Without the bluster of a formal announcement, Expedia seems to have matched Orbitz's fee reduction on hotel bookings.
Spot checks by Travel Weekly, USA Today and the Hudson Crossing Travel Industry Insight blog showed that in many markets, and with some dollar-size variations here and there, Expedia achieved parity with Orbitz by removing a portion of its service fees from the line item "taxes and fees."
Asked on Tuesday if Expedia had matched Orbitz, company spokeswoman Katie Deines said it is Expedia’s "normal course of business to ensure we have the lowest total price. That is our primary focus."
Deines added that the way Expedia displays hotel pricing -- showing the base price only in initial search results – is the industry standard and that Expedia had no immediate plans to alter it.
Travelocity is "still in assessment mode," said company spokesman Joel Frey on Wednesday.