Expedia has rolled out a package of changes to its One Key loyalty program that mixes some genuinely useful new perks with quiet cuts to how much members earn. The headline additions: discounted CLEAR+ airport security membership, free lounge access when flights run seriously late, and automatic price-drop protection on airfare. The catch: Blue members now earn half as much back on hotel bookings, and standalone flights no longer earn a rebate at all.
The CLEAR deal is the standout for frequent flyers who don't hold airline status. A standard CLEAR+ membership costs $219 a year, but One Key Platinum members pay just $129 — and if you pay with an American Express Platinum card, the annual statement credit of up to $219 covers the whole thing. For a couple, that works out to roughly $35 total after the credit, versus $344 at standard pricing. There's a catch buried in the terms, though: this rate is only for first-time CLEAR enrollees. Existing members can't link their accounts and renew cheaper, unlike the airline deals. Silver and Gold members pay $179, matching the elite rate that United and Delta offer — rates that have quietly worsened in recent years. Military members and government employees can still do better at $125 by enrolling in person at an airport.
The lounge benefit, launching for flights booked from September 30, 2026, extends to Gold members as well as Platinum. Register your flight at least 24 hours before departure (some airlines are excluded), and if it's delayed by 90 minutes or more, everyone on the itinerary gets a LoungeKey pass — covering networks like Plaza Premium and The Club. No lounge at the airport? You'll each get $20 in OneKeyCash instead.
Price Drop Protection applies to eligible flights booked through the app: Expedia checks its own prices every 24 hours and refunds any drop in OneKeyCash after travel. It's a convenience rather than a magic trick — it only tracks Expedia's own fares, pays in travel credit rather than cash, and you could chase a refund yourself. Still, the company says it paid out $28 million in price protection credits in 2025.
Now the downsides. Since July 28, Blue members earn just 1% in OneKeyCash on hotels (down from 2%) — a $1,000 booking now returns $10 instead of $20. Platinum members were bumped up to 3%, but the old 0.2% flight rebate is gone and the Hotel Price Guarantee has been retired for new bookings. Status itself is free-ish to reach: the no-fee One Key card grants Silver, the $99 One Key+ card grants Gold, and Platinum comes after $30,000 in annual spending or 30 trip elements.
Who should care? If you're a frequent traveller without United, Delta or Alaska elite status, the $129 CLEAR route via Expedia Platinum is a legitimately good workaround — provided you're a first-time CLEAR member. The lounge-on-delay perk is a nice safety net for 2027 trips. But if you're a casual Blue member relying on hotel rebates, the program just got noticeably stingier.
