How Loyalty Programs Can Influence Booking Decisions
The holidays come at the same time each year, but the window to book holiday travel keeps moving earlier. According to Google Flights data, the lowest Christmas fares typically appear 56 days before departure, five days earlier than last year, while Thanksgiving fares hit their lowest point 34 days before departure. Travelers trying to stretch their budgets have good reason to start comparing early, including weighing cash prices against points.
Most travelers also have plenty to compare. Our research shows that 60% of active travelers are enrolled in two or more loyalty programs, and 29% in three or more.
Yet many loyalty experiences are still built around the transaction rather than the research that comes before it. That gives loyalty providers a clear opportunity to become part of that decision, attracting new customers and deepening engagement with existing ones by making rewards value clear before travelers choose where to book.
Travelers start where comparison is easiest. Portals can earn that first stop with useful filters, all-in pricing that includes taxes and fees, and cancellation terms shown upfront, so travelers can judge the real cost without leaving the site. All-in pricing is quickly becoming the baseline expectation: since May 2025, the FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees has required businesses offering short-term lodging, including third-party platforms and travel agents, to show travelers the total price upfront.
Portals should then put their exclusive advantages, such as bonus points, cardholder offers, statement credits, or hotel perks, into the search results instead of saving them for checkout, so those benefits shape the decision while it's still being made.
The foothold already exists. Our research shows 83% of surveyed credit cardholders start with their card's travel portal at least some of the time. Among those who gave a reason, 47% pointed to better prices and 38% to the chance to earn additional points. Putting those advantages in front of customers sooner can turn occasional visits into a habit.
Display cash prices and points requirements together in search results, along with any perks, so travelers can compare booking with points against paying cash and earning rewards without doing the math themselves. A simple value indicator, such as what each point is worth on a given booking, takes the guesswork out entirely. That clarity matters this season: according to the flight deal service Going, award prices haven't climbed as fast as cash fares, so points may offer more value than many travelers realize.
Airlines are moving in the same direction. This month, American Airlines began rolling out a cash-and-miles option in which a slider lets members adjust the mix and the total cost updates automatically. The easier the trade-offs are to see, the more confident travelers feel, and the more the portal becomes a planning tool rather than just a checkout page.
Use booking-window patterns to time promotions. With late October to mid-November offering the best Christmas savings, a limited-time offer, such as 5x points on flights and hotels booked that week, reaches travelers while they're actively shopping.
Pair those offers with personalized reminders of value travelers already have: $100 in unused annual travel credits, or a points balance that covers most of a trip. There is plenty to surface. A 2026 BestMoney survey found that 45.1% of travel card holders have let points or miles expire unused, and WalletHub found that more than 2 in 5 people don't know what travel benefits their credit cards include. Each of those is an opening for a well-timed, relevant nudge.
Holiday travel makes the value comparison especially visible, but travelers weigh the same trade-offs when planning summer vacations and weekend getaways. The goal is to make the loyalty portal the natural starting point for every trip: a place where travelers can find competitive options, see how their rewards fit into the cost, and use the benefits they've earned. Each useful experience gives them another reason to come back, turning individual bookings into lasting engagement.
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