Expedia.com Expedia and Hertz Put Travelers in the Driver’s Seat with Expanded Relationship
BELLEVUE, Wash – February 22, 2005 – Expedia, Inc. and The Hertz Corporation today announced an expanded relationship that provides Expedia.com® and Expedia® Corporate Travel customers with guaranteed best published rates on Hertz car rentals and first-class customer service. The agreement enhances Expedia®’s car rental offering and enables Hertz to market its fleet to the more than 20 million travelers shopping monthly on Expedia.com, the world’s leading online travel service.
“As one of the most respected brands in the car rental industry, Hertz is an important ally or Expedia, and we look forward to providing our leisure and corporate customers with enhanced access to Hertz’ fleet,” said Noah Tratt, Vice President of car programs at Expedia. “By working closely with Hertz as part of our preferred partner program, customers can be confident they’re receiving great rates and service, while Hertz can take advantage of valuable marketing and merchandising opportunities on Expedia’s Web sites.”
As part of the agreement, Hertz will continue to participate in Expedia’s dynamic packages, which enable travelers to book customized trips combining flights, hotels, activities, and car rentals. As one of the fastest growing parts of Expedia’s business, dynamic packages provide Hertz with greater opportunity to market its inventory under a partner-friendly, opaque pricing model. In addition, Hertz will advertise and promote special offers to Expedia’s customers.
“This expanded agreement is evidence of the continued value Hertz receives from having a strong working relationship with Expedia,” commented Frank Camacho, Staff Vice President, Marketing for Hertz. “It’s a win-win relationship for both companies – Hertz benefits from the increased exposure in the Expedia marketplace, while millions of Expedia customers continue to receive the excellent values on Hertz car rentals.”
Expedia’s car rentals offer a broad fleet selection and convenient shopping features, including the ability to see total price results from the initial car search, as well as more detailed descriptions and photos of cars to help customers make informed decisions on about their rental. These tools, combined with the preferred partner program, make Expedia a one-stop shop for travelers for all their travel needs.
About The Hertz Corporation
Best known for its services at the airport, Hertz has expanded into the suburban marketplace, with approximately 1300 neighborhood locations. Hertz offers products and services customers depend on when renting locally or from the airport, including 24 hour roadside assistance, cars that are, on average, less than a year old, and its Buckle Up Baby child car seat program. Many Hertz locations also offer pick up and drop off service as well as Hertz #1 Club Gold® service. Vehicles equipped with NeverLost®, Hertz’ industry-leading in-car global positioning system or Sirius Satellite Radio are also available. As with all Hertz corporate locations, vehicles are available for rent with unlimited mileage and all rate structures are honored, including one-way, inter-city rates. Hertz operates from approximately 7200 locations in more than 150 countries.
About Expedia, Inc.
Expedia, Inc. is the world’s leading online travel service and the fourth largest travel agency in the U.S. Expedia’s award-winning Expert Searching and Pricing (ESP) technology delivers the most comprehensive flight options available online. ESP also allows customers to dynamically build complete trips that combine flights, Expedia® Special Rate hotels and other lodging, ground transportation, and destination services and activities. Expedia’s quality and leadership have been recognized in awards such as PC Magazine’s “Editors’ Choice” and Forbes’ “Favorite General Travel Site.” Expedia is an operating company of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). CST: 2029030-40