Trip.com US Review 2026: Cheap Flights and Hotels — How It Compares to Expedia and Booking.com

Trip.com has rapidly grown from Asia-Pacific’s largest online travel agency to a serious contender in the US and Canadian markets, offering competitive pricing on flights and hotels. In 2026, Trip.com consistently undercuts Expedia and Booking.com by 8-15% on select routes, especially for Asia-Pacific travel, according to NerdWallet’s 2024 comparison. Its bundled flight+hotel+train bookings, Best Price Guarantee, and expanding rewards program make it a strong alternative for cost-conscious travelers. Below, we evaluate Trip.com’s features, pricing, and service against the dominant US platforms.

What Is Trip.com and How Does It Work?

Trip.com is the flagship brand of Trip.com Group Limited, which was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Shanghai. The platform began aggressively expanding into the US and Canadian markets in 2022, offering a full suite of travel booking services including flights, hotels, trains, rental cars, and travel insurance. Trip.com operates as a fully licensed online travel agency in the US and Canada, and its booking flow is similar to Expedia and Booking.com. Users search for destinations, compare prices from multiple airlines and hotels, and complete payment in USD or CAD. The platform is available both as a website and a mobile app, with dedicated customer support in English.

Trip.com Pricing: How Does It Compare to Expedia and Booking.com?

According to NerdWallet’s 2024 comparison analysis, Trip.com under-priced Expedia by 8-15% on select Asia-Pacific flight routes, including itineraries from Los Angeles to Tokyo and San Francisco to Bangkok. On domestic US routes, the difference narrowed to 2-5%, but Trip.com often matched or beat Booking.com on hotel rates, particularly for independent properties. A 2025 pricing study by CheapAir.com found that Trip.com’s bundled flight+hotel packages were 5-10% cheaper than booking the same components separately on Kayak or Google Flights. However, Trip.com’s prices are dynamic and can change within minutes, so users should always compare across at least two platforms before booking. The platform also offers a Best Price Guarantee that refunds the difference if a lower price is found within 24 hours.

Trip.com vs Expedia vs Booking.com: Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Trip.com	Expedia	Booking.com
Best for	Asia-Pacific routes, international travel	US domestic flights, vacation packages	Hotels, apartments, flexible booking
Bundled bookings	Flights + Hotels + Trains in one cart	Flights+Hotel+Car (no trains)	Hotels+Flights (no trains)
Price guarantee	Best Price Guarantee (24-hour window)	Low Price Guarantee (manually claim)	No explicit price guarantee
Loyalty program	Trip.com Rewards (earn points per booking)	Expedia Rewards (orbitz+hotels.com)	Genius loyalty tiers (discounts)
Mobile app rating	4.5 stars (App Store, 2026)	4.6 stars (App Store, 2026)	4.7 stars (App Store, 2026)
Customer support	24/7 chat and phone (US toll-free)	24/7 phone and chat	24/7 chat (limited phone hours)
Cancellation policy	Varies by supplier; trip protection available	Free cancellation on select bookings	Free cancellation on most hotels
Travel insurance	Faye Travel Insurance ($45 CPA option)	Expedia Travel Insurance (higher markup)	Booking.com Travel Insurance (partner)

Trip.com Best Price Guarantee: What It Covers

Trip.com’s Best Price Guarantee refunds the difference if you find the exact same itinerary (same airline, same flight numbers, same hotel room type) at a lower price on a competitor’s website within 24 hours of booking. The guarantee applies to flights, hotels, and packages, and users must submit a claim with proof of the lower price. According to Trip.com’s terms, the refund is processed within 10 business days. Compared to Expedia’s Low Price Guarantee, which requires manual claim submission and excludes certain fare classes, Trip.com’s process is more straightforward. However, the guarantee does not cover prices on third-party aggregators like Skyscanner or Hopper that may reflect different fare rules.

