(this post represent my personal opinion, and not my current or future employers)

(Discuss on Hacker news)

Expedia just lost an Elite member, who spent about 150,000$ (I can’t find the exact figure) on Expedia in the last six years. How? By simply ignoring the basic rule of customer care: CARING ABOUT THE CUSTOMER.

Expedia offers a REWARDS PROGRAM. As you can guess, it means that when you book your flights and hotels on Expedia, you get rewarded with points that you can later spend to redeem rewards.

My 72,000+ balance means that I spent more than 72,000$ on Expedia, since the program has been introduced.

Let me tell you what happened between me and them.

False hopes

Last year my balance was above 50,000 points, and I could redeem these 50,000 points for a 1,000$ hotel coupon. Not bad.

In August 2013, unbeknownst to me, Expedia decides to change its program, and devalue points. They didn’t tell their customers. After that change, I am now able to redeem 70,000 points for a 500$ coupon.

Some simple maths can tell you how much these points have been devalued: with 140,000 points (instead of 50,000) I could redeem a 1,000$ certificate (that’s at least what I guess, since I found no way to know for sure), which means that points have been devalued by 180%.

It seems common, nowadays, that companies decide to SCREW UP their customers, by suddenly devaluing these points. They use great excuses, elegantly drafted by their PR and Marketing teams, but they remain excuses.
At least, United.com decided to warn customers before such a devaluation (which is still unfair). Expedia, not even so.

My discussion with Expedia

I messaged Expedia’s customer service twice on their website, with no answer. I called them, with no result other than the usual “We can’t do anything”. Really? Is there a law of Physics that prevents you from doing SOMETHING about it?

I then Tweeted about my issue, and someone at Expedia promptly responded.

I managed to send them an email with all details, as follows:

“Greetings,

I’ve been a loyal, Elite customer for years, using expedia to book about 100 flights and 200+ hotel nights a year, for a total that is probably close to 150/200 thousand dollars.

As a result of that, I accumulated points (now just above 70,000), and I had planned to use 50,000 points to redeem a 1,000$ hotel certificate to be used as a gift for my Dad.

A few days ago, I discovered that instead of 50,000 points for 1,000$ coupon, I can now spend 70,000 points for a 500 dollar coupon — this represents a devaluation of my points by 180%. Not even United airlines, as bad as they are, can conceive such a draconian measure.

To be clear, this has happened WITHOUT warning. At least, United told us two months in advance.

I’ll give you two options: first, let me redeem the 1,000 dollar coupon with my 50,000 points, and we’re even.

Second option, let me write a long blog post in which I describe everything in detail, and then I’ll circulate it online. In this case, I hope to let people be aware of the unfairness of such a change.

And of course, I would stop using Expedia from now on, forever.

I have called your ELITE PLUS customer service, which said they can’t do anything. Really? Is this what’s reserved for an Elite customer?

A very dissatisfied customer,

Simone”

I had some hopes, but this is the response that I got after a couple of days. Essentially, a very long “No. We won’t do anything about it.”

What’s left

I wish Expedia was better. I wish they cared.

I will stop using Expedia from now on.
I wish you will do the same.

Discuss on Hacker news.