Six months on from its unveiling in beta,
Tripadvisor
is giving its Plus subscription service the big launch treatment this week in the U.S.
The subscription-based program is free for accommodation suppliers to join, while travelers can sign up for an annual membership fee of $99 and get access to savings as well as other offers.
Previously touted
as a "win-win-win" for Tripadvisor, partner hotels and travelers, Plus is one of the most high-profile subscription programs yet introduced in the travel sector.
Following the launch in the U.S. this week, Tripadvisor says it will roll out the product in other markets around the world with other benefits and rewards.
The company claims members will save an average of $350 per hotel stay, with discounts also available on 400,000 tours, activities and attractions.
In a signal that the service is going to expand to other brands, Hertz has been named as the first external provider to get involved in the program, offering savings on its rental cars.
Significantly, Hertz will become a distribution partner for Plus and offer subscriptions to its own customers.
Other new elements of Plus to emerge this week are access to flight deal alerts and personalized travel advice from "Tripinsiders" via text.
Lindsay Nelson, chief experience and brand officer at Tripadvisor, says: "As a company, we've always believed that travel brings out the best in us, and if the last 15 months have taught us anything, we need it more than ever."
"Tripadvisor Plus has your back by unlocking choice, so you can save more to spend more on what you've been missing, whether a quick weekend away of a postponed honeymoon."
* Check out this interview with Nelson, recorded in March 2021 for the PhocusWire Pulse: Loyalty For The Long Haul web event.
PhocusWire Pulse: Loyalty For The Long Haul - Lindsay Nelson of Tripadvisor