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I’ve been flying all over the world since a very young age, and it’s a rewarding but expensive hobby! Booking websites can save you money, but there are a lot of them to choose from. The question is, how can you save money when you want to travel? When it comes to Expedia vs. Priceline, which has more affordable trips? Which one has the best reward scheme, and which is easier to use?
I’ve looked at Expedia and Priceline and while they’re both pretty different, they each have their own pros and cons. Keep reading this Expedia vs Priceline compared guide to find out more about them!
The Bottom Line Up Front
Personally, I prefer Expedia: the reward scheme is better, and the UI is very easy to navigate. They have a great range of trips and experiences, too. Having said that, Priceline has some great benefits: if you want to book a Disney trip, you may save some money!
Expedia vs. Priceline – Snapshot Comparison
| Feature | Expedia | Priceline |
| User-Friendliness | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Package Deals | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Rewards/Loyalty Points | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Costs/Pricing | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Mobile App | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Travel Insurance | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Refund Policy | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Overall | 8/10 | 7/10 |
Main Differences Between Expedia vs Priceline
The main differences between Expedia vs Priceline are:
- Expedia has a very easy-to-navigate UI, whereas Priceline’s UI is a little more cluttered.
- Expedia’s loyalty scheme is great, whereas Priceline’s loyalty scheme is a little more tricky to understand
- Expedia’s mobile app is pretty good, whereas Priceline’s mobile app is more useful
- Expedia offers their own travel insurance, whereas Priceline uses a partner for insurance
- Expedia’s refund policy can be tricky to navigate, whereas Priceline’s refund policy is a little easier
The Main Features of Expedia
I’ve used Expedia many times over the years, and find it to be pretty straightforward. It’s one of the better booking platforms regarding their loyalty scheme, but we’ll get into that a little later!
User-Friendliness
Expedia is super user-friendly. It’s so easy to navigate: just use the menu at the top to choose what you want or insert your dates to see suitable trips.
The UI is pretty good, and if you need inspiration, the travel guides are super helpful for planning a trip. Overall, I think it’s a good platform to use. Not too cluttered but still interesting to look at.
Packages/Deals
Expedia offers more than just stays. You can book the following:
- Stays
- Flights
- Cars
- Packages
- Things to Do
- Cruises
In terms of booking trips, I’ve had a lot of enjoyable vacations when booking through Expedia. They have a vast range to choose from and for all budgets. Their 5-star stars are incredible, and you can travel just about anywhere.
If luxury vacations are out of your price range, you can take advantage of Expedia’s last-minute deals. These are pretty good if you can be flexible and you’re willing to try somewhere new.
You’ll often find that last-minute stays have a decent discount added, so you can save money that way. Members get lower prices too, which is great. I like that you can book days out using Expedia. This means that, along with flights and a hotel, you can book almost everything in one platform, making it a lot easier to keep track of everything.
In the above example, if you want to book a trip down the Seine River in Paris, you can find out everything you need to know, from meeting points to pricing to an overview of what to expect on the trip.
It’s also useful to note that thousands of verified reviews exist for each trip and activity. Expedia, like most booking platforms, can’t control the quality of every hotel or package. Underneath the description, you’ll find real opinions from many visitors over the years, which makes it much easier to make an informed decision. It’s also really easy to book everything, which is great.
Reward Scheme/Loyalty Points
I really like the reward scheme from Expedia. It uses its program One Key, which can offer anything from a 10% discount on thousands of hotels to 30% off if you add a hotel to a flight. As you book trips or activities with Expedia, you’ll move up the ladder on their reward scheme, which means you’ll unlock better benefits: you can even get free room upgrades or food and drink rewards.
On top of this, you’ll earn OneKeyCash, essentially loyalty points. These can be spent on Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.com, but only on selected trips. Still, considering that you’ll be gaining these points on top of your airline loyalty program earnings and your credit card rewards, this is a smart way to travel.
