View source for Expedia

{{short description|Online travel agency and metasearch engine}}
{{About|the Expedia.com travel website and mobile app|the parent company|Expedia Group}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Expedia Inc.
| logo = Expedia Logo 2023.svg
| logo_size = 225px
| logocaption = 
| url = {{URL|https://www.expedia.com|expedia.com}}
| commercial = Yes
| company_type = [[Subsidiary]]
| type = {{hlist|[[Travel agency]]|[[Metasearch engine]]}}
| registration = Yes
| owner = [[Expedia Group]]
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1996|10|22}}
| current_status = Active
}}

'''Expedia Inc.''' is an online [[travel agency]] owned by [[Expedia Group]], based in [[Seattle]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.king5.com/article/tech/expedia-begins-move-from-bellevue-to-seattle/281-93c52582-a4a5-403a-9a4f-d6b94a7d4434|title=Look inside the new Expedia HQ in Seattle and company's commuting policy|work=KING-TV|date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> The [[website]] and [[mobile app]] can be used to book [[airline]] tickets, [[hotel]] reservations, [[car rental]]s, [[cruise ship]]s, and vacation packages. Expedia.com was launched on October 22, 1996 by [[Microsoft]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1996/10/22/microsoft-expedia-travel-services-debuts-on-the-web/ |title=Microsoft Expedia Travel Services Debuts on the Web | work=[[Microsoft]] | date=October 22, 1996 }}</ref>

==History==
{{main|Expedia Group#History}}

==Sponsorships==
Starting the 2018-21 cycle, Expedia Group became the first-ever global sponsor of the [[UEFA Champions League]] and the [[UEFA Super Cup]] as Expedia extended to another season until 2024, but downgraded to the regional basis which it focuses to the [[U.S.]] market only starting in 2022–23 season as Hotels.com ended the sponsorship after 2021-22 season.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/026c-12f737c361b6-cf2ebeefd9b4-1000--expedia-group-extends-uefa-champions-league-partnership/|title=Expedia Group extends UEFA Champions League partnership|date=10 August 2021|access-date=10 August 2021|publisher=[[UEFA]]|location=[[Nyon]]}}</ref> 

Starting the pandemic-hit [[2020-21 Liverpool F.C. season|2020-21 season]], Expedia struck the deal with the [[2019-20 Premier League|2020 English champions]], [[Liverpool F.C.]] as a global sponsor of the website in 3 seasons until 2023.

In July 2021, Expedia became [[Wrexham A.F.C.]]'s shirt back sponsor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 14, 2021 |title=COMMERCIAL {{!}} WREXHAM AFC EMBARKS ON A JOURNEY WITH EXPEDIA |url=https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/news/2021/july/commercial--wrexham-afc-embarks-on-a-journey-with-expedia/ |access-date=January 25, 2024 |website=www.wrexhamafc.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</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>

== See also ==
* [[Holiday cottage]]
* [[Vacation rental]]

==References==
{{Reflist|1}}

==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:Expedia Group]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1996]]
[[Category:Hospitality companies established in 1996]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1996]]
[[Category:Online travel agencies]]
[[Category:Travel ticket search engines]]
[[Category:American travel websites]]
[[Category:Universal Windows Platform apps]]
[[Category:Travel and holiday companies of the United States]]