The logo for Expedia.com
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Type of site
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Internet booking engine |
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Available in | English |
Owner | Expedia, Inc. |
Slogan(s) | Your Trip, Your Way. |
Website | www |
Alexa rank | 425 (September 2016[update]) |
Commercial | Yes |
Registration | Yes |
Launched | July 16, 2001 |
Current status | Active |
Expedia.com is a travel website owned by Expedia Inc. The website can be used to book airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and various attractions and services via the internet or telephone agents. The site uses multiple global distribution systems like Amadeus or the Sabre reservation systems for flights and for hotels, Worldspan and Pegasus, along with its own hotel reservation system for contracted, bulk-rate reservations.
The website initially launched on October 22, 1996 as the first Microsoft internet property. In 2001, Bill Gates decided to spin off the property to become a public company.
Rich Barton became its CEO and Lloyd Frink who used to work for Richard at Microsoft joined the now independent company.
In July 2001, USA Networks, Inc. bought Expedia from Microsoft.
In December 2010, listings for AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle Airlines, were removed from Expedia's site. The decision resulted from a dispute over the degree of access to the site's customers. AMR reversed its decision in April 2011, allowing tickets to once again be sold through the aggregate site.
In June 2014, Expedia started accepting bitcoins.
In September 2014, Expedia Inc. partnered with Citigroup and created the Expedia+ card where members can earn bonus points and earn benefits and priority customer service through the website.