Travel Insurance
You can book travel insurance using Expedia, which is helpful because you won’t have to deal with a separate platform or provider.
There are a few types to choose from:
Package Protection Plan:
This protects you from:
- Changing or canceling your flight
- Flight delays
- Early return home in the event of an emergency
- Emergency medical bills
- Stolen, lost, or damaged baggage
- If anyone in your party is injured or killed
- If you need to call someone for help
Expedia Vacation Waiver:
This entitles you to one instance of changing your flight (or canceling it altogether).
Emergency Cancellation Plan:
This entitles you to a refund if you have a medical emergency and can’t attend your trip. But you will need a doctor’s note, which only applies to US flights.
Total Protection Plan:
This covers you for last-minute cancellations in the case of medical emergencies and also protects your baggage against loss, theft, or damage.
Cruise Travel Protection:
This covers you if you have booked a cruise through Expedia or need to cancel your trip due to a medical emergency. It also protects you if your cruise is delayed, you need to pay medical bills, or if your luggage is damaged, lost, or stolen.
Car Rental Insurance:
If you book a car through Expedia and there is an extreme weather event (like hail, wind, flooding, or fire), this covers any damages.
Mobile App
The Expedia mobile app, like the website, is easy to use.
You can book trips, view your upcoming trips, or see past trips. You’ll also get notifications (if you choose to have them switched on) and see your progress in the OneKey reward scheme.
It’s worth downloading the app because you might be able to get 20% off certain trips!
Refund Policy
The downside of Expedia is that it can be difficult to get refunds. It can be complicated because you’ll have to deal with Expedia and the travel providers. They may all have their refund policies, and you’ll need to work out refunds with all of them. This can become tricky if you’ve booked flights, a hotel, and various day trips.
There are also cancellation fees to consider: it’s worth checking before you book anything on Expedia in case you get hit with fees in an emergency.
The Main Features of Priceline
Priceline was founded in 1997, so it’s been around for a while! It’s perfect for booking family trips and adventures, particularly if you’re into theme parks.
User-Friendliness
Priceline is pretty user-friendly, particularly the app (but more on that a little later). You can easily search for a trip by inputting your location, date, and the number of people staying.
I would say that the UI is kind of cluttered. There’s a lot to take in here, and the information pages for individual trips are overwhelming. I prefer the layout of Expedia for that reason, but you can still find what you’re looking for on Priceline.
Packages/Deals
You can book several different experiences on Priceline, including:
- Hotels
- Cars
- Flights
- Bundles
- Cruises
- Experiences
The bundles are particularly good on Priceline. If you want to build your vacation around a theme park, you can get some really good prices here. They have up to 30% off certain Disney Resort hotels, which means you can save significantly by using them rather than booking directly.
Priceline Experiences is also fun to use. You can search by area, bringing up all the fun experiences and trips you can have while you’re there. Everything from zoo passes to aquarium trips to museum visits can be booked through Priceline. You can also book some more adventurous experiences like skydiving.
The pricing is pretty good: the focus seems to be on saving money, so bargain trips are prominently displayed. If you’re trying to find new experiences on a tight budget, you might just be able to find them here.
The flight finder is good, too, especially if you need cheap flights. You can save the most money if you go for both flights and a hotel through Priceline.
Rewards/Loyalty Points
Priceline has a VIP loyalty program. This is a little more difficult to work out than Expedia’s, but it is pretty good if you can move up the ladder.
There are a few levels in the program:
VIP:
- Best price guarantee
- Up to 10% hotel savings
- Up to 10% car rentals
- Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars (when adding to existing trip)
- 5% Express Deal coupon after every trip
VIP Blue:
- Best price guarantee
- Up to 50% on 15,000 hotels
- Up to 15% car rentals
- Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars (when adding to existing trip)
- 5% Express Deal coupon after every trip
VIP Gold:
- Best Price guarantee
- Up to 50% on 30,000 hotels
- Up to 20% car rentals
- Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars (when adding to existing trip)
- 8% Express Deal coupon after every trip
- Priority customer support
VIP Platinum:
- Best Price guarantee
- Up to 50% on 30,000 hotels
- Up to 20% car rentals
- Up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars (when adding to existing trip)
- 10% Express Deal coupon after every trip
- Priority customer support
Of course, the more you book, the higher you’ll move up the ladder. The VIP program is free to sign up for, and it’s absolutely worth doing.
