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I’ve been traveling around the globe since the age 6, and exploring new places is important to me. However, it’s an expensive hobby! So, in this Priceline vs Booking.com comparison, which one will make it easier to save money on flights, experiences, and hotel stays?
Are they easy to use?
And, crucially, which one has the best reward scheme?
I’ll answer those questions and share my honest opinions and experiences with each platform.
Bottom Line Up Front
Overall, Priceline has the edge, but it depends on what you’re looking for. They have excellent bundles; you can get big discounts using their VIP program.
Having said that, I do really enjoy using Booking.com too, and I prefer their UI.
Priceline vs Booking.com – Snapshot Comparison
| Feature | Priceline | Booking.com |
| User-Friendliness | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Package Deals | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Rewards/Loyalty Points | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Costs/Pricing | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Mobile App | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Travel Insurance | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Refund Policy | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Overall | 7/10 | 7/10 |
Main Differences Between Priceline vs Booking.com
The main differences between Priceline vs Booking.com are:
- Priceline is catered more for theme park holidays and fun experiences, whereas Booking.com is more for hotel stays and relaxing vacations
- Priceline’s UI is a little cluttered and confusing at times, whereas Booking.com’s UI is very easy to navigate
- Priceline’s reward scheme can give some big discounts, whereas Booking.com’s possible discounts are smaller
- Priceline offers travel insurance with a partner company at checkout, whereas Booking.com doesn’t
- Priceline’s mobile app has more features, whereas Booking.com’s mobile app is a little more stripped-back
The Main Features of Priceline
Founded in 1997, Priceline is an online travel agency focused on offering discounts to members. I’ve used it a few times, and it’s an excellent place to go for booking experiences and family theme park vacations.
User-Friendliness
Priceline is great. Straight up front, you can look for hotels, flights, cars, and cruises, or pick a bundle to make it easier.
I think the interface is pretty good, although perhaps a little cluttered: there’s a lot of information to take in at once, particularly once you start looking into the details of each trip. I would prefer it to be slightly easier to navigate, perhaps, but overall it works well.
Packages/Deals
You can book the following using Priceline:
- Hotels
- Cars
- Flights
- Bundles
- Cruises
- Experiences
I’d say one big strength of Priceline is the ability to book bundles, especially theme park bundles. For example, you can save up to 30% on select Disney Resort hotels. That means you can make some significant savings by booking through Priceline rather than going directly to Disney. I also like Priceline Experiences. You can search for these by area, allowing you to build your vacation around some of the most famous spots in the country you’re visiting. You’ll find in-depth information on other activities you can visit, too.
Everything on Priceline is (perhaps unsurprisingly!) focused on pricing. I like that they make it clear how much everything costs; they’ll also highlight the best deals and allow you to filter by price, so you can find something even on a tight budget. Their flight finder is pretty good too. You can prioritize what is essential (like seat selection or luggage allowance) and find great deals. You can also quickly add a hotel to the package to save some cash by creating a bundle.
I think that Priceline has some excellent deals, and it’s worth checking them out if you’re planning a big trip, particularly theme park vacations. Having said that, you can visit regular hotels and just book flights, too. So it’s worth checking Priceline for a bargain.
Rewards/Loyalty Points
Priceline has a VIP loyalty program, which is a little more complicated than Booking.com’s loyalty program. Getting the maximum benefit from Priceline’s membership will involve a littel searching around.
There are different levels to work you way up to:
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
You’ll move up the rankings the more holidays you book, and the VIP program is free to sign up for. The best option is to book a flight and add hotels and rental cars to your existing trip. This stands to gain you the biggest discount. You don’t earn points, but moving up the levels is fairly easy. Plus, if you sign up for the Priceline Rewards Visa Card, you’ll immediately move up to VIP Gold.
I always like a reward scheme that offers reward points, but this is still pretty good.
Travel Insurance
Priceline partners with Allianz Protection if you want to purchase travel insurance that way. You can book travel insurance at checkout, making it easier than visiting a third-party insurance service separately.
Benefits of Allianz Trip Protection include:
- Trip cancellation and interruption protection
- Trip and baggage delay
- Baggage loss/damage protection
- Emergency medical coverage and transportation
- Live assistance and concierge services
The insurance is competitively priced, which is excellent. I like the convenience of being able to book it at the same time.
Mobile App
The Priceline app is really good. It has more to offer than Booking.com’s app. You can book trips, view your VIP status, view your pending and past trips, and find new places to explore.
You can view last-minute deals, which is useful if you’re on the road and need somewhere to stay. Plus, I like the street view option: this allows you to virtually walk the streets around your chosen destination, which is useful for getting a feel of the area before you go. If you love to plan trips down to the last detail, this is a really useful tool!
The app has some lower prices, too, so it’s definitely a good idea to download it: you might find the same destination is cheaper on the app than on the desktop version.
Refund Policy
Priceline has a ‘cancel for any reason’ service, which means you can cancel your flight, for any reason, at least 8 hours prior to your departure and receive either a partial or full refund. This is pretty generous, given that it literally means any reason – you don’t need to provide a doctor’s note, for example. There are terms and conditions attached to this, but it’s still pretty good.
Hotel refunds depend on your chosen destination: some offer full or partial refunds, others don’t, so it’s a good idea to check this carefully before you book.
The Main Features of Booking.com
Launched in 2000, Booking.com allows you to book vacations, flights, and more. It’s easy to use, and I’ve personally used it several times over the years. Here’s what I think of the main features:
User-Friendliness
First off, Booking.com is very easy to use. The UI is less cluttered than Priceline, and it’s super easy to navigate. Plus, their travel guides are useful: if you haven’t decided on your destination, it’s a good place to go to get some ideas.
