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Guides
Ranking the best online travel agency rewards programs
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
August 28, 2020 • 20 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Online travel agencies (OTAs) offer rewards programs that can provide value, but benefits and earning potential vary widely by platform.
Booking through OTAs is convenient for price comparisons, but travelers may forfeit elite status perks and loyalty points from hotel programs.
Top OTA rewards programs include those from Hotels.com, Orbitz, Booking.com, Expedia and Trip.com, each with distinct strengths such as straightforward rewards, elite perks or easy-to-earn status.
While some OTAs allow you to earn airline miles on bookings, hotel loyalty benefits are typically not available when booking through these platforms.
What to consider
Booking through an OTA may exclude you from hotel elite status benefits and loyalty earnings, though airline miles are often still awarded.
OTA rewards often require strategic redemption to maximize value, and some perks or discounts are only available at select properties or through mobile apps.
If issues arise, resolving problems can be more complex as responsibility may shift between the OTA and the travel provider.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of the leading OTA rewards programs, including tips for maximizing redemptions and understanding elite status benefits.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
When I was in graduate school, I would book conference lodging for other students. In doing so, I collected thousands of dollars of rewards through online travel agency (OTA) programs. But, even if you're only booking for yourself, you may find value in booking through OTAs.
Many travelers use OTAs to compare prices and book travel and although OTAs are easy to use, you won't always get the best price. You may not even get elite night credits and perks at hotels when you book through OTAs. So, it's best to compare what you find through an OTA against booking directly with the travel provider.
However, not all OTAs offer rewards programs and some programs provide only minimal value. So, today I'll describe and rank the best OTA rewards programs.
St. Regis Langkawi (Photo by Ethan Steinberg/The Points Guy)
First off, know that booking through an OTA may not be the best option. You won't find some travel providers, such as Southwest Airlines, on most OTAs. And, you may find a lower price when you book directly.
So, it's important to realize the potential pitfalls and consider the benefits of booking directly with the airline or hotel. But, if you decide to book through an OTA, you might as well choose one that earns plenty of rewards.
The Hotels.com Rewards program offers you a reward night for every ten nights you stay. The value of your reward night is equal to the average rate you paid across the ten nights. However, this calculation doesn't include any taxes and fees. So, let's assume you:
Stay seven nights in a hotel with a nightly rate of $100 before taxes and fees
Stay three nights in a different hotel with a nightly rate of $200 before taxes and fees
In this case, you'd earn a reward night worth $130. However, you'll still need to pay taxes, fees and other incidental costs on your reward night. And, there's a $5 redemption fee if you redeem your reward night using the desktop or mobile web site. But, you can avoid paying the $5 redemption fee if you use the mobile app when you redeem.
Some strategy is helpful when using your reward night. If you use your reward night for a stay that costs more than the value of the reward night, you must pay the difference. But, if you use the reward night for a stay that costs less than the reward night, you'll forfeit the difference. So, you'll want to use your reward night on a stay with a nightly rate just slightly higher than the reward night. When you do, you'll get an almost 10% return on hotel spending through this program.
Hotels.com Rewards offers basic status and two tiers of elite status. Specifically, the base level status is called Rewards. And, Rewards status provides the following perks:
Secret prices
Earn and redeem as described in the previous section
You can earn Silver status by staying ten or more nights within a membership year, which is based on the date you created your account. Silver perks include the following:
Priority customer service
Hassle-free guarantee: Hotels.com will help minimize property charges or cancellation fees if you need to change or cancel a reservation.
Price Guarantee Plus: If you find a better price on exactly the same stay, Hotels.com will match it and refund the difference.
Once you reach 30 nights in a membership year, you'll earn Gold status in the Hotels.com Rewards program. Gold elites enjoy all the same perks as Silver elites, along with complimentary room upgrade, early check-in and late checkout subject to availability at VIP Access properties.
As you can see, Hotels.com Rewards elite status has few tangible benefits. So, the main reason to use this program is earning and redeeming. After all, getting a reward night after every ten nights is pretty sweet.
Confidante Miami Beach (Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)
Orbitz launched its Orbitz Rewards loyalty program in October 2013. And, like Hotels.com Rewards, Orbitz Rewards aims to be simpler than the average OTA rewards program.
Earning and redeeming
Whenever you book travel through Orbitz, you'll earn Orbucks based on the kind of purchase you make:
1x on flights and packages (1% return)
3x on hotels, vacation rentals and activities (3% return)
5x on hotels and vacation rentals booked on the Orbitz app (5% return)
Orbitz deposits Orbucks into your account when you book. Then, you can cash in Orbucks toward hotel stays at more than 385,000 hotels worldwide. When you do, one Orbuck equals $1 off your hotel stay.
