Expedia.com Expedia.com Earns Better Business Bureau’s Business of the Year Award

BELLEVUE, Wash. – November 24, 2003 – Expedia.com®, the world’s leading online travel service, was named Business of the Year for Customer Service by the Better Business Bureau serving Oregon and Western Washington. Expedia® is the first online company to receive this honor since the award was established in 1997.

“The companies that win this award are the elite of the elite – they stood out above some amazing competition,” said Robert W. G. Andrew, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Oregon and Western Washington. “Expedia has clearly demonstrated that it provides exceptional service to customers.”

The Business of the Year Award recognizes local companies that demonstrate customer service, innovative business practices and community involvement. Award recipients were selected from more than 200 nominations submitted by customers and reviewed by a panel of judges consisting of business and community leaders from organizations such as U.S. Bank, Jiffy Lube and the Downtown Seattle Association.

“We put our customers at the center of a robust and integrated customer feedback loop designed to help make the travel experience enjoyable at every step, from initial shopping to mid-trip questions to their return home,” said Robb Krieg, vice president of customer service for Expedia.com. “We are delighted that our toughest critics – our customers – recognize these efforts.”

In addition to the Business of the Year Award, Expedia.com recently became the first travel website awarded the Good Housekeeping Web Site Certification Seal for its useful and trustworthy information, ease of navigation, and clearly defined security and privacy policies. The company also achieved 80 customer satisfaction score out of 100 – the highest rating of any travel website – by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

A recognized leader in customer service among travel agencies, offline and online, Expedia enables customers to get the most enjoyment out of their travel planning experience. Travelers know they can depend on Expedia not only for great deals, but also attentive and friendly assistance at any point before, during or after a trip. To do this, Expedia offers customers a number of resources to help ensure travelers receive the advice and assistance they need, including:
24-Hour Customer Support – Expedia travel consultants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer customer e-mail and phone calls. Travelers can use the help center at Expedia.com for  support before, during and after traveling.
“My Trips” E-mail – E-mail service confirms travel purchases and provides any changes, updates or alerts as needed. Customers may register to receive the alerts using the “add .NET alerts” option when booking their travel or on the “My Trips” page on Expedia.com. Alerts can be sent via MSN Messenger, e-mail or mobile phone.
Automated Confirmation – Expedia makes a service available for customers to confirm their itineraries, including any booked flight, hotel, car, destination service, cruise or vacation package. Customers can also check on the arrival and departure status of their flights via the confirmation system.
In addition to year-round offerings, Expedia also offers seasonal resources to ensure customers have the smoothest possible booking and travel experience during busy travel times. For instance, Expedia recently launched the Expedia.com® Holiday Travel Center featuring holiday tips from renowned sociologist, author and life coach, Dr. Martha Beck as well as advice on finding great travel deals, ideas for things to do during delays and information on entertaining kids while traveling. Travelers can visit the Expedia.com® Holiday Travel Center at: www.expedia.com/holiday.
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 also the first online travel site to earn the Good Housekeeping Web Site Certification, awarded to Web sites that meet Good Housekeeping’s rigorous standards for consumer protection and quality assurance. Expedia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). CST: 2029030-40.

About The Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau is a non-profit organization funded by BBB member companies. The mission of the BBB is to promote the highest ethical marketplace relationships through self-regulation, education and information. Every day the BBB receives more than 6,500 inquiries through our website and phone lines. For more information on the services and products provided by the BBB, visit us online at www.thebbb.org.

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