I’d say that Booking.com is a little easier to use than Priceline.
Packages/Deals
You can book the following on Booking.com:
- Stays
- Flights
- Flights + Hotels
- Car Rentals
- Attractions
- Airport Taxis
I like that you can book everything under one roof: you can essentially build your entire vacation using Booking.com, and it’s really easy to do.
The bundles are pretty good, and you can save some money by booking last minute if you’re flexible. However, I’d say that Priceline is more suited to finding deals. I like that you can view thousands of verified reviews for each hotel: the quality of hotels can vary, so real customer reviews will be able to give you a more honest picture of how each hotel actually feels to stay in.
I think they’re both evenly matched in terms of convenience. However, I think which one you go for will depend on what you’re looking for: Priceline is better suited for people looking for exciting experiences, whereas Booking.com is ideal if you want to explore a local area in-depth, hitting all the best tourist spots.
You can also get some decently priced flights on Booking.com, if you’re going to stay with family or friends.
Rewards/Loyalty Points
Booking.com has a loyalty scheme called Genius, which is pretty good.
The rewards include:
- Level 1 – 10% discount
- Level 2 – 15% discount, free breakfasts, free room upgrades for selected properties
- Level 3 – 20% discount, free breakfasts, free room upgrades for selected properties, priority support
That’s a good discount if you can make it to level 3! Moving up the ladder is pretty simple (you just have to keep booking flights and stays with Booking.com), but it’s worth noting that not every hotel qualifies for the Genius discount.
I think that this is the easier-to-understand reward system of the two, and up to 20% discount is excellent. However, you can stand to save a lot of money using bundles on Priceline, so if money saving is the goal, it probably has the edge.
You can use your discount and still gain air miles and credit card rewards, which is great.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance isn’t available from Booking.com, and they don’t offer it at the checkout, so you’ll have to get your insurance separately.
Every hotel has its own cancelation policy, too, which is something to keep in mind before you book: you might find yourself having to pay a fee if you cancel after a certain time.
Mobile App
The mobile app is very simple to use:
I’d say it’s not as good as Priceline’s app, as it doesn’t have some of the features like street view, for example. Still, it contains all the info you need for your past and future stays, as well as a breakdown of where you are on the Genius program ladder.
The app also has some excellent discounts. Like Priceline, it’s worth checking because you might be able to get the same deal cheaper on the app than you would on the desktop version.
Refund Policy
If you cancel your trip up to 30 days before the arrival date, you can walk away with no cancelation fee. If you cancel closer to the time, you might be hit with a fee. Navigating refunds will depend on the service provider’s refund and cancelation policy: it’s worth checking this before you confirm your booking.
Priceline vs. Booking.com: Pros and Cons
Let’s check out the pros and cons of both before I give you my final verdict.
Priceline Pros
- Excellent deals, particularly on bundles
- Perfect for adventures and theme park trips
- Reward program is pretty good
- Mobile app is very useful
Priceline Cons
- UI is a little cluttered
- So many deals to choose from, it can be difficult to pick the best one
Booking.com Pros
- UI is easy to navigate
- Vacation guides are helpful
- Good for last-minute bargains
- Mobile app is simple and easy to use
- Convenient: can book almost everything under one roof
Booking.com Cons
- Reward program could be better
- Mobile app doesn’t have as many features as Priceline’s
Alternatives to Try
There are some alternatives you can check out instead:
- Expedia – this is great for booking hotel stays and day trips. It has an excellent reward scheme, too. You can read more about it in my Expedia vs. Booking.com comparison.
- Google Flights – perfect for finding the best prices for flights, Google Flights is ideal for saving money if you fly often. You can find out more in my Google Flights vs. Expedia comparison.
- Vrbo – you can book holiday homes or apartments using Vrbo, which is perfect if you’d rather stay somewhere that allows for self-catering, as opposed to a hotel.
- Hostelworld – if you’re traveling and you want to connect with others, you can use Hostelworld to review and book hostels across the globe, as well as arrange a meet-up with other travelers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Priceline and Booking.com:
Question: Will I be Covered by ATOL Protection if I Use Priceline or Booking.com?
Answer: You will be protected by ATOL protection (Air Travel Organiser’s License Protection) if you book anything with a flight. This means if the airline shuts down before or during your trip, you’ll get your money back.
However, just day trips or experiences won’t be protected.
Question: Is it Cheaper to go Direct or Use a Booking Website?
Answer: Most of the time, it’s cheaper to go for a booking website. They have the power to negotiate better deals, and hotels can get so much more exposure by being on something like Priceline or Booking.com, so it works for everyone.
However, sometimes you can get excellent deals by going straight to the provider. It’s definitely worth checking before you book! Shopping around is always a good idea just to be on the safe side.
Question: Can I Save Money by Using the Priceline or Booking.com App?
Answer: Yes, both platforms have special discounts if you download the mobile app, so it’s a good idea to check it out before you book a stay!
Question: Can I Book Just Flights with Priceline or Booking.com?
Answer: Yes, you don’t need to book a hotel: you can just book flights using Priceline or Booking.com.
Priceline vs Booking.com Compared: My Final Thoughts
Priceline has to be the winner, and it has some excellent discounts on experiences like theme parks and other adventures. Their VIP program offers big discounts if you can work your way up the ladder. Plus, their mobile app is excellent.
But Booking.com is great. I prefer the UI, I find it easier to navigate, and it’s better for booking tourist experiences and relaxing hotel vacations. Their Genius program is easy to understand, too.
Read More: Travel Booking Points Programs Guide