You can use Orbucks to pay for part or all of a stay. If you use Orbucks, the Orbucks you redeem will be subtracted from the total amount due. Unfortunately, you can't redeem Orbucks for anything besides hotel stays and vacation rentals.
Orbitz Rewards offers elite status to frequent bookers. You'll get Silver status just for signing up, which gets you the following perks:
Access member-only prices
Earn Orbucks when you book flights, hotels and packages
Access to Rewards customer service line
You'll earn Gold status by staying four nights in a calendar year. On top of the perks provided to Silver elites, Gold elites also get unique amenities at VIP Access properties.
And, you'll get Platinum status after staying 12 nights in a calendar year. In addition to the perks available to Gold elites, Platinum status unlocks the following perks:
Up to $50 Orbucks in reimbursement for travel expenses each calendar year
Get free room upgrades and early check-in when available at VIP Access properties
Earning Platinum status could be worth it if you can use the $50 Orbucks credit for eligible travel expenses. This is especially true if you don't already have one of the top credit cards for TSA PreCheck.
If you're looking to boost your earnings with Orbitz, you could open the Orbitz Rewards Visa Credit Card. This no annual fee card earns Orbucks at the following rates:
10x on Pay Now properties booked on the Orbitz app (10% return)
8x on Pay Now properties booked on Orbitz.com (8% return)
6x on all flights booked on Orbitz.com (6% return)
However, remember that you can only redeem Orbucks for hotel stays and vacation rentals booked through Orbitz. But, if you use Orbitz frequently, this card may be a good choice. The card also comes with lost and stolen baggage coverage. Plus, as a cardholder, you'll get a 6-month CLEAR trial membership and $60 off automatic renewal.
The Hyatt Andaz Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
The Booking.com Genius loyalty program is a bit different than most of the other programs described in this guide. Specifically, there aren't any chances to earn or redeem rewards within this program. And, there's no cobranded credit card for this program. But, you can earn elite status. And, best of all, it's easy to do so and lasts for life.
Elite status
The Booking.com Genius loyalty program has two elevated Genius levels. And, once you earn these levels, you'll keep your status for life.
To earn the first level, Genius Level 1, you must stay twice within two years. But, this level only provides one perk: a 10% discount at select hotels.
But, Genius Level 2 isn't much more difficult to earn. To earn Genius Level 2, you must stay five times within two years. And, Genius Level 2 provides the following perks:
You can see which hotels offer discounts, free breakfast and room upgrades when you search.
You'll see a Genius tag in the upper-righthand corner as well as a benefit tag on the lefthand side of the property image when Genius perks such as a room upgrade are available. (Image courtesy of Booking.com)
So, as a Genius Level 2, you can ensure an upgrade. After all, you can book into an upgraded room at select hotels for no extra cost. And, this gives much more value than a space-available upgrade.
You won't earn any rewards within the Booking.com Genius program. But, if you're looking for a deal or upgraded room, you may find it sorting by hotels with Genius perks.
South Beach, Miami (Photo by Pola Damonte/Getty Images)
Expedia's rewards program, named Expedia Rewards, provides a loyalty program that's similar to Orbitz Rewards. However, with the Expedia Rewards program, you can redeem for a wider variety of travel.
Earning and redeeming
When you make travel purchases through Expedia, you'll earn points based on the kind of travel purchased:
2 points per $1 spent on hotels, cars, packages, things to do and cruises (1.4% return)
1 point per $5 spent on full-service airlines (0.14% return)
Also, you'll earn double points on all bookings made through the Expedia app. Plus, as we'll discuss in the next section, elite members can earn points faster.
When you're ready to redeem, simply sign in to your account and start the booking process. Once you get to the checkout page, select "Use my points" under the payment section. If you don't want to use all your points on this booking, enter the amount you wish to use.
However, if you are booking a hotel, you'll need to "Pay now" if you're using points. And, if you're booking airfare, you'll need enough points to cover the entire cost. For every 140 Expedia Rewards points you redeem, you'll save $1. So, each point is worth about 0.7 cents. But, points are worth double when you book a VIP Access hotel.
