Best Western Retires Rewards Program; Flying Blue Halts Cost Hike
Best Western Rewards Replaced by WorldHotels Rewards
Best Western Hotels is consolidating its global portfolio under the WorldHotels umbrella. This merger will combine Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards into a single program. The new WorldHotels Rewards launches on January 5, 2027, featuring a refreshed mobile app. The combined program will serve approximately 70 million members globally. Individual hotel brands will remain on building facades and booking channels. Existing point balances and elite statuses will transfer automatically upon launch. Flying Blue Suspends Controversial SAF and Donation Cost Hike Air France-KLM's Flying Blue program faced backlash after raising the cost of earning Experience Points (XP) for elite status. The increase made non-flight options 50% more expensive. Following strong member feedback, Flying Blue reversed course on November 3. The original, lower rate remains active until November 30. Members who contributed at the higher rate between November 2 and 3 will receive retroactive credits.
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The new higher cost officially takes effect on December 1. IHG One Rewards Now Credits Group Stays Billed via Master Invoice IHG One Rewards introduced a significant policy improvement on November 2. Members can now earn points and elite qualifying nights for group stays paid through a master invoice. Previously, individual guests were excluded from loyalty credit when a company or event host paid centrally. Under the new policy, as long as your personal IHG One Rewards member number is attached to your individual room reservation, you will receive full credit regardless of who pays the final invoice. This update applies to all IHG properties globally.