BELLEVUE, Wash. --
Expedia.com
introduced a Best Price Guarantee for air, car, hotel, vacation
package, destination activity and cruise bookings that it believes
will enable it to neutralize any pricing issues and compete on
service.
With some
exceptions, if consumers find a lower rate on another U.S.-based
Web site within 24 hours after booking travel on Expedia.com, the
online agency will refund the difference and provide a $50 coupon
toward certain future hotel and vacation package
bookings.
For airfares, the
lower rate would have to be $6 below the Expedia.com fare
offers as the online agency tacks on a $5 booking fee. The price
guarantee is not extended to Web sites like Priceline.com where
it offers opaque inventory, and does not apply to corporate or
negotiated rates that are unavailable to the general
public.
We are trying to
signal to the industry that the game is changing and we are raising
the level, said Donna Wells, Expedia.coms senior vice president of
marketing, arguing that Expedia.com will be able to differentiate
itself through call center service, site content and
technology.
Expedia.com already
had price guarantees for merchant hotel and cruise bookings, but
the Best Price Guarantee extends the pledge to the other types of
travel.
This is the most
comprehensive, richest price guarantee, bar none, Wells
said.
To contact
reporter Dennis Schaal, send e-mail to [email protected].