Expedia.com Expedia Corporate Travel Launches, Providing Companies with Complete Agency Services, while Reducing Overall Costs
BELLEVUE, Wash. – November 19, 2002 – Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE) today announced the availability of Expedia® Corporate Travel, aimed at providing travelers and travel managers with more choice and control, while reducing the costs associated with managing business travel. With Expedia® Corporate Travel, companies will be able to save as much as 80 percent on business travel transaction costs, while benefiting from a unique combination of Expedia's technology expertise and high-touch service in a single, complete solution.
“Expedia® Corporate Travel is the result of working with business travelers and the companies they work for to develop the tools travelers and travel managers need,” said Byron Bishop, senior vice president, corporate travel for Expedia, Inc. “We've learned that the ideal solution for corporate travel provides both unmatched technology as well as full-service capabilities in a fully integrated and easy-to-use solution, with a simple pricing structure.”
Benefits of the Expedia® Corporate Travel solution include:
Secure and customized Web site provides powerful administrative tools, enabling companies to exercise control and manage their own accounts. Businesses can configure traveler accounts, travel-arranging privileges, itinerary management, and central billing options.
Direct access to a wide range of airfares, including Web fares, company-specific negotiated fares, and published fares, all in a single display.
Corporate travel reporting enables companies to better track their travel spending patterns by accessing detailed reports, viewable online or in a spreadsheet format.
Traveler support available 24×7 and staffed by experienced corporate travel specialists. As part of Expedia's customer service pledge, a goal has been established that 80 percent of all calls will be answered within 20 seconds.
Dedicated account management is offered to all corporate customers in a consultative environment that can help companies streamline travel processes and minimize travel costs.
Travel Arranger functionality allows for simple travel booking on behalf of others within the same company.
Better Business Travel for Less
Expedia® Corporate Travel has a simple pricing structure aimed at reducing the costs associated with business travel. An online flight booking costs $5, with no additional corporate charge for online hotel and car bookings. Full service agent-assisted bookings cost $20 per transaction for domestic travel. There are also no training expenses, as ECT uses the familiar world-class Expedia.com® easy-to-use interface. Expedia's superior technology facilitates a quick, efficient implementation process. Through the end of 2002, Expedia is waiving the $149 account setup fee.
“Companies can immediately benefit from Expedia® Corporate Travel, which is designed to cut costs through a flexible solution that is simple to manage, yet powerful enough to provide a broad set of travel options and tools,” Bishop said. “Travel managers can be confident that their employees will be comfortable using ECT because it was designed with them in mind.”
Expedia has been operating a preview version of the product to solicit input on the product and service. Globe Machine Manufacturing Company, a leading forest products machinery manufacturing company based in Tacoma, Wash., participated in the preview program.
“Expedia® Corporate Travel has enabled me to more efficiently manage travel for our employees, using an interface that is simple to navigate,” said Laura Shane, corporate secretary and travel coordinator at Globe Machine. “We now have improved insight into our travel spending with the reporting tools, and the customer service experience has been enhanced with dedicated agents trained to meet our corporate travel needs.”
Today's release follows Expedia's entrance into the corporate travel space, announced in July, when the company acquired Metropolitan Travel, a leading Seattle-based corporate travel agency with a client roster that includes Nordstrom Inc., Starbucks Corp., and Washington Mutual Inc. In August, Expedia also announced the Expedia® Corporate Advisory Board (ECAB), composed of corporations and travel suppliers, which have helped guide the development of the corporate travel service. In addition to soliciting the feedback of corporate travel experts, ECAB members ensured that the suppliers' perspective would be incorporated into the new solution.
For more information on Expedia® Corporate Travel, please visit http://corporate.expedia.com or call 1-866-328-0110.
About Expedia® Corporate Travel
Expedia® Corporate Travel is a part of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), the world's leading online travel service and the eight largest travel agency in the U.S. Expedia® Corporate Travel provides a full-service option for businesses by bringing together the best of technology and customer service in a complete, single-source solution. Business travelers have access to specialized tools, while companies can take advantage of rich management and reporting features. Expedia, a majority-owned subsidiary of USA Interactive (NASDAQ: USAI), also operates Metropolitan Travel, a leading provider of business travel solutions in the Pacific Northwest.
*Byron Bishop, senior vice president, corporate travel for Expedia, Inc., will conduct a conference call with investors and analysts on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. Pacific Time) to discuss the corporate travel initiative. A live web cast and replay of the call will be available at http://investor.expedia.com.
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