{{short description|Online travel agency and metasearch engine}} {{About|the Expedia.com travel website and mobile app|the parent company|Expedia Group}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox website | name = Expedia Inc. | logo = Expedia Logo 2023.svg | logo_size = 225px | url = {{URL|https://www.expedia.com|expedia.com}} | commercial = Yes | company_type = Subsidiary | type = {{hlist|Travel agency|Metasearch engine}} | registration = Yes | owner = Expedia Group | GM = Tracey Weber<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Expedia-says-AI-generating-revenue|title=Expedia says AI is improving the customer experience and generating revenue|date=August 4, 2025|first=Jamie|last=Biesiada|work=Travel Weekly}}</ref> | launch_date = {{Start date and age|1996|10|22}} | current_status = Active }}
'''Expedia Inc.''' is an American online travel agency owned by Expedia Group, which is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. When Microsoft Corporation launched Expedia on the Microsoft Network in October 1996, it was the first online travel service to be offered by a major technology company, allowing consumers to make air, car, and hotel reservations online and to browse a library of multimedia travel guides.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Expedia, Inc. |url=https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/expedia-inc-history/ |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=FundingUniverse |language=en}}</ref> Expedia was founded on October 22, 1996, inside Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, led by Richard (Rich) Barton and a small team who saw an opportunity to bring transparent airfare, hotel, and car booking directly to consumers without travel agents.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-10 |title=What is Brief History of Expedia Group Company? |url=https://portersfiveforce.com/blogs/brief-history/expedia |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Porter's Five Forces |language=en}}</ref>
Through its website and mobile app, customers can book airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruise ships, activities, and vacation rentals. Once operating solely as Expedia.com, the group gradually acquired a wide range of travel brands, including Vrbo, Hotels.com, and Trivago, becoming the second-largest online travel agency worldwide, just behind Booking Holdings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Topic: Expedia Group, Inc. |url=https://www.statista.com/topics/3363/expedia-inc/ |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> Expedia is the lead travel app in the US market, with 19.3% market share, and operates over 200 travel websites.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Expedia Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026) |url=https://www.businessofapps.com/data/expedia-statistics/ |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Business of Apps |language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== {{main|Expedia Group#History}}
Microsoft launched the first public beta of the Expedia booking engine in October 1996, positioning it as a consumer complement to its MSN portal.<ref name=lat96>{{cite news |title=Connecting to a New Frontier |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=6 September 1996 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-09-06-mn-41051-story.html |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref> After early traffic growth, Microsoft announced plans to float the unit; the initial public offering on 10 November 1999 was priced at US$14 and the shares closed the first day at US$37, valuing the business at more than US$2 billion.<ref name=twn1999>{{cite web|title=Expedia joins IPO bandwagon |work=Travel Weekly |date=28 September 1999 |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Expedia-joins-IPO-bandwagon |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref><ref name=forbes1999>{{cite magazine |title=Travelocity Bumps Expedia |magazine=Forbes |date=4 October 1999 |url=https://www.forbes.com/1999/10/04/mu9.html |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref>
In July 2001, Barry Diller’s USA Network (later IAC/InterActiveCorp) agreed to purchase a 75 % stake in Expedia for about US$1.5 billion, marking one of the first large-scale Internet travel acquisitions.<ref name=lat2001>{{cite news |title=Diller’s USA to Buy 75% of Expedia |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=17 July 2001 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-17-fi-23034-story.html |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref> IAC took full control in 2003 and subsequently consolidated its various travel holdings. Shareholder pressure to unlock value led IAC to spin off its travel division as a standalone, Nasdaq-listed company, Expedia Inc., on 9 August 2005.<ref name=twn2005>{{cite news|title=IAC completes spinoff of Expedia travel group |work=Travel Weekly |date=10 August 2005 |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Online-Travel/IAC-completes-spinoff-of-Expedia-travel-group |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref>
During the late 2000s Expedia broadened its portfolio with brands such as Hotels.com, Hotwire, Vrbo and regional OTAs. In April 2011 the company announced plans to separate its user-generated-content unit TripAdvisor; analysts welcomed the move and Expedia shares rose 11 %.<ref name=reuters2011>{{cite news |author=Karen Jacobs |title=Expedia shares gain on TripAdvisor spin-off plan |agency=Reuters |date=8 April 2011 |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/expedia-shares-gain-on-tripadvisor-spin-off-plan-2011-04-08/ |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref>
In February 2020, chairman Barry Diller ordered a cost-cutting programme that eliminated about 3,000 jobs (≈12 % of staff) after characterising the organisation as “bloated and sclerotic.”<ref name=geek2020>{{cite news |author=Taylor Soper |title=Expedia cuts 3,000 jobs, including 500 at new Seattle HQ |newspaper=GeekWire |date=24 February 2020 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/expedia-cuts-3000-jobs-including-500-new-seattle-hq-read-internal-email-employees/ |access-date=7 August 2025}}</ref>
Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo share a loyalty program called One Key, which launched in July 2023.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/best-hotel-booking-sites/|title=Best Hotel Booking Sites To Find The Cheapest Rates|date=October 20, 2025|work=Forbes|first=Harlan|last=Vaughn|access-date=20 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/expedia-group-one-key-rewards-travel-contest-7561560|title=You Can Win $60K to Spend on Travel Thanks to Expedia’s New Rewards Program — Here’s How|work=Travel + Leisure|first=Rachel|last=Chang|date=July 18, 2023|access-date=20 December 2025}}</ref>
In 2025, Expedia was the first online travel agency to partner with Southwest Airlines to start selling tickets on behalf of the airline.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/book-southwest-flights-on-expedia-11686733|title=Southwest Airlines Announces Big Partnership With Expedia—What to Know|first=Michael|last=Cappetta|date=February 26, 2025|work=Travel + Leisure}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-puts-inventory-on-Expedia|title=Southwest puts flights on Expedia|first=Robert|last=Silk|date= February 26, 2025|work=Travel Weekly}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2025/02/26/southwest-airlines-expedia-tickets/80472881007/|title=You can now book Southwest Airlines flights on Expedia platforms|first=Zach|last=Witcher|work=USA Today|date=February 26, 2025}}</ref>
==Criticism and legal issues== ===Delays in refunds of flights cancelled due to COVID-19=== In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, customers complained regarding the process to get refunds for cancelled flights. Customers complained of excessively long call times and being unable to get through to a representative.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.wftv.com/news/action9/consumers-grow-frustrated-with-expedia-over-covid-19-refunds/LRJUN2R3EFGFPDUVAPF3XTNBLU/ | title=Consumers grow frustrated with Expedia over COVID-19 refunds | first=Todd | last=Ulrich | work=WFTV | date=February 5, 2021}}</ref> This led to many lawsuits.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/09/09/expedia-sued-refusing-refunds-pandemic/5763768002/ |title=Traveler sues Expedia for refusing refunds on canceled flights during COVID-19 pandemic |work=USA Today | date=September 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/hotels-accuse-expedia-orbitz-of-brazen-deceit/ | title=Hotels Accuse Expedia, Orbitz of Brazen Deceit | work=Courthouse News Service | first=MATTHEW | last=RENDA | date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>
===False advertising and trademark violation=== In August 2016, Buckeye Tree Lodge and Sequoia Village Inn, LLC filed a class-action lawsuit in California accusing the company and its partners of violating trademark rights of numerous independent hotel and motel establishments by running advertising implying that consumers could book reservations for those hotels on Expedia even though Expedia had no relationship with those hotels, in violation of the Lanham Act, and also falsely noting that hotels with which the company had no relationship were "sold out".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dockets.justia.com/docket/california/candce/3:2016cv04721/302190 |title=Buckeye Tree Lodge and Sequoia Village Inn, LLC v. Expedia, Inc. ''et al'' |work=Justia |date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> In April 2021, the lawsuit was settled and the company promised not to engage in false advertising.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/expedia-settles-false-advertising-class-action-with-hotels/ |title=Expedia Settles False Advertising Class Action With Hotels | first=NICHOLAS | last=IOVINO | work=Courthouse News Service | date=April 9, 2021}}</ref>
=== Listings in Israeli settlements === Expedia, along with other travel companies, such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor, has been criticized by activists and NGOs, such as Amnesty International, for offering holiday apartments in illegal Israeli settlements under international law in the occupied West Bank.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Opinion: TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Expedia – please stop offering holidays in illegal Israeli settlements |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/israel-palestine-illegal-settlements-west-bank-air-bnb-trip-advisor-booking-expedia-a8754001.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260329142105/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/israel-palestine-illegal-settlements-west-bank-air-bnb-trip-advisor-booking-expedia-a8754001.html |archive-date=2026-03-29 |access-date=2026-03-29 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== See also == * Holiday cottage * Vacation rental
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|author=Alexander, Todd|date=2012|title=Everyday Internet at Any Age|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZnIQSXzODYC&pg=PT104|publisher=Hachette UK|at=Chapter 8|isbn=978-0-7336-2971-6|access-date=14 May 2014}} * {{cite news|author=Barr, Alistair|date=January 21, 2014|title=Expedia hit by big drop in Google search traffic|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/01/21/expedia-google-search-traffic/4719917/|work=USA Today|access-date=14 May 2014}} * {{cite news|author=Tims, Anna|date=March 29, 2014|title=Expedia needs to speed up £2,500 refund for flights|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/mar/30/expedia-refund-flights-website-fault|work=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=14 May 2014}}
== External links == * {{official website|https://www.expedia.com}}
{{Expedia, Inc.}} {{Travel ticket search engines}}
Category:American companies established in 1996 Category:American travel websites Category:Expedia Group Category:Hospitality companies established in 1996 Category:Internet properties established in 1996 Category:Online travel agencies Category:Travel and holiday companies of the United States Category:Travel ticket search engines Category:Universal Windows Platform apps Category:Companies involved in the Gaza war