Out of Office app launches hotel booking partnership
At a time when points and miles devaluations seem to be announced on a weekly basis, going “free agent” — no attachment to any particular loyalty program — with one’s travel plans can seem more appealing than ever.
A new hotel booking partnership at a popular travel planning app appears to be arriving at just the right time for the burgeoning free agent travel movement.
Out of Office — a travel planning app that behaves partly like Tripadvisor when it comes to user-generated reviews but with the strong visual aesthetics and community of one’s Instagram account — recently launched a hotel booking partnership with Booking.com.
The partnership puts Out of Office one step closer to its goal of providing users with end-to-end trip planning where you can do everything from within the app. Out of Office counts The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly as an investor, PhocusWire reports.
Booking a hotel stay via a third-party provider like Booking.com instead of directly with a hotel company usually means forfeiting loyalty benefits and points earning. However, the co-founders of Out of Office note there are times that are optimal for booking directly — but there are also times when it comes down to finding the most affordable option out there.
“Of course, people want to be able to utilize their points and loyalty, but there are times when that is not optimal,” Jan Seale, Out of Office’s co-founder and CEO, said. “I do think you see people being more open to doing things slightly differently.”
Crowdsourced travel reviews aren’t a new concept, but Out of Office is more about combining all the travel recommendations you receive from friends in one visually appealing place on your phone. Gone are the days of the shared piece of paper with scribbled recommendations for Parisian hotels and cafes, the thinking goes.
How to book your stay via Out of Office
Out of Office users can scroll through destinations for hotels, restaurants and other attractions. The recommendations become more personalized after you start to follow various accounts of friends and family members (or just people whose travel strategy you like). Your feed will start to populate with the activity of those you follow.
Now, when you peruse various hotel reviews, there’s also a function to book a room via Booking.com. While Tripadvisor also has a function to let users book, Out of Office’s appeal stems from it leaning more into the idea the reviews come from people you know or follow and basing a decision off that rather than pages of reviews from people you don’t necessarily know or trust with travel advice.
“We're just trying to make it really easy for users to come on, read the reviews from people that they know, see which friends recommend it and then make it really seamless to book directly through Booking.com,” Coabi Kastan, Out of Office’s chief operating officer and co-founder, said.
Will the app convince die-hard points and miles fans to ditch their Marriott Bonvoy or World of Hyatt perks and start booking via a third party? Almost certainly not.
However, there's plenty of fish (aka travel spending power) in the trip planning sea — and they’re not all points and miles people. Out of Office’s co-founders see a lot of opportunity in marketing to women and younger travelers.
“We're really focused on this target market, millennial and Gen Z travelers, who are now making up the biggest share of travel spend,” Kastan said. “We're [also] focused on a female consumer — not that we're alienating men by any means, but we know that women make the vast majority of travel-related decisions. We also know that they account for the majority of travel spend but are often sort of neglected by travel startups.”
What’s next for Out of Office
What destinations are Out of Office users most excited about? Canada, Europe and last-minute domestic trips in the U.S. are all popular searches at the moment, Seale said. Capitalizing on those searches is a key part of Out of Office’s growth trajectory.
The Booking.com partnership is a major step forward for the company’s pursuit of operating a full-service menu of travel services from within its app. The company already has a partnership with OpenTable to make restaurant reservations from Out of Office.
The co-founders have also indicated they’d like to eventually add the ability to make flight reservations or book excursions and tours.
“We always felt so frustrated that travel planning was so fragmented,” Seale said. “Definitely down the pipeline, that will be a part of our end-to-end ecosystem.”
Related reading:
- Best hotel credit cards
- When is the best time to book a hotel? Experts weigh in — and debunk a few myths
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers
- Which credit cards offer the most lucrative rewards for hotel stays?
- The best hotel rewards programs in the world
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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
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- 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.
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- 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.