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For travelers who like to hunt for extra savings wherever they can find them, Priceline's VIP status program could be the ticket to putting more money back in your pocket. And this year, status will be easier to earn, courtesy of any qualifying trips earned in 2023 counting towards 2024's status qualification year.
Here's all you need to know.
Priceline VIP Program Overview
If you're unfamiliar with Priceline, it's an online travel agency that allows you to book hotels, flights, cruises, and more. Depending on the travel you book, you could be in for some substantial savings — especially if you hold VIP status. And the higher your status, the more you can potentially save on each booking.
Priceline offers three status tiers on top of the general VIP member designation you receive just for signing up. Here's a snapshot of the benefits you'll enjoy at every level:
| VIP Tier | Member | Blue | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earn by: | Signing up | Completing 2 Priceline trips | Completing 5 Priceline trips or holding the Priceline VIP Rewards Visa | Completing 25 Priceline trips |
| Hotel savings | Up to 10% | Up to 50% (on 15,000+ hotels) | Up to 50% (on 30,000+ hotels) | Up to 50% (on 45,000+ hotels) |
| Rental car discounts | Up to 10% | Up to 15% | Up to 20% | Up to 20% |
| Add-on savings | Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars when adding to an existing trip | Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars when adding to an existing trip | Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars when adding to an existing trip | Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars when adding to an existing trip |
| Insider coupons | 5% Express Deal coupon after every trip | 5% Express Deal coupon after every trip | 8% Express Deal coupon after every trip | 10% Express Deal coupon after every trip |
| Premium customer service | None | None | Priority | First priority |
To qualify for Priceline VIP status, you'll need to complete a certain number of trips annually. Each reservation you make counts as a trip, which means you can earn status relatively quickly if you make a few reservations at once. For example, you could jump from VIP to VIP Blue if you book a one-way flight and reserve one hotel night.
Pros and cons of using an online travel agency (OTA)
There are pros and cons to using an online travel agency such as Priceline. If you value elite perks and status-related benefits at your hotel brand of choice, you might want to steer clear of OTAs. You won't earn hotel elite status credits when you reserve through Priceline. Hotels also won't recognize any elite status you may already have. Even worse, the savings you enjoy from booking through Priceline might quickly be wiped out when the bill for breakfast arrives.
Related: How to get free breakfast at Hyatt
Rental cars sometimes work the same way. Some agencies will overlook elite status if you have it, and the benefits you enjoy on direct bookings may not apply.
The only exception is airlines, which will still allow you to earn miles towards elite status on online travel agency bookings. When you book through Priceline — or any other OTA — you'll likely see a box to enter your frequent flyer number.
In these instances, booking with Priceline might make sense. But on the downside, a common complaint about booking through a third party is that the customer service pales compared to what you'll get on direct bookings. If your travel plans change, OTAs won't always give you the best assistance.
But on the flip side, the savings might be worth the loss of benefits and sacrifice of accruing status-earning metrics. If you're a no-frills, budget-conscious traveler, booking your travel through a third-party service such as Priceline might make a lot of sense. You could save a lot of money this way.
Related: Hotel Promotion Roundup
Priceline Extends VIP Status Through 2024
At first glance, the qualification process for Priceline VIP status is quirky. On the FAQ page, you'll note that your elite status never expires, but your qualifying trips will.
Qualifying trips include those completed annually from January 1 through December 31. You'll keep your current status if you don't complete enough to move up to the next tier.
But for 2024, Priceline is waiving the trip expiration and counting all trips completed in 2023 for your 2024 qualification. Whether you prioritize earning status on Priceline or not, the trips you took last year should make qualifying for that next status tier in 2024 easier.
Final Thoughts
If you value savings, booking through an online travel agency such as Priceline might make a lot of sense. And if you booked through Priceline last year, the qualifying trips you earned will count towards status qualification in 2024.
Of course, there's always a tradeoff to booking through a third party. For some, the potential savings trump the lack of benefits. For others, the benefits of booking directly are worth the extra cost.
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