👀 This loyalty program surprised me

Haaaaappy 4th of July weekend, fam! 🇺🇸

Believe it or not…

I love you more than these World Cup visitors are loving our ranch.

I know. I know. It’s a tight race. But I still think I’m winning.

Before things get too sappy, here are some must-know travel things from this week.

✋ Here are the five best ways to use your UR points.

🔁 Yes, you can actually transfer Rove Miles to your friends.

🏨 Save up to 40% on hotels, flights, and more with Expedia’s Big Summer Sale (book by July 13!). 

✈️ Transfer your Rove Miles to Frontier Airlines (with a 25% bonus) this month. 

🧐 So, Wyndham just updated its credit cards, award tiers, and pricing, and has a transfer sweet spot? 

🏆 Our Favorite Pick: An OTA loyalty program? Really?

When someone says "online travel agency loyalty program," I get about as excited as sitting in row 37B. 🙃

As a points-and-miles person, I tend to obsess over the big-name loyalty programs… meaning Expedia is never really on my radar.

Until I heard about One Key…

One Key is the loyalty program shared by Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo — and it’s pretty freaking awesome.

Yes… I'm still going to book directly with hotels whenever it makes sense.

If I'm staying at a Hyatt, Marriott, or Hilton, I still want my elite nights, hotel points, and status perks. 🤷‍♀️

And listen, I love maximizing points as much as the next person.

But not every trip fits perfectly into an airline or hotel loyalty program.

Sometimes you're booking a beach condo on Vrbo. Sometimes the best hotel isn't part of a major chain. Sometimes Expedia simply has the cheapest option.

For example… you could be booking:

• A long weekend in the Rockies (and the cutest cabin is on Vrbo)

• A friend trip to Charleston or Savannah (and the highest-rated boutique hotel isn't part of a major chain)

• A Frontier flight to see your kiddos for the weekend, and just need an inexpensive hotel near the airport

So if you're booking them regardless, why not earn something back?

Enter: One Key. 

Instead of earning points with one airline or hotel chain, you earn OneKeyCash on eligible bookings through Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo that you can put toward future travel.

The most fun part, though, is how they handle elite status. 👇

Rather than asking you to stay a zillion nights at the same hotel brand, One Key counts what it calls “trip elements,” like hotel nights, flights, rental cars, activities, and even cruise nights.

Rack up enough, and you can move through the status tiers pretty quickly.

Are the perks life-changing? No. 😙

BUT, you’re still looking at:

• Discounted member pricing

• A little extra OneKeyCash

• Occasional room upgrades at select VIP Access hotels

• And priority customer support

I meaaaan… talk to ME.

Those are all nice little bonuses for trips you were already planning to book.

The biggest downside is also the biggest thing to remember: booking a chain hotel through an OTA usually means giving up hotel points, elite night credits, and on-property elite benefits. 💔

But if you're booking an independent hotel, a vacation rental, or you're simply chasing the lowest price, One Key starts looking a lot more compelling.

Bottom line

Will this replace transferable points? Uhhh, nah fam.

But as a backup plan (or if you simply want to book the best trip without overthinking), I think One Key is a lot more interesting than it gets credit for.

If I'm flying to Europe and staying at a Hyatt? I'm absolutely booking direct.

But if I'm renting a cabin somewhere random or splitting a beach house with friends, I'd rather book the option I want and earn something back than force a loyalty program.

👀 This Week’s Must-Reads

🌍 Week in Review

• Monday: ✋ 5 best ways to use UR points

• Tuesday: ✈️ The most underrated loyalty program

• Wednesday: ✈️ Transfer points to Frontier (with a bonus)

• Thursday: 🏨 Let’s talk about Wyndham

• Friday: 🇺🇸 Happy (early) 4th from Daily Drop

And that’s a wrap for today, friend.

May the rest of your day be filled with something marinated, grilled, and absolutely doused in ketchup (or… ranch!). 🌭

byeeeeeeee,

40°22'37"N 105°31'19.0"W

With contributions by Mike Dodge and Sam Anthony.