, including bonus inclusions.

• Free Cancellation: Many bookings offer free cancellation, providing flexibility and peace of mind.

• User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-navigate websites and apps make booking a breeze.

• Customer Support: excellent 24/7 customer service for assistance with bookings and inquiries.

Eligibility for Earning OneKeyCash:

• Bookings must be made directly through Expedia, Hotels.com, or Vrbo websites or apps.

• Bookings must be eligible as per One Key Terms & Conditions.

Key Features & Benefits of One Key loyalty program:

• Earn OneKeyCash: Accumulate rewards on eligible bookings:

  • 2% back on hotels, vacation rentals, activities, packages, car rentals, and cruises.

  • 0.2% back on flights (booked through Expedia).

• VIP Access Properties: Enjoy perks (free breakfast, spa credits, upgrades) and earn up to 6% back in OneKeyCash at select hotels.

• Member Prices saving you between 10-20% discount on selected accommodation worldwide for One Key members.

• Tiered Benefits: Earn more rewards and unlock additional perks as you move up the membership tiers (Blue, Silver, Gold, Platinum).

• Redeem Flexibility: Use OneKeyCash for savings on future travel across Expedia, Hotels.com, or Vrbo.

• Expiry: OneKeyCash does not expire as long as you have made an eligible booking or redeemed rewards within the last 18 months. However, promotional OneKeyCash may have different expiration dates, which will be specified in the terms of the promotion.
  

Example: Earning & Redeeming with One Key

Book a 3-night hotel stay on Hotels.com (US site) for $600 and a roundtrip flight on Expedia for $400. You'd earn 12 OneKeyCash for the hotel stay (2%) and 0.8 OneKeyCash for the flight (0.2%). This gives you 12.8 OneKeyCash to use towards your next booking.

Expedia offers a redemption rate of 1 OneKeyCash = $1 USD for hotel stays in the United States of America. Your 12.8 OneKeyCash would be worth $12.80 USD towards your hotel booking.

However, the value of OneKeyCash can vary depending on how you choose to redeem it. Redeeming for flights might offer a different value per OneKeyCash than redeeming for hotel stays. Expedia may run promotions that where OneKeyCash is worth more than its usual value for hotel stays. Also, if you're redeeming for travel outside of your home country, the exchange rate will impact the final value in your local currency.

To determine the real dollar value of your OneKeyCash:

1. Log into your Expedia OneKey account.

2. Look for the redemption options available to you.
   
   

What happened to my Expedia Rewards points?

Expedia Rewards points earned on the US Expedia.com site will automatically be converted to OneKeyCash when you join One Key. This means that you will be able to use your existing points to save on future bookings across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.

Expedia Rewards points earned on non-US Expedia sites e.g. expedia.com.au (Expedia Australia) will remain in your non-US Expedia Rewards account e.g. Expedia Australia. Your rewards will not be converted into OneKeyCash.

Please note, that if you log into or book on US Expedia.com in the future, a One Key account will be created there, however your Expedia Rewards points will be separate existing in your non-US Expedia Rewards account.

Expiry:

Expedia Rewards points will expire if there is no qualifying activity (earning or redeeming points) on your account for a period of 18 months.

What happened to my Hotels.com Rewards stamps?

For US-created Hotels.com Rewards accounts, the treatment of your stamps depends on where the bookings were made:

if you have a mix of BOTH US and non-US bookings, then your confirmed rewards will automatically be converted into OneKeyCash upon you joining One Key. Pending non-US stamps will remain in Hotels.com Rewards (non-US site).

If your US-created Hotels.com Rewards account ONLY has confirmed rewards accumulated from outside the USA, then your account will be moved to the Hotels.com site corresponding to your last booking location and your rewards can be used there e.g. uk.hotels.com (Hotels.com UK). Your rewards will not be converted into OneKeyCash.

For non-US created account with US bookings, your stamps and rewards nights will be converted to OneKeyCash upon joining One Key.

For non US-created accounts with no US bookings, your Hotels.com Reward stamps will NOT transition to One Key. Your existing stamps and rewards nights will remain in your Hotels.com Rewards account and can be used as usual.

Essentially, if you're outside the US and have been using Hotels.com Rewards exclusively for non-US bookings, you can continue using the program as you have been. Otherwise, you'll be transitioned to One Key and your rewards will be either converted to OneKeyCash or remain accessible on the appropriate non-US Hotels.com site.

Expiry:

Hotels.com Rewards stamps, as well as any collected free nights, will expire if there is no activity (booking or redemption) on your Hotels.com Rewards account within 12 months.

Hotels.com Rewards: Simplicity for Non-US Travelers

For travelers outside the United States of America, the classic Hotels.com Rewards program might still be available. It features a straightforward stamp collection system to earn free nights.

Key Features & Benefits of Hotels.com Rewards (Non-US) loyalty program:

• Collect Stamps: Earn 1 stamp per night at eligible properties booked through Hotels.com.

• Free Nights: Get 1 free night (average value of the 10 nights) after collecting 10 stamps.

• No Expiration: Stamps don't expire with regular activity.

Who is Eligible for Hotels.com Rewards stamps?

• Legacy US Hotels.com accounts with no bookings within the USA.

• Non-US Hotels.com accounts with no bookings within the USA.

Example: Earning & Redeeming with Hotels.com Rewards

Book 10 individual nights at various hotels through Hotels.com. If the average price per night is $120, your free night will be worth $120. Your Hotels.com Rewards free night expires when there has been no activity (booking or redemption) on your account for 12 months.

hotels.com australia

Important Considerations:

Terms & Conditions: Always review program details in your region as features may change.

Expedia One Key Terms & Conditions

Expedia Rewards Terms & Conditions (Australia)

Hotels.com Rewards Terms & Conditions (Australia)

Your Loyalty Programs

If you're a world traveler, then you might like to maintain seperate loyalty programs to reap the benefits of both depending on your preferences and frequency travelling to non-US locations.

• One Key: Ideal for frequent travelers booking various travel types across Expedia Group platforms.

• Expedia Rewards and Hotels.com Rewards (if eligible): Best for those exclusively booking hotels outside the United States of America.

Disclaimer: This information in this article is intended to be accurate as of 19 July 2024.

Please refer to Expedia OneKey, and Expedia Rewards and Hotels.com Rewards websites in your region for the most up-to-date details.