Expedia Partner Solutions allows travel agents to earn up to double their compensation by unlocking coveted B2B rates
Press release
Expedia’s Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) launches B2B rates from international hotel chains delivering a much-needed recovery boost for travel agents through COVID-19.
SEATTLE, Wash., Oct. 07 2020 - Expedia Partner Solutions (EPS), unlocking the power of Expedia Group™ for partners globally, today is announcing the release of business-to-business (B2B) rates on their Expedia TAAP booking tool. EPS enables travel agents to earn up to double their compensation for bookings at international hotel chains including Marriott, Highgate and Club Quarters. The move offers a much-needed recovery boost to travel agents dealing with the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Travel agents can now access B2B rates on over 81,000 room types globally through Expedia TAAP as part of Expedia Group’s optimized distribution program. Current B2B rates move properties up the Expedia TAAP compensation tiers, enabling travel agents to earn up to double the compensation on each booking, fueling their recovery and supporting business growth.
“Travel agents have been hit extremely hard by the pandemic, like the rest of the travel industry, and we’ve been looking for ways to help them recover” said Alfonso Paredes, Senior Vice President, Commercial Partnerships at EPS. “Being part of Expedia Group gives us a unique position to unlock B2B rates at scale. This, coupled with the recent launch of our Expedia TAAP incentive program, shows our commitment to helping travel agents kickstart their return to growth.”
B2B rates on Expedia TAAP is an extension of the industry-changing optimized distribution program, which launched last year when Expedia Group became the exclusive global distributor of Marriott B2B rates, content and availability. Since then, it’s been expanded to include other leading global hotel chains, with more due to be added in the coming months. All hotel partners who join will be able to tap into new areas of B2B demand and benefit from increased control of their B2B rates across a large network of global travel providers.
Continuation of recovery strategy This B2B rates initiative comes on top of Expedia TAAP incentive program which recently launched in nine countries. By offering fast track upgrades to ‘silver tier’, travel agents can unlock up to 42% more revenue on all lodging bookings and gain access to package rates that attract a higher value traveler. In addition to this, nearly 70% of lodging rates on Expedia TAAP are now refundable and more than 150,000 properties have already added their sanitization standards and processes to the platform, giving travelers added peace of mind when booking.
Updated information about policies for October
As COVID-19 continues to affect the travel industry, we wanted to let you know about the policies which will apply to bookings across all lines of business made prior to 20 March 2020 with check-in dates between 1 October and 31 October 2020.
Lodging: Property flexible cancellation policy: Bookings where properties have implemented their own flexible cancellation policies will be converted to refundable in our systems so that you can self-serve online within Expedia TAAP and receive refunds.
Expedia flexible policy: The Expedia flexible policy is being dynamically defined based on current travel restrictions. Bookings that are eligible for the Expedia flexible policy will be converted to refundable in our systems so that you can self-serve online within Expedia TAAP and receive refunds since Expedia TAAP coupons/vouchers are no longer being issued.
Original property cancellation policy continues to apply: Bookings not covered above will retain the properties’ original refundability policy.
| Other Lines of Business | Policy |
| Flight | In most cases, you will receive a flight credit for future travel or a refund if the booking is canceled at least 24 hours before their travel date. |
| Car | Car bookings will receive a full refund, if a car is canceled at least six hours before the scheduled pick-up. |
| Activities | The Expedia flexible policy is being dynamically defined based on current travel restrictions. Activity bookings that are eligible for the Expedia flexible policy will be converted to refundable, or the validity dates of the tickets will be automatically extended. Bookings that are not covered by the Expedia flexible policy will retain the activity provider’s original refundability policy. |
| Insurance | Insurance is non-refundable. |
| Package | As a general rule, the cancellation policy for each individual component (outlined above) will apply. This may vary for packages booked on EU points of sale. |
What do I need to do?
Bookings will be converted in our systems on a rolling weekly basis. On or around every Thursday, please check the status of your bookings with check-in dates within the next two weeks.
As the refundability of booking is updated, you can self-serve any booking that shows as refundable within Expedia TAAP. Where applicable, bookings should be canceled before the check-in date and before any cancellation fee applies. As usual, most refundable bookings have a 24-hour cancellation fee policy, but in some cases this can be longer. Bookings that are canceled inside the cancellation fee policy or are not canceled and result in no-shows will not be refunded.
While the COVID-19 outbreak is posing challenges on an unprecedented scale, we remain committed to keeping you informed in order to improve the experience of the travelers you serve.
Thank you,
Your Expedia TAAP Team