By way of an update, we have spoken to our Vrbo friends, and received the following clarifications:
A guest can earn OneKey credit on any North American listing, API or not. But, OneKey credits earned can only be redeemed on platform (non-API) properties.
So in other words, the existence of OneKey does not harm the appeal of your API-connected properties - guests will still earn their OneKey credits when they stay with you. They just can’t redeem those credits on an API-connected property yet, though that is planned for the future.
How will this affect those of us with API connection to VRBO?
https://www.vrbo.com/one-key
| Travel rewards. Airlines have them. Hotels do, too. But vacation rentals? We’re excited to share the news that Vrbo, Expedia, and Hotels.com are launching the largest and most comprehensive travel rewards program our brands have ever created, called One Key, and it's launching mid-2023. |
| When One Key launches in the US* in just a few months, you will be able to earn and use OneKeyCash** (our new rewards currency) on all three brands as a member. With one account, you can book a flight on Expedia, then use the OneKeyCash you earned on a vacation rental on Vrbo—for the first time. How awesome is that? |
| One rewards program, three brands, countless ways to benefit. One Key is going to change the way you travel, and we will be in touch soon about how you can join for free. |
We're not aware of any way that API usage will be affected, though it's early days yet and we don't fully know all of Vrbo's plans.
By way of an update, we have spoken to our Vrbo friends, and received the following clarifications:
A guest can earn OneKey credit on any North American listing, API or not. But, OneKey credits earned can only be redeemed on platform (non-API) properties.
So in other words, the existence of OneKey does not harm the appeal of your API-connected properties - guests will still earn their OneKey credits when they stay with you. They just can’t redeem those credits on an API-connected property yet, though that is planned for the future.
I shared the below in both the "Say No to Vrbo Service Fee" and "Unofficial OwnerRez Support" Facebook Groups.
I'm just not sure how many "points" an average user accumulates (or will accumulate) from their use of hotels.com, Expedia, and/or Vrbo. In 20+ years of business and leisure travel I've used only 2 of those brands and only twice... twice! Thousands of nights in hotels, multiple hundreds of flight segments, years worth of car rentals.... only used them twice! I think the program is going to struggle to bring the value to guests... and value is what drives loyalty.
Expedia will be converting profit into cash when loyalty points are redeemed, so a point won't go very far. Just like with any other loyalty program there are blackout dates, or sometimes a franchisee of the brand opts out of accepting the cash (converted from points) amount which is dictated by the program.
I'm not necessarily predicting failure of the program, but I don't think it will be lighting up the sky anytime soon so I don't think those of us who are software connected will be missing out on much.