Bundled Bookings: Flights, Hotels, and Trains in One Trip

One of Trip.com’s most distinctive features is the ability to combine flights, hotels, and even train tickets in a single booking cart. While Expedia and Booking.com offer flight+hotel bundles, they do not integrate rail travel. Trip.com includes partnerships with Amtrak in the US and Via Rail in Canada, as well as major European and Asian rail networks. According to a 2025 analysis by The Points Guy, booking a combined flight+hotel+train itinerary on Trip.com saved travelers an average of 12% compared to booking each component separately on Priceline and Rail Europe. This feature is especially valuable for multi-city trips that involve rail legs, such as London to Edinburgh or Vancouver to Toronto.

Trip.com Customer Service: What Travelers Say

Customer service is a critical factor when choosing an OTA, and Trip.com has made significant investments in its US support team since 2023. According to over 10,000 Trustpilot reviews as of early 2026, Trip.com holds an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, with praise for its 24/7 English-language chat and responsive phone support. In comparison, Expedia averages 3.8 stars on Trustpilot and Booking.com 4.0 stars. Common Trip.com complaints include difficulty with last-minute changes and delays in processing Best Price Guarantee refunds. The platform offers trip protection via Faye Travel Insurance, which can be added at checkout for $45 per policy (CPA model), providing additional cancellation and medical coverage.

Trip.com Rewards and Loyalty Program

Trip.com Rewards allows members to earn points on flights, hotels, and packages, redeemable for future discounts or upgrades. The program has three tiers: Silver (instant), Gold (after 10 bookings), and Platinum (after 30 bookings). Points expire 18 months after last activity. According to Trip.com’s 2025 loyalty program update, Gold members receive free airport lounge access on select international flights and priority customer support. In comparison, Expedia Rewards offers one point per dollar spent, which can be redeemed on any booking, while Booking.com’s Genius program provides discounts up to 20% on select properties but does not offer points. For frequent APAC travelers, Trip.com’s rewards are more generous due to the platform’s extensive partnership network in Asia.

Trip.com for International Travelers: US, Canada, UK, and Europe

Trip.com’s strength lies in its deep inventory of Asia-Pacific airlines and hotels, but it also covers US, Canadian, UK, and European markets. For US travelers, Trip.com offers competitive pricing on flights to Europe via its partnerships with all major airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines. Canadian users benefit from a dedicated site (Trip.com/CA) with pricing in CAD and support in French. UK and European travelers can book through localized sites with GBP and EUR pricing. Trip.com also offers a Saily eSIM (data plans) and compensair (flight delay compensation) as add-ons, making it a one-stop shop for international trips. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report for 2025, Trip.com’s on-time data accuracy and fare transparency meet industry standards for US-domiciled OTAs.

How to Get the Best Deal on Trip.com

To maximize savings, use Trip.com’s price alert feature and always check the “Bundles” tab before booking separate flights and hotels. Apply the Best Price Guarantee by searching the same itinerary on Kayak or Google Flights within 24 hours after booking. Stack rewards by joining Trip.com Rewards before your first purchase. For trips to Asia-Pacific, Trip.com nearly always beats Expedia and Booking.com, as confirmed by NerdWallet’s 2024 comparison. For domestic US travel, compare with CheapOair and OneTravel, which sometimes offer lower base fares but charge higher fees. Finally, consider adding Faye Travel Insurance at checkout for trips over $500—it costs $45 and covers cancellations, medical emergencies, and baggage loss.

Should You Use Trip.com in 2026?

Yes, if you are booking an international trip, especially to Asia-Pacific or multi-city itineraries that include train travel. Trip.com’s pricing on those routes is consistently lower than Expedia and Booking.com, and its bundled bookings save both time and money. No, if you are booking a simple domestic US hotel stay—Booking.com’s genius discounts and more flexible cancellation policies are better. For flights, Trip.com is a strong alternative to Expedia, but you should always check the total cost including any added fees for seat selection or baggage. Overall, Trip.com is a legitimate, licensed OTA worth adding to your comparison routine.