Can You Triple Dip on Your Travel Rewards?

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Every airline and hotel chain will offer their customers rewards points and miles for their reservation. And when travelers have their co-branded credit card, they can earn additional rewards for their reservation, or “double dip.” But can you do more — can you “triple dip” on travel rewards?

To have a chance at triple dipping, travelers need to earn rewards from an airline, a travel agency and a travel agency’s credit card. Citi just released its Expedia+ Voyager card that can allow cardholders to do just that as cardholders can simultaneously earn rewards in three different ways.

1. Travelers can earn points and miles with the airline or hotel they book, although many hotels don’t offer points to guests who book with an online travel agent.

2. Travelers who book through Expedia earn points in the Expedia+ Rewards program. These travelers earn two points per dollar spent on hotels or vacation packages, or on activities or select cruises booked through Expedia, but just one point per $5 spent on flights booked through Expedia.

3. The new Expedia cards from Citi offer points in the Expedia+ Rewards program. Holders of the Expedia+ Voyager card ($95 annual fee) earn four points per dollar spent on qualifying Expedia purchases, while the standard, no-fee version offers three points per dollar spent on qualifying Expedia purchases.

I spoke with David Doctorow, Expedia’s chief marketing and strategy officer and senior vice president-global marketing, who emphasized that Citi is trying to do more in the way of customer service. This means that the Expedia+ Voyager card allows you to enjoy Gold status in the Expedia+ rewards program, which gets you an elevated level of customer service and even hotel upgrades at more than 1,400 hotels.

Other Benefits of Expedia Rewards Cards

The Voyager+ card with the $95 annual fee also features a $100 annual statement credit toward airline fees on qualified airlines, WiFi carriers, or for the Global Entry application fee. In addition, new cardholders are offered 25,000 points when they use their card to spend at least $2,000 within three months of account opening, and another 5,000 bonus points for those who spend at least $10,000 within a cardmember year.

This card is also offered in a no-fee version that features three points per dollar spent on qualifying Expedia charges, doesn’t grant Gold status, and has a sign-up bonus of 25,000 points when new cardmembers spend $2,000 within three months of account opening.

More Ways to Max Out Your Rewards

Travelocity Rewards American Express card from Barclaycard. This card currently offers new cardholders 5,000 points after their first purchase, plus another 5,000 points after spending $1,000 on qualifying transactions within 90 days of account opening. Cardholders also receive three points per dollar spent on eligible Travelocity purchases, and one point per dollar on all other transactions.

Points can be redeemed for for statement credits toward Travelocity purchases, and their value depends on how many you redeem at once. For example, 10,000 points earns a $100 statement credit while 20,000 points earns a $400 statement credit. There is no annual fee for this card.

Priceline Rewards Visa card from Barclaycard. Like the Travelocity card, new applicants also receive 5,000 points after their first purchase, as well as another 5,000 points after spending $1,000 on qualifying transactions within 90 days of account opening.

These 10,000 total points are worth one cents each in the form of a $100 statement credit. Cardholders also earn five points per dollar spent at Travelocity, and one cent per dollar on all other purchases. There is no annual fee for this card.

Orbitz Reward Visa card from Comenity Capital Bank. This card offers an additional 5% back on Orbitz bookings, beyond the 5% offered by the Orbitz reward program, and 2% back in Orbitz reward points on all other purchases. New cardmembers also receive a $50 statement credit when they spend just $200 within the first 90 days. Cardmembers also receive Gold status in the Orbitz Rewards program, which features priority customer service as well as benefits at select hotels. There is no annual fee for this card.

Rewards cards such as these are generally available only to customers with excellent credit. (If you’re not sure if that’s you, you can get a free credit score from Credit.com every 30 days, along with a plan for how to improve it.) Rewards cards are a good idea only for people who are able to pay off their balances monthly. Interest rates are typically on the high side, and carrying a balance would almost certainly wipe out the value of any rewards.

Note: It’s important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.