This article may be outdated
Terms, offers, links, or instructions in this article may no longer be valid. Please verify with official sources before taking action.

【2021.8 Update】Upside emailed users to announce that it will be shutting down completely. Starting August 23, bookings can no longer be made, and all points will stop being redeemable on September 24. If you still have unused points, be sure to redeem them as soon as possible.

As of August 23, 2021 clients will no longer be able to make bookings on the site.

  • Bookings made on or after August 20, 2021 will be voided regardless of travel date and will need to be rebooked either directly with the supplier or another travel service.
  • Existing bookings that end on or before September 24, 2021 will be serviced through our Navigators at [email protected] or +1-855-252-2151.
  • Bookings that do not complete travel on or before September 24, 2021 will be canceled, refunded and clients will need to rebook directly with the supplier or through another travel service. Airline tickets that are non-refundable will be changed to tickets on file (TOF) , any difference in value will be refunded and a list of TOF will be shared with your primary account administrator.
  • As of August 23, 2021 clients will no longer have access to Upside’s mobile apps.
  • As of September 24, 2021 clients will no longer have access to itineraries or receipts.
  • As of September 24, 2021 clients will no longer be able to convert gift card balances to gift cards. Any remaining balance will be converted on behalf of users into Amazon gift cards that will be emailed to the user email on file for each account.
  • As of September 24, 2021 clients will only be able to receive limited support through email via [email protected] only.

About Upside

Upside is a travel booking website that launched in 2017. It can be used to book flights, hotels, and Uber. One of its main features is bundling flights, hotels, and Uber together to offer prices lower than the market rate. In addition, after you complete your trip, you receive a certain amount in gift cards as a reward. Overall, it really can save quite a bit compared with booking everything separately.

When booking, you need to choose two of the options, though flights can be booked by themselves.

Signup and Signup Bonus

New Upside users can use our referral code to get a $125 gift card on their first order (the usual bonus is $100). This referral code requires a booking of at least $400 and must be used by August 31 (travel date does not matter). If you already have travel plans, this is basically like getting a $200 gift card for free.

Note that flights can be booked by themselves, but hotels must be booked together with either a flight or Uber.

How to Use It

  • Go to the Upside.com website and choose the two things you need. If you only want to book a flight, select the small text below that says “I need a flight only”.
  • Since flights can be booked alone, the process is basically the same as a normal flight search, so I won’t go into detail here. Below is an example of booking a hotel + Uber package.
  • Choose hotel + Uber, then set your destination and travel dates, and click build package.
  • Select the hotel you want, for example Hilton Garden Inn Time Square.
  • Then choose the Uber Credit you need. Note that the credit Upside provides is calculated per ride, with up to $25 off each ride. So it works better for medium- to long-distance trips. After booking, you will receive a code that you can add to your Uber account and use there.
  • Once completed, at checkout you can see that this booking also comes with a $10 gift card.
  • If you are a newly registered user, your first booking of $400 or more can get you a one-time $125-$200 gift card, and you need to use promo code 7631va. Enter the promo code in the upper-right corner, and then you will see that this booking directly comes with a $125-$200 gift card.
  • The gift card will be awarded 72 hours after the trip is completed, and you can choose which type of gift card to redeem it for. There are options like Amazon, Target, eBay, Whole Foods, and more, so there should be something useful for everyone.

Booking Tips

  • Your first booking gives the highest value. If you can find a flight costing around $400, that is ideal—effectively $200 off, or 50% off.
  • Different packages come with different gift card amounts, especially depending on the hotel selection. So compare the hotel price difference against the gift card difference to find the best deal.
  • When booking, it is best to compare prices with other third-party booking platforms as well, such as Booking.com, Expedia.com, Oribitz.com, etc.
  • It is best to pay with a travel-related credit card, since you should be able to earn bonus rewards.

My Review

  • From a pricing perspective: The price for booking flights alone is basically the same as what you find on Google Flighs, so booking flights alone through Upside and still getting a bonus gift card is pretty good. Hotel prices are also fairly similar, but it depends on whether you have member-only discounted rates at that hotel, so it is not always easy to compare.
  • From a rewards perspective: In general, flights should still earn miles, and I would guess Upside does not affect that. But if you book chain hotels through a third party, you may not receive Stay&Night credit, and elite members may also lose room upgrade benefits. That said, I think this depends on whether the hotel distinguishes third-party bookings and on the attitude of the front desk staff. (Some front desks do look at your elite status regardless of where you booked.) Overall, Upside works much like any other third-party booking site, except that it adds a gift card reward.

Signup Link