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Expedia Group

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Expedia Group, Inc.
Company typePublic
IndustryTravel technology
PredecessorMicrosoft division
FoundedOctober 1996; 30 years ago (1996-10)
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Ariane Gorin (CEO, 2024–present)
ProductsExpedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Ebookers, CheapTickets, CarRentals.com, Expedia Cruises, Wotif, Trivago
Number of employees
16,500
Websitewww.expediagroup.com

Expedia Group, Inc. is a prominent American company specializing in travel technology, managing top travel fare aggregators and metasearch platforms such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Ebookers, CheapTickets, CarRentals.com, Expedia Cruises, Wotif, and Trivago. Its services provide access to reservations for more than 3.5 million accommodations and flights from upwards of 500 airlines. The organization employs around 16,500 individuals and is based in Seattle, Washington.

The brand name "Expedia" is derived from the fusion of "exploration" and "speed". Expedia Group's shares are publicly listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol EXPE.

History

Originally established as a Microsoft division in October 1996, Expedia was spun off as an independent public entity in 1999. In 2001, IAC (then known as USA Networks Inc) acquired a majority stake, gaining full ownership by 2003. Subsequently, IAC separated Expedia into a standalone company in August 2005. Later, in December 2011, Expedia further divested by spinning off TripAdvisor.

Leadership timeline

Rich Barton stepped down as CEO in 2003 and was replaced by Erik Blachford. Dara Khosrowshahi took over the CEO role in December 2004.

Chelsea Clinton joined Expedia's board of directors in March 2017, receiving an annual cash compensation of $45,000 along with $250,000 worth of stock vesting over three years. Mark Okerstrom was appointed President and CEO in August 2017.

By the end of 2019, both Okerstrom and CFO Alan Pickerill had resigned. Chairman Barry Diller took over daily operations while Chief Strategy Officer Eric Hart acted as interim CFO. In February 2020, following an underwhelming performance in 2019 and citing organizational inefficiencies, Expedia reduced its workforce by approximately 3,000 employees—about 12% of its staff.

Peter Kern assumed the CEO position in April 2020 and became the highest-compensated CEO among S&P 500 companies in 2021 with total earnings of $296 million. In May 2024, Ariane Gorin was appointed as the new CEO of Expedia Group.

Headquarters and office developments

In 2015, Expedia revealed plans to relocate its headquarters to Seattle’s Interbay district by purchasing the Amgen waterfront campus at a cost of $228.9 million. The company committed an additional $900 million towards renovating and expanding this 41-acre property to encompass 1.23 million square feet. Employees began transitioning to this new headquarters starting October 2019.

Expanding its international footprint, Expedia inaugurated a new campus located within DLF Cyber Park, Gurugram, India in 2021.

Acquisition overview

Date Company Sector Value (USD) References
Travelscape Travel Agency $
Vacationspot Hotel Booking Platform $
Classic Custom Vacations[note 1] Travel Agency $
Metropolitan Travel Travel Agency —
Newtrade Technologies Reservation Software —
Activity World Travel & Touring Services —
Egencia Travel Agency —
Venere.com Hotel Booking Platform €
Mobiata Mobile Application Developer —
Your Unlimited Adventures Travel Management Services $
VIA Travel Travel Management Services —
Trivago GmbH Hotel Metasearch Platform €477,000,000 (cash & stock)
Go Adventure Pro Travel Agency $
Wotif.com Travel Agency $
The Ocean Adventures Travel Agency $
Around the World Vacation Rentals Travel Agency $
Travelocity Travel Agency $
Orbitz Travel Agency $

In July of 2015, Expedia made an investment in Wingz, a ride-sharing enterprise focusing on airport transfers.

Divestitures

Date Buyer Divested entity Amount (USD)
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Eviivo RezOvation and Webervations Not disclosed
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 Najafi Companies Classic Vacations Not disclosed
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 American Express Global Business Travel Egencia Not disclosed

Refund delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic

During 2020, Expedia encountered numerous customer grievances concerning postponed reimbursements for flights canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. Complaints highlighted extended wait times on calls and challenges in contacting support staff, resulting in several legal actions.[1][2]

Association with Israeli settlements

On February 12, 2020, the United Nations Human Rights Council included Expedia Group in a list of companies engaged in operations connected to Israeli settlements located in the West Bank. The firm was cited under the category "provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements," which raised concerns regarding human rights.[3][4]

Trademark infringement and misleading advertising

In August 2016, Buckeye Tree Lodge and Sequoia Village Inn, LLC initiated a class-action lawsuit in California, accusing Expedia and its affiliates of infringing trademark rights by promoting advertisements that falsely suggested consumers could reserve rooms at independent hotels through Expedia, despite lacking any affiliation with those establishments. The complaint also asserted deceptive claims that unrelated hotels were "sold out," constituting violations under the Lanham Act. The dispute was resolved in April 2021 when Expedia agreed to discontinue such misleading advertising practices.

South Carolina sales tax litigation

In January 2011, Travelscape, an Expedia subsidiary operating within the Las Vegas Valley, was mandated by the South Carolina Supreme Court to remit $6.3 million in overdue sales taxes. Travelscape contended that South Carolina’s taxation of out-of-state online retailers infringed upon the Dormant Commerce Clause. Nonetheless, the court determined that Travelscape’s regular sales activities and provision of hotel accommodations within South Carolina constituted a sufficient nexus to justify tax liability.

External links


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