Expedia.com A New Year’s Resolution for Expedia.com: No More Registration
The comprehensive online travel site leads the industry
by making registration a thing of the past
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 4, 2000—Visitors to the Expedia.com™ travel service (http://expedia.com) will now be able to browse for flights, car rentals, and hotel rooms without having to register and provide personal information before they are ready to purchase or subscribe to the popular Expedia Fare Tracker, the personalized email newsletter.
Expedia.com is taking the lead among online travel agencies by breaking the dependency on “registrants,” instead focusing its attention on visitors and purchasers. According to research by Jupiter Communications, more than 40 percent of online users are deterred from using sites that require registration.
“Customers have told us that registration of any kind, including a guest account, feels like an unnecessary barrier and we agree,” said Erik Blachford, Vice President of Marketing for Expedia, Inc. “When you walk into a department store, clerks don't ask for your name and password before letting you shop.”
At the same time, Expedia.com provides personalization without hurdles by offering to save purchasers' and Fare Tracker subscribers' personal information so they can conveniently utilize profiles with information such as their seating preferences, meal choices and special assistance needs on return visits to the Web site. Customers can also take advantage of services such as Express Purchase that give them the option to store credit card and billing information, enabling them to make future ticket purchases within three clicks from the home page.
This latest enhancement follows other recent moves by Expedia.com to help customers obtain the best set of options for their travel. In December, Expedia.com announced Flight Price Matcher and Fare Calendar, improving the existing flight planning services by helping customers more easily find and obtain low fares.
About Expedia, Inc.
Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE) operates Expedia.com in the United States with localized versions for travelers in Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom. To help customers Travel Right, Expedia.com provides the best combination of air, car, and hotel booking, vacation package and cruise offers, destination information, and point-to-point mapping. Customers have responded by making Expedia.com the most visited Web site for travel planning services on the Internet for the eighth consecutive month (Media Metrix, November 1999).
Expedia.com customers are supported by live agents via e-mail and an toll-free number available 24 hours a day/seven days a week, credit card guarantee (U.S. site only) and privacy policy. Expedia.com is also available under Travel on the MSN™ network of Internet services.
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