Expedia.com Launches ‘Hassle-Free Hurricane Promise’ and Builds on History of Customer-Driven Experiences and Service
Update 2019: This is an old press release. If you’re looking for information about Expedia’s hurricane policy, please visit our customer portal.
Expedia.com Continues Customer Service Excellence With New Program Designed to Help Keep Vacations Worry-Free
BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Expedia.com®, the world’s leading online travel service, continues to deliver on its long tradition of customer dedication and service by launching its Hassle-free Hurricane Promise. In the event of a hurricane, Expedia.com promises to be there for its customers with around-the-clock(1) customer service and the latest news and information. Should customers need to cancel or change their travel plans for destinations affected by a hurricane, Expedia.com travel specialists will waive any Expedia.com cancellation fees, advocate on behalf of customers for travel partners to do the same, and provide new travel options for consideration — all to help provide travelers peace of mind during this year’s hurricane season.
“We all know that weather is far from predictable — especially when it comes to vacation plans,” said Steven McArthur, president, Expedia, Inc. North America Leisure Travel Group. “By establishing our Hassle-free Hurricane Promise, Expedia.com aims to remove unnecessary worry around traveling to tropical destinations this summer.”
The Hassle-free Hurricane Promise applies to customers who have booked travel on Expedia.com to any North American destination (including Mexico and the Caribbean) affected by hurricane-related problems during the time of travel. Additional details include:
— Once a hurricane watch or warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center and is in effect for a particular destination, the Hassle-free Hurricane Promise will apply.
— Details including which destinations are covered by the promise and the length of time that the promise is in effect will be communicated via a Travel Alert on Expedia.com.
— In addition, Expedia.com travel specialists will also email or call potentially affected customers to alert them to the situation and work with them to either cancel or assist with rebooking their trip.
— For more information on the promise and access to Travel Alerts showing the latest updates and information on hurricanes, customers can visit http://www.expedia.com/hurricanepromise or call .
For those customers who are on vacation while a hurricane hits or who visit a destination still recovering from hurricane damage, Expedia.com is a source to turn to for the latest news and information. Expedia.com will work with its partners to uncover the latest updates — including damage reports for hotels in the area — and will deliver the news to customers as it becomes known. Expedia.com travel specialists are also on call 24 hours a day to deliver these developments and, if the situation dictates, provide the customer with any existing travel options.
Expedia.com’s Hassle-free Hurricane Promise is the latest reflection of the dedication that Expedia.com places on providing excellent customer service; supplying overall value to customers; implementing beneficial tools and information to help each customer find the trip that’s right for them; and making it easy to plan and book travel.
Customer Service — Thousands of hours of customer service agent training and development each year has paid off:
— Industry Leading — According to a recent survey by leading consumer research firm comScore Networks, Expedia.com is outperforming other major online travel agencies in overall customer satisfaction in our customer service operations (77.8 percent satisfaction for Expedia.com versus 74.1 percent for the next leading online travel agency.)
— Award Winning — Expedia.com recently won the “2005 Brandweek Customer Loyalty Award” for the sixth consecutive year (since 2000). This award recognizes Expedia.com as “best meeting or exceeding consumer expectations.”
Value — Expedia.com provides numerous ways for its customers to know that they’re getting the right selection at the right price:
— Cruise Price Guarantee Plus — A low-price guarantee on all Expedia.com cruises provides matching of the price and a $50 gift certificate in the rare event that a lower price is found elsewhere online.
— Save With Vacation Packages — Expedia.com’s flight+hotel vacation packages provide meaningful savings — an average of $189(2) saved per vacation. The package savings tool in the upper right-hand corner of each vacation package search result shows how much money is saved by booking together.
Helping Customers Find the Travel That’s Right For Them — Expedia.com takes customer feedback seriously and conducts extensive research to create tools and features for the site:
— Traveler Opinions — Expedia.com customers have submitted more than 50,000 independent reviews to help other travelers select the hotel that’s right for them.
— Last-Seat Availability — Within the flight search results, Expedia.com lets travelers know if there are only a few seats left on that flight at that price.
About Expedia.com
Expedia.com is one of the world’s leading online travel services and is a part of the third-largest travel agency in the United States. 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 through awards including PC Magazine’s “Editors’ Choice” and Forbes’ “Favorite General Travel Site.” To find the trip that’s right for them, travelers should visit http://www.expedia.com/ . Expedia is an operating company of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). CST: 2029030-40
NOTE: Expedia, Expedia.com, and the airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the United States, Canada and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
(1) Specifically refers to the service provided to Expedia.com customers in North America.
(2) Average $189 savings is based on actual bookings for air + hotel trips for two adults to Expedia’s top 50 destinations. Savings vary by destination and origin.
SOURCE: Expedia.com
Web site: http://www.expedia.com/