There are three membership tiers in the Expedia Rewards program. You'll earn Blue tier status simply for joining Expedia Rewards. And, at the Blue tier, you'll get the following perks:
Save an extra 10% or more on select hotels with member prices
Earn Expedia points
Hotel price guarantee (Expedia will match any lower price you find until midnight before your stay)
Early access to sales and other exclusive member offers
You'll move to Silver status if you spend $5,000 on eligible bookings or stay seven nights within a calendar year. In addition to the perks available at the Blue tier, Silver elites get the following perks:
10% more points when you book
Extra perks at VIP Access hotels, including 250 bonus points just for booking
24/7 expedited customer service via the Silver member number
And, you'll earn Gold status if you spend $10,000 on eligible bookings or stay 15 nights within a calendar year. On top of the perks available at the Silver tier, Gold elites get the following perks:
30% more points when you book
Free room upgrades when available at VIP Access hotels
24/7 expedited customer service with specialized Gold agents via the Gold member number
The perks provided by the Expedia Rewards program aren't all that impressive, nor is the earning. I'd recommend giving this program a pass unless you have a compelling reason to book through Expedia.
The information for the Expedia Rewards Voyager and Expedia Rewards Card from Citi has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (Photo by Brian Kelly/The Points Guy)
Trip.com's rewards program, named Trip.com Rewards, is similar to Expedia Rewards and Orbitz Rewards. In particular, you can earn and redeem rewards on flights and hotels. And, you can earn elite status based on your activity within the program.
Earning and redeeming
When you make travel purchases through Trip.com, you can earn points in three ways:
25 Trip Coins per $100 spent on flights
80 Trip Coins per $100 spent on hotels
Up to 140 Trip Coins per hotel review
But, as I'll discuss in the next section, members with elite status can earn 10% or 30% bonus Trip Coins.
When you're ready to redeem your Trip Coins, you have options. You can exchange Trip Coins for flight and hotel promo codes, instant savings on hotels and hotel perks. But, if you redeem for instant savings, 100 Trip Coins are worth $1. To use Trip Coins for instant savings, simply select "Save with Trip Coins" during the booking process. However, some bookings may not have this option.
It's unclear how much value can be obtained from Trip Coins when you redeem for promo codes and hotel perks. But, based on the instant savings redemption rate, I wouldn't place too much value in Trip Coins.
There are four membership tiers in the Trip.com Rewards program. And, to advance to higher levels, you must earn tier points by booking flights and hotels. Specifically, you'll earn tier points as follows:
Flights: Earn 25 tier points for every $100 spent
Hotels: Earn 80 tier points for every $100 spent
Now, here's what you need to know each membership tier.
Membership tier
Tier points required in the last 12 months
Hotel discount
Trip Coins bonus
Silver
49 or less
Unspecified
None
Gold
50 to 799
5%
10%
Platinum
800 to 1,599
10%
30%
Diamond
1,600 or more
15%
30%
Interestingly, membership tiers are adjusted each month based on the tier points you've earned in the last 12 months. As such, it requires a fair bit of spending to reach the Platinum and Diamond tiers in this program.
Additionally, members at higher tiers in the program get additional perks. You can exchange zero Trip Coins for these perks when booking hotels marked with "Trip Coin Benefits":
Gold members: One free breakfast, room upgrade, late checkout and free cancellation
Platinum members: Two free breakfasts, room upgrades, late checkouts and free cancellations
Diamond members: Four free breakfasts, room upgrades, late checkouts and free cancellations
However, you must select perks at the time of booking. Perks are provided on a limited, first-come-first-served basis depending on hotel availability. Especially since the high membership tiers require a lot of spending to reach, I wouldn't put too much value in these perks.
Finally, some OTAs allow you to earn airline miles for hotel bookings. Three of these OTAs are Agoda (through its PointsMAX program), Points Hound and RocketMiles.
Some of these programs advertise up to 10,000 airline miles per night in earnings. But, in practice, I've yet to find a good enough value to use any of these programs. However, these OTAs can be a good option if you want to earn more miles in a program you already use. Likewise, you may be able to use these OTAs to generate account activity in little-used programs. And, this activity may allow you to keep your points and miles from expiring.
Although I regularly used OTAs when I traveled less frequently, now I usually book directly with major airlines and hotels. After all, elite earning and perks matter at hotels now that I live on the road as a digital nomad. And, it's often easier to deal with flight cancellations or changes when you book directly with the airline.
Several OTAs offer strong rewards programs. Hotels.com Rewards earns the top spot on my list, but Orbitz Rewards and Booking.com Genius also offer solid value propositions. So, if you decide to book through an OTA, it may be worth using one that provides rewards and perks.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
