2026 Travel Planning? Use Trip.com to Unlock Asia's Best Travel Secrets.

Introduction: Your Travel Resolutions Need a Navigator

It's 2026. The calendar is fresh, your wanderlust is buzzing, and you’ve made a resolution: to travel smarter, further, and deeper than ever before. If your past travel planning involved juggling three different booking sites, endless tabs, and a moment of panic at 3 AM, it's time for a change.

You need a powerful, global navigator that’s particularly strong where traditional Western sites sometimes stumble: Asia.

Enter Trip.com. It’s a global travel giant that has mastered the art of seamless international booking. Every feature, from the app interface to the VIP perks, is designed with the global traveler in mind:

• Global Usability: The app and 24/7 support are fully available in English (and 20+ other languages).

• Easy Transactions: You can use all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) for every transaction, eliminating local payment hurdles.

• Worldwide Benefits: Your loyalty status and rewards are fully recognized worldwide, from a lounge in Singapore to a transfer in London.

I have used Trip.com for more than 8 years. It has been my go to travel booking portal; having giving up on the other booking portals. The benefits for switching are real; as I type this article from an airport lounge, compliments of being a diamond member on Trip.com.

Trip.com is the ultimate tool to turn your 2026 resolutions into a reality, excelling in five key areas:

🔑 1. The Deep Dive: Unlocking Asia and Greater China (中國)

Most major booking sites cover the capital cities, but what about the smaller, charming locales? Trip.com, which originated in Shanghai, holds the key to the vastness of Asia, particularly Greater China.

• Beyond Osaka, Bangkok Shanghai: If your resolution is to explore a specific historical site or a lesser-known provincial city, Trip.com is often the only platform that provides real-time, comprehensive hotel and local tour listings.

• Local Language Integration: Its deep local partnerships mean you see accommodation options and pricing that other aggregators simply miss, often due to better integration with Chinese local systems. This is indispensable if you're planning multi-city travel within the mainland.

🚌 2. All-in-One Transit: Flights, Rail, Buses, and Ferries

A crucial component of complex or multi-destination travel is seamless ground and sea transport. Trip.com stands out as a true All-in-One portal by integrating all your transit needs.

• Comprehensive Coverage: You can book flights from 640+ airlines globally, trains (including high-speed rail in Asia and Europe), and crucially, buses, coaches, and ferries across 36+ countries. This eliminates the need to switch to local bus or ferry operator sites—everything is in one place.

• The Foreigner Advantage (China Rail): When booking China’s high-speed rail, Trip.com is the easiest platform, offering full English support and accepting all major international credit cards, bypassing the complexity of the official system.

• The Full Package (Activities): Secure all your transport and local tickets—from theme park entry to museum slots—in the robust "Activities" section.

Global Usability Factor: Unlike many locally-focused OTAs, Trip.com ensures a standard, multi-language interface and consistent global payment acceptance (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) for all transport modes.

💰 3. The Loyalty Edge: Maximizing Points, Perks, and Tiered VIP Benefits

One of your 2026 resolutions should be to stop leaving money on the table. Trip.com offers a robust loyalty program often overlooked by casual users, with valuable tiered perks that work wherever you travel.

• Trip Coins Program: Every time you book a flight, hotel, or activity, you earn Trip Coins that can be directly applied as discounts on future bookings, creating a powerful compounding effect.

• Tiered VIP Perks (The High-Value Incentives - Global): Climbing the Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Diamond+ tiers unlocks substantial, high-value benefits:

  • Free Airport VIP Lounge Access: Starting at the Platinum Tier, members receive complimentary lounge visits each year, available at major international airports across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

  • Airport Transfer Model Upgrade: Diamond Tier and higher members can receive free vehicle upgrades for airport transfers, ensuring you arrive in style and comfort in major cities worldwide.

  • No Refund Handling Fees: Higher tiers receive waivers for train refund processing fees, eliminating risk when plans change.

🤖 4. Planning with Power: Your AI Itinerary Assistant & Service Guarantees

The future of travel planning is here. Trip.com is actively integrating AI to help you move from vague destination ideas to fully structured itineraries, backed by strong service assurance.

• AI Itinerary Generation: Using their latest mobile app features, you can prompt the AI with simple input—e.g., "5 days in Tokyo for foodies"—and receive a suggested itinerary, complete with links to book specific attractions and transport.

• 24/7 Award-Winning Support in English: Trip.com is renowned for its 24/7 global customer service (recognized with 2025 CRE Awards for excellence). You can get multilingual support via chat or in-app call, with English being the primary language available around the clock.

• Advanced Guarantees: Look for their Special Circumstance Cancellation Service, which provides assistance if you are unable to travel due to unforeseen medical conditions, offering a crucial layer of peace-of-mind.

📱 5. Essential Add-Ons: Connectivity and Curated Recommendations

Trip.com provides essential services and curated lists right alongside your bookings, reducing the need for other third-party apps.

• Seamless eSIM Booking: Purchase a global eSIM directly through the Trip.com app. This allows you to have fast, reliable internet access in over 90 countries the moment you land.

• Curated Recommendations (Trip.Best): Instead of trawling review sites, use Trip.Best—Trip.com’s AI-powered recommendation lists built from genuine customer reviews and sales data, helping you quickly identify the top 100 hotels, attractions, or dining experiences in your destination.

Key Steps for Your 2026 Planning

1. Start Broad: Use the AI tool to sketch out a rough itinerary based on your interests. Perhaps New York/Bangkok/Chaingmai/New York. Populate your itinerary with flights, hotels, local transport and activities.

2. Go Local: Use the internal transport booking section to secure your flights, trains, buses, and ferries (paying easily with your credit card); then purchase your eSIM.

3. Check the Coins & Perks: Always check your Trip Coins balance and use them, making sure to claim your free worldwide VIP Lounge Access and Airport Transfer Upgrades as you climb the membership tiers.

Ready to fulfill your 2026 travel goals? Download the Trip.com app and share this article with a fellow traveler who needs to level up their planning game!