You will save the most by booking a flight and adding hotels and rental cars to your trip. If you reach the Platinum level, you’ll save up to 50% on hotels and 20% on rental cars on selected trips.
You can also sign up for the Priceline Rewards Visa Card, which immediately bumps you into VIP Gold.
I do like this reward scheme, but I tend to prefer loyalty schemes that offer reward points. Still, it’s worth seeing if you can save some money using the VIP program.
Travel Insurance
You can book insurance with Priceline’s partner, Allianz Protection, which means you can do it all in one go. This includes:
- Trip cancellation and interruption protection
- Trip and baggage delay
- Baggage loss/damage protection
- Emergency medical coverage and transportation
- Live assistance and concierge services
It’s competitively priced and pretty easy to book.
Mobile App
The app is easy to use. You can book trips, see your upcoming and past trips, and check your VIP status.
I like Priceline’s app more than Expedia’s. You can use it to virtually walk the streets you’re heading to, which is great if you love to plan everything (or if you have a tendency of getting lost!).
Like Expedia’s app, you can save some money by using Priceline’s app, so it’s worth downloading to check.
Refund Policy
Priceline has a service called ‘cancel for any reason,’ which means that if you cancel up to 8 hours before your departure, you’ll get a partial or a full refund. You don’t need to provide evidence (like a doctor’s note, for example). There are some terms and conditions attached to this, but this is still pretty good.
Hotel refunds, however, depend on the provider, so you’ll need to check this before you book.
Expedia vs. Priceline – Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of both:
Expedia Pros
- Huge variety of trips and experiences
- Easy-to-use platform
- Pricing is good
- Reward program is great
- Mobile app is easy to use, and offers further discounts
Expedia Cons
- Refunds can be hard to get
Priceline Pros
- Good deals on bundles
- Can save money if booking a Disney trio
- Reward program is good
- Mobile app is useful
Priceline Cons
- UI on the website could be better
- A little overwhelming to choose a trip
Expedia vs. Priceline: Alternatives to Try
There are a few more booking websites I’d recommend, too:
- Google Flights – this is excellent for finding the best prices for flights. You can find out more in my Google Flights vs. Expedia comparison.
- Hotels.com– this shares Expedia’s reward scheme and is great for booking high-quality hotels.
- Vrbo – Vrbo is like Airbnb – it allows you to book rental homes or apartments for vacations, which is great if you don’t want to go for a hotel.w
- Booking.com – this also shares the same reward scheme as Expedia and is a good platform for booking trips and experiences. You can read more in my Hotels.com vs Booking.com comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap up, here are some frequently asked questions about Expedia and Priceline:
Question: Can I Just Book Flights with Expedia or Priceline, or do I Need to Book Whole Trips?
Answer: No, you can book just flights on Expedia and Priceline.
Question: Can I Save Money by Booking with a Third-Party Site?
Answer: Generally, yes. Third-party sites like Expedia and Priceline can negotiate better deals and pass those savings on to customers.
Having said that, sometimes it’s better to go direct if the provider is having a last-minute sale. It’s worth checking all your options!
Question: Is it Worth Downloading the Expedia or Priceline app?
Answer: Absolutely! Downloading the app can save money, so it’s worth checking. Plus, it’s convenient to have all the information you need on your phone.
To Sum Up …
Overall, I prefer Expedia. The reward scheme is better, as it offers both rewards and points, and the UI is better. I’ve used it a bunch of times and never had any issues, which is great. However, Priceline‘s app is undoubtedly better, they still have a good reward scheme, and they’re great for booking theme park experiences.