Is Trip.com Diamond+ Worth It? A Critical Look at the Perks

Is Trip.com Diamond+ Worth It? A Critical Look at the Perks

I'm a Diamond+ Tier Member with Trip.com - is it worth making all my bookings on Trip.com for the perks?

My answer - no! Why? In short, I don't believe the perks they offer stack up to better deals you may find on other websites if you aren't "locked-in" with Trip.com.

The rewards offered by each tier in the Trip.com membership system is as follows (according to their "Membership Tiers" webpage):

As you can see - most of the perks aren't Diamond+ specific except for the following:

  • 50% More Coins
  • 8x Administration Fee-Free Train Refunds
  • 3x Free Airport Lounge Access
  • 2x 3GB Global SIM
  • 4x Free Airport Transfer Model Upgrade
  • 1x Free Attraction Ticket

There are a couple of caveats with these perks, namely:

  1. Administration Fee-Free Train Refunds are generally only applicable within Mainland China, this means that unless you are travelling a bunch in China, this perk is not necessarily useful for you.
  2. The free airport transfer model upgrade requires you to book a taxi via Trip.com which is generally more expensive than simply getting an Uber (or in China - a Didi), or just a normal airport taxi. In addition, I have been unable to get the free model upgrade without contacting support, as it never shows up during the booking process.
  3. Similarly to the airport transfer, I have been unable to redeem the free attraction ticket without specifically asking support, as it never shows up as an option during the attraction booking process, unlike the free lounge when booking a flight.

Now, assuming you also in Mainland China and use Trip.com taxis, let us add up the EUR value of all these perks:

  • 50% More Trip Coins: EUR ~55,43

In general, for every ~2,63 EUR you spend on Trip.com, you receive 1 Trip coin. This means that if we apply the 50% boost, this number drops to ~1,75 EUR. Now Trip.com states that 100 Trip Coins are equal to EUR ~0,97.

Considering that there is a minimum spend of EUR 10.000 annually to maintain a Diamond+ membership tier, you would receive around EUR 55,43 annually in Trip Coins.

  • 8x Fee-Free Train Refunds: EUR ~20

Each train refund generally incurs a fee of around ~20 CNY. This is around 2,5 EUR per refund. As such if we multiply that by the 8 fee-free refunds we receive as a perk - that comes to a value of around EUR 20.

  • 3x Free Airport Lounge: EUR ~75

Generally one entry into a free airport lounge - either with Priority Pass / DragonPass / Trip.com or with a bank costs around 25-35 EURs depending on the lounge. As such the total value of this perk comes to around EUR 75 to EUR 105. We'll err on the lower-side.

  • 2x Global SIM: EUR 11,88

The price of the same global 3GB SIM for 5 days on Trip.com is EUR 5,94. This means that this perk comes to a value of around EUR 11,88.

  • 4x Free Airport Transfer Model Upgrades: EUR ~5

The value of such an upgrade varies slightly, but I would estimate it to be between EUR 5 and EUR 10, depending on the country, duration of the ride, and car options available. Essentially it involves receiving a ride in a car similar to the "Uber Comfort" or "Uber Black" option in Europe, depending on the country.

  • 1x Free Attraction Ticket: EUR ~20

The value of a free attraction ticket varies slightly, but in general the value is around EUR 20 for one person's entry, as anything "tour-like" is not approved.

This leads to a total value of EUR 187,31. However, the problem is that if you are spending over EUR 10.000 annually on flights and hotels, you would likely save more than that by booking directly with airlines or hotels.

In conclusion: Don't feel "locked in" to Trip.com just for the Diamond+ perks. It's almost certainly worth your time to compare prices and consider other options. The small value of the Trip.com perks is unlikely to offset the potential savings from booking elsewhere.