[ANALYSIS] Rocketmiles

Rocketmiles is a hotel booking engine which looks for the best rates at a number of hotel chains. One of the marketing tools that Rocketmiles uses to grasp attention from its frequent users is the fact that by booking through Rocketmiles, you will earn airline miles or points instead of hotel points.

Here are some of the features of Rocketmiles:

• As I mentioned before, you earn airline loyalty points instead of hotel points.
• Rocketmiles travel partner loyalty programs include: Aeroplan, Mileage Plan, MileagePlus, AAdvantage and Flying Blue.
• You can book for others and earn the rewards for yourself just by logging into your account and booking through there.
• By referring a friend, you will qualify for 1000 miles or points for anyone who signs up and completes one stay with Rocketmiles.
• You will be eligible for first booking promotions which allow you to earn up to 5,000 airline miles regardless of the price you paid for your stay.

The list of travel partners with Rocketmiles is great; however, the number of hotel options is limited and does not cover all the hotel possibilities from quality to service when booking for your trip. I am a frequent Expedia and Priceline user, so I decided to take a look at their prices. You can find a comparison below.

As you can see, Rocketmiles charges much more for the same hotels, whether it’s a 3 star or 4.5 star hotel. Although the loyalty earnings are high (1,000 miles per every paid stay), you are essentially paying to earn more through mileage. As well, earnings through points transfers cannot be used towards elite status which becomes a setback for frequent flyers.

Whether or not Rocketmiles is the best booking service for you depend on what you value as a traveler and if you’re willing to pay a little more to earn a little more. I will probably stick with Expedia as their prices are very honest in my opinion.