With today’s launch of Orbitz Rewards Dining−a new dining program that allows Orbitz Rewards members to earn 5% in Orbucks (the currency of the Orbitz Rewards loyalty program) when dining at over 11,000 restaurants across North America, or 7% in Orbucks when using the Orbitz Rewards Visa card, Orbitz.com and Rewards Network officials are confident it will attract new customers and spark increased engagement.
“We are very optimistic that this will be a sticky benefit that will both attract new customers to join Orbitz Rewards, as well as drive increased engagement,” Sarah Butterfass, senior director of loyalty, Orbitz Worldwide, explained to Loyalty360. “Since our customers don’t book travel as frequently as they dine, this gives them a great opportunity to earn on something they would be doing anyway, and weave them more into our brand so that when they are ready to book travel, they will have some Orbucks to save money on their vacation. Since all they have to do is enroll a credit/debit card and then dine−their card is automatically recognized and the rewards then credited−there really is no effort or time on the part of our members. It’s simple and free, which are the core tenets to Orbitz Rewards.”
Orbitz Rewards Dining is a free program and easy to join. Starting today, members can sign up at www.orbitzrewardsdining.com to begin dining their way to an incredible getaway and can register up to five major credit or debit cards to earn and track all dining purchases. Members can also use the Orbitz Rewards Dining website to search by city and find restaurants eligible for earning Orbucks. Orbitz Rewards Visa cardholders are automatically enrolled into Orbitz Rewards Dining and will always earn more when using their card while dining at participating restaurants.
Orbitz.com launched Orbitz Rewards Dining in partnership with Rewards Network–the leading dining rewards program in North America.
Butterfass explained that Orbitz Rewards is constantly searching for new outlets to diversify the ways its members can earn to increase the value of the program and continue to bolster the benefits associated with membership.
“Dining is our first step purely outside of the travel category, but obviously with strong ties to travel that will be available to all members,” Butterfass said. “It was also timed to roll-out shortly after Visa Card, with direct ties to it (auto-enrollment in Dining for cardholders).”
Members who enroll, or who are auto-enrolled because they have an Orbitz Rewards Visa card, will be earning free rewards for doing something they would be doing anyway– dining at their favorite restaurants, bars, and clubs, Butterfass said.
“So, I think in many cases, it will be a nice surprise for them to see their Orbucks stack up, and give them a compelling reason to engage with Orbitz, not just as a travel booking site, but as an overall brand,” she added.
Orbitz Rewards launched in October 2013 and now has more than 2 million members. The simple, fast and flexible loyalty program rewards travelers in Orbucks currency on air and hotel purchases that can be instantly redeemed on tens of thousands of Orbitz Rewards hotels. There are no complicated points to calculate–one Orbuck equals one U.S. dollar–and there are no blackout dates, no unrealistic redemption hurdles and no restrictions on combining rewards with other offers.
In less than one year since the program’s launch, Orbitz Rewards has been recognized by the 2014 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) as the No. 1 Travel Rewards program among online travel companies.