Priceline Is Extending 2023 VIP Status -- Here's Why That's a Good Sign for 2024 Travel Rewards

Priceline recently announced a nice perk for bargain-hunting travelers: The company is automatically extending its Priceline VIP statuses from 2023 to the end of 2024. So if you had Priceline VIP Gold status last year (2023), you can keep that same level of VIP Gold discounts and benefits for the rest of 2024, even if you haven't booked any new trips yet.

I'm a Priceline VIP Gold member, and I've found the Priceline VIP program (and Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card) to be worthwhile. Priceline is one of my favorite travel search tools, and I use it as a home base for most of my travel bookings. So I'm happy to hear this announcement!

But along with making Priceline a better deal for my personal finances, Priceline's move could also be good news for other reasons. By offering more generous VIP status to travelers, Priceline's announcement could be a promising sign of more abundant deals and discounts throughout the U.S. travel industry in the year ahead.

Let's see what the Priceline VIP announcement might mean for your travel budget in 2024.

Better deals on airfares could be coming in 2024

After the past few years of high inflation, higher prices for airfares, and "revenge spending" on vacations, there has recently been some softening in demand for U.S. domestic air travel. Airline prices, especially for domestic flights, have been getting a bit cheaper in recent months. By extending its VIP status, Priceline could be part of a larger trend where it's becoming easier for U.S. travelers to get good deals on flights, hotels, and vacation packages.

"While prices are still above pre-pandemic levels in many markets, they began to normalize in 2023 and that may continue in 2024," said Brigit Zimmerman, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Priceline. "Looking into Q1, Priceline data shows great airfares to the Caribbean, South America, and Canada -- so there are affordable options to hit the beach or the slopes."

Better deals for frequent flyers?

If Priceline is extending VIP status, this could be a good sign that other frequent flyer programs and travel rewards credit cards might continue to offer good deals and extra value in 2024. Priceline is sending a signal that not every frequent flyer program or travel rewards program is cutting back on benefits or making it harder to get elite status. Priceline's news could be another good sign for air travelers and credit card customers in 2024.

"We designed Priceline VIP to be one of the most innovative and rewarding loyalty programs in the marketplace," Brigit Zimmerman said. "The savings begin as soon as you sign up and the first status tier is reached after only two trips. Additionally, customers can accrue towards both their Priceline VIP and airline program status when booking flights with Priceline."

If you have elite status with an airline, you don't have to choose between Priceline and the airline; you can use both programs, and get rewards from both companies. Just make sure you're booking the right class of airfare on Priceline so you can earn frequent flyer miles or other elite status points. (Most frequent flyer programs don't give you miles for the cheapest class of plane tickets, like basic economy.)

How to save money on travel in 2024 with Priceline

If you're thinking about trying the Priceline VIP program for the first time in 2024, the Priceline CCO has a few tips. Zimmerman recommends:

• Use Priceline to bundle your flight and hotel: This can help you save an average of $240 and up to $625.
• Use Priceline Express Deals for hotels: You choose a few general details for what kind of hotel you want, and then Priceline selects the exact hotel for you. This lets you save up to 60% on hotel prices.
• Get extra VIP discounts on hotels: As a Priceline VIP member, I often see special additional discounts on hotels -- such as an extra 21%, 33%, or up to 50% off -- that appear right in the search results. Priceline shows the discounts by the name of each hotel, and says "You save because you're a VIP!" This is a valuable perk that can make a big difference to save money on your vacation.
• Priority customer service: Waiting on hold to talk with customer service is never fun. If you're a Priceline VIP, you can get priority customer service that can move you to the front of the line. As a Priceline VIP Gold member, I've gotten some extra help and attention on a few occasions when I needed to cancel rooms or reschedule flights -- and the Priceline priority customer service really made a difference in solving my issues fast!

Bottom line: Priceline is extending last year's VIP status throughout 2024. If you're not already a Priceline VIP member, 2024 could be a great time to become one -- and you don't need to sign up for a special credit card. Priceline offers several ways to save money on travel, and you can still earn frequent flyer miles from your favorite airline if you book on Priceline -- as long as your plane tickets are in the right fare classes. Priceline's extended VIP status could also be an early indicator of cheaper airfare prices and more customer-friendly trends in the U.S. travel industry for 2024.