CheapTickets.com has introduced a loyalty program and a hotel comparison pricing feature.
The CheapCash program enables travelers to earn rewards and redeem them on the same trip. Users earn a $50 credit when booking any flight on CheapTickets.com. The site increases rewards for mobile bookings, where consumers can earn on both air and hotel. They earn $75 when booking a flight and $25 when booking a hotel.
Consumers can apply that CheapCash to a hotel booking on the same trip or use it for a future trip; however, CheapCash must be used within 30 days, and travel must be completed within a year.
The instant-redemption concept is similar to sister company Orbitz's rewards program Orbucks. However, according to Gayle Pigatto, general manager of CheapTickets, during a soft launch of CheapCash, a third of CheapTickets' customers instantly redeemed their rewards on the same day that they earned them. Orbitz customers, on the other hand, travel more and plan farther out, Pigatto said.
In addition, CheapTickets has introduced a hotel shopping feature that compares CheapTickets' hotel rates with those of up to four of its competitors.
If the CheapTickets.com price is higher, the company will match the lower price plus give the customer $50 in CheapCash through its new Best Price Guarantee.
Follow Kate Rice on Twitter @krtravelweekly.