Update on the Amazing Expedia SAVE300 Voucher Deal
I'm very happy a lot of Points Guy followers got to take advantage of the generous Expedia.ca promotion that ran this weekend. I helped 10 hardworking coworkers use this coupon to take a well deserved trip to Vegas and have a ton of friends who are beyond excited to make their first trip to Vegas. This coupon provided real value and I hope people return the favor to Expedia and book some future trips through them to throw them a bone.
While the dust is far from settling, I feel like these trips will be honored. Expedia ended up changing the terms and conditions of the coupons on Saturday afternoon and then pulling the promo all together early Sunday AM (about 18 hours before it was scheduled to end). They knew about it when the "run on the bank" was happening and decided not to pull the promo at that point, so I almost wonder if they didn't mind so many poeple taking advantage of the promotion. While leisure travel has been making a slow comeback, its still down and December is a slow month (in Vegas at least), so I could imagine Expedia and tourism councils splitting the coupon costs in order to drive tourism. If it was a mistake all together, I imagine Expedia would have pulled it right away instead of letting it be active for almost 48 hours.
My advice going forward:
1) Make sure your credit cards get refunded correctly. The way they charge for these trips is a direct bill for the airfare from the airline and then a refund from Expedia that settles up for the final cost of the package. Make sure that happens by the end of this week (I know American Express is very quick with these pending debits and some people have already seen their accounts settle up). Do not waste your time calling Expedia unless it doesn't even out by the end of this week
2) Don't cancel your hotel or flight- even if you don't plan on using them. Expedia changed the term on the coupon to say that if the hotel and/or flight are changed after booking, the coupon may be invalid. They may be setting something up with the hotels to get notified if their packages are cancelled, so its a risk and you may see a future charge of $300 added to your card.
3) Keep all receipts/ confirmations. It's also a best practice to take screen shots of the final price and a screen shot of the coupon T&Cs at the time of your purchase. If you don't do this, you may not realize what terms were actually in effect when you purchased. See The original email offer for details. I'll also paste below, but see my bolded points. The key things they messed up (and later corrected) was that it only needed to be a Canadian booking (i.e. done through expedia.ca) and one coupon per booking (not per customer).
My gut is that anyone who used the coupon will have it honored, but we will have to wait and see. I imagine Expedia will move quickly if they decide to cancel some/all of the bookings since people have already started to travel on these deals. I'll certainly keep you all updated as I have a trip coming up (that cost me a whopping $32!)
Were you able to take advantage of this deal of the year?
2 days only!Enter coupon code SAVE300 during checkoutReceive C$300 off a flight+hotel package to Las Vegas, Cancun, Riviera Maya and
Manhattan at an Expedia Special Rate hotel.*
Beginning Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 12:00:01AM PT and ending on Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 11:59:59 PM PT, book a flight+ hotel package at participating hotels in Las Vegas, Cancun, Riviera Maya or Manhattan and receive C$300 off the
then-current Expedia.ca advertised price.
Valid for travel completed by December 31, 2010.
Note: Book now to take advantage of this special offer. Offer does not apply to saved itineraries. Offer available for Expedia Special Rate hotels only.
Here's how:
1. Search for your flight+hotel package to Las Vegas, Cancun, Riviera Maya and Manhattan at an Expedia Special Rate hotel.
2. Enter coupon code SAVE300 on the Billing & Delivery page during checkout.
Terms and conditions:*Canadian bookings only. Book a flight + hotel package at an Expedia Special Rate hotel in Las Vegas, Cancun, Riviera Maya and Manhattan on www.expedia.ca from 12:00:01AM PT November 19, 2010 to 11:59:59 PM PT November 21, 2010 for travel between November 20, 2010 - December 31, 2010 and receive a C$300 discount on that booking off Expedia.ca's current advertised prices for that flight + Expedia Special Rate hotel package. You must use coupon code SAVE300 when prompted on the Billing & Delivery page during check-out to receive the discount. Limit of one voucher per booking. Discount cannot be applied post-purchase and is applied after applicable taxes. Valid for qualifying flight+hotel bookings only; new bookings only. No minimum night stay required. Travel cannot begin before November 20, 2010 and must be completed by December 31, 2010. Voucher has no cash surrender value.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.