If you run a travel blog like I do, you have probably noticed that Booking.com recently terminated its direct affiliate program. This decision has affected many content creators, especially those who relied on Booking.com commissions or at least wanted to recoup their website costs with it, like I did.
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Booking.com unilaterally terminates its affiliate program
In early June, Booking.com unexpectedly shut down its own affiliate program. No warning. No proper transition period. Just: no more commission with immediate effect. And yes – it happened right before the peak season.
As a travel blogger (and therefore partner), that does not exactly make you happy. Many bloggers were furious. The timing felt dirty, as if we were suddenly shown the door after years of free promotion.
For years, Booking.com was the go-to platform for travel bloggers. Simple tools, high brand recognition and decent commissions. And suddenly it was: thanks and good luck. No explanation, no replacement, no option to keep linking. Just an email.
And I, too, received the now infamous email in my inbox.
Fortunately, there are alternatives available, such as Travelpayouts and Stay22. I decided to switch to Stay22 because of their handy script, which allowed me to convert all my existing affiliate links in just half an hour. I am happy to walk you through my experience!
Stay22 as an alternative to Booking’s affiliate program
Stay22 offers a tool called “Let Me Allez” (LMA), a script that you easily place in your website header. This script automatically detects existing accommodation links and converts them into affiliate links, without you having to manually update each link. It supports multiple platforms, including Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com, but also, for example, GetYourGuide.
The platform works in US dollars by default, but that is not an issue for users in the Netherlands.
The advantage? You do not have to meet the payout threshold everywhere, because everything comes together on one platform. You cannot use Booking directly anymore anyway, even though that used to be the biggest affiliate income source for many travel blogs.
Update: my experience after 1.5 months of use
After about 1.5 months of use, I already received a fair number of bookings (mainly from the Balkan Trail blogs I have online, where commissions are quite low). An additional benefit: GetYourGuide also comes in via Stay22 now. This helps me reach my payout thresholds more quickly. So if you have a slightly smaller blog, you will also reach the minimum $100 payout sooner.
How does the Stay22 script work?
You are probably wondering whether you have to manually update all the links on your website… and what about new links? That is where the Stay22 script offers a great solution. By adding it to your Google Tag Manager environment as shown below, it will automatically convert all links into a Stay22 link. Set it up once and you are done! You can also add it directly to your website header if you know how to do that.
Do you want to use this on your own blog as well? Sign up via my personal link (and claim that $100 bonus)!
Have you added links in PDFs, or in other places where the script does not have access? Then you will need to update those manually. There is a link generator available for that.
Also useful: creating interactive maps
A fun feature within Stay22 is the ability to create maps. Here you can highlight key sights and hotels for your travel blog. What is especially useful: visitors can easily search for an alternative hotel nearby, where you also have a chance to earn a commission.
A good example can be found in my blog about the Sollifjell hike in Norway, which highlights the car park, a hotel, Sollifjell itself and Preikestolen.
Read also: Sollifjell hike with Preikestolen views in Norway
Thinking of switching too? Use my link to get a $100 bonus and help me keep my blog running 🙌
Hopefully this blog has given you some insight into the possibilities of making this switch. Creating an account is free and only takes a moment. And since you know how the world of affiliate marketing works, I would really appreciate it if you sign up via the link below. I receive a nice bonus and you also earn an extra $100 once you reach 100 confirmed bookings. A win-win for both of us!
Although the termination of the affiliate program by Booking.com was an unpleasant message (I also still had quite a few pending bookings for this summer), it also created an opportunity to review and improve my affiliate strategy. Hopefully, it will be a solution for you as well!
