Bits: Hotels.com’s One Key gets even worse, our China Airlines winner takes his trip

News in brief:

One Key gets even worse, amazingly

Hotels.com Rewards was a fantastic rewards programme which many HfP readers used to book all of their stays at non-chain hotels. In fact, many also used it for chain bookings because they preferred to spread their stays around – picking the best hotel for their needs – rather than go all in with one brand.

With each stay earning you 10% back on the ex-VAT cost, the rewards quickly added up for heavy stayers.

In 2024, Hotels.com Rewards was trashed. It was merged with Expedia Rewards to form One Key, which offers a return on hotel bookings of just 2%.

It was a total disaster. Hotels.com quickly abandoned the global roll-out of One Key, but it was too late for members in the UK and US.

The only tiny upside of One Key was that you could earn OneKeyCash with Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home rental business. This was promoted as a key selling point of the new scheme.

Except …. One Key has now announced that base level members of the programme will no longer receive any rewards, at all, when booking with vrbo.

Platinum and Gold members of One Key will continue to earn 2%. Silver members will earn at a reduced rate 1%.

Sadly, One Key has just become an even bigger mess than it was. It must surely be time now to put the UK and US back onto the ‘10% return’ scheme still enjoyed by the rest of the world.

Personally, I used my OneKeyCash (around $100) on one stay immediately after the scheme launched and I haven’t visited the Hotels.com website since. I suspect I am not alone.

Our China Airlines winner takes his trip!

Last October we ran a series of reviews focusing on Taiwan, and specifically on the service offered by China Airlines on their direct flights between London Heathrow and Taipei. (Read Rhys’s reviews of China Airlines Premium Business Class and premium economy service, as well as his introduction to Taiwan if you missed them).

As part of this series, China Airlines ran a competition for one lucky reader to win a pair of return business class flights to Taipei. In January we revealed that this was regular reader Alex T.

Alex has just sent us photographic evidence that he and a friend did indeed make it onboard Flight CI82.

His trip report can be summed up as ‘Taiwan was amazing, and China Airlines’ service was incredible.’

Our thanks to China Airlines for providing this prize and we are delighted that you enjoyed the trip Alex! More fabulous HfP competitions (hopefully) coming soon.