By Expedia Guest Author, on August 26, 2003

Expedia.com Savvy Travelers Experience the Highs of “Low Season”

Bellevue, Wash. – August 25, 2003 – As the summer days grow shorter and autumn draws near, many popular warm weather destinations head into “low season,” which means hotel and airfare deals are plentiful, summer crowds are a dim memory and opportunities “to live as the locals do” abound. Savvy vacationers can reap the benefits of low season by taking advantage of Expedia.com®’s air and hotel deals to locations like Hawaii, Mexico and Europe.

“During off season airlines, hotels and tour operators extend great money-saving offers,” said Teri Franklin, product manager for Expedia.com. “With Expedia.com’s dynamic packaging capabilities, travelers have all the ingredients they need to build an affordable, customized trip to the world’s most sought-after vacation spots.”

For bargain hunters, low season can offer deep discounts off average travel rates for popular warm-weather destinations. Travelers yearning for the white sands of Mexico will enjoy great rates on air and hotel packages to the country’s top destinations, plus free upgrades at many properties and savings of up to 20 percent off of Expedia’s regular prices on select destination activities. Vacationers who prefer the romantic old-world charm of Europe or the lush tropics of Hawaii can take advantage of savings beyond the already-low rates with Expedia.com’s exclusive vacation packages for fall travel.

Beyond tremendous savings, traveling during the off-peak season has many benefits. Travelers will likely find beaches and pools to be less crowded, restaurants and shops nearly void of tourists, atmospheric old cities quiet and peaceful and popular destination attractions free of lengthy wait times. In some locations, the low tourism season coincides with the height of the cultural season, allowing travelers a unique chance to experience the true essence of local customs.

When planning a low season excursion, travelers can also take advantage of Expedia.com’s extensive online travel guides for many popular destinations. By utilizing Expedia’s comprehensive resources, travelers can search for the perfect vacation by accessing maps, slide shows, weather listings, attractions and activities available at various hot spots. Additional information on Expedia.com’s low season deals can be found at: http://www.expedia.com/deals.

Sample “Low Season” Deals*

Sample Summer Destinations Expedia.com Deals
Hawaii
Discover the garden isle of Kauai Roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles 4 nights at a 3-star, beach-front hotel from $555/person
Add a lei greeting, snorkeling tour, helicopter tour, and more
Mexico
Enjoy the sumptuous flavors and vibrant night life of Mazatlán Roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles 4 nights at a three-star hotel from $435/person
Add an island tour, explore the Sierra Madre and book tickets to Spectaculare, Mazatlán’s greatest show venue
Europe
Get lost in the romance and masterful art of Paris Roundtrip airfare from New York 4 nights at a three-star hotel from $534/person
Choose from a variety of tours to the city’s most spectacular sites or buy passes to see the architectural beauty of Versailles

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 a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). CST: 2029030-40.

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* Sample prices are based on double occupancy and vary by dates of travel, availability, and departure city.

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