Expedia has eliminated all phone booking fees, effective immediately.
"Expedia.com is proud to stand up for the rights of phone-using Americans," said Tim MacDonald, general manager of Expedia.com.
Priceline.com already doesn't charge for phone bookings on published-price hotels, vacation packages, rental cars and cruises.
Travelocity and Orbitz do charge phone booking fees. However, Orbitz spokesman Brian Hoyt noted that Orbitz does not charge booking fees if customers book vacation packages by phone.
The "vast majority" of Orbitz air bookings are completed online, and Orbitz has no online booking fee, noted Hoyt.
As to whether Orbitz would match Expedia's across-the-board elimination of phone booking fees, Hoyt said Orbitz would examine Expedia's move.
"We intend to be one of the most competitive places to book travel online," Hoyt said.
Expedia's dropping of phone booking fees follows the elimination of other fees by Expedia this year. In March, the website scrapped online booking fees for airline tickets, a policy that was matched by Travelocity and Orbitz. (Priceline eliminated air booking fees in late 2007.)
Expedia eliminated change and cancellation fees on hotel, car rental and cruise reservations in May. Cruise booking fees were dropped in October.
The report was amended to add comments by Orbitz.
