REDMOND, Wash. -- Expedia began charging its customers a $5 booking
fee on airline tickets, but will waive the fee if air is booked as
part of a package.
The online agency attributed the move to reduced commissions and
declining revenue per ticket, adding that it introduced the fee as
a means of maintaining a "high quality of service."
Competitor Travelocity doesn't charge booking fees, but Orbitz
does. The airline-owned site charges a $5 service fee per ticket if
the reservation is for one of its charter associate airlines and a
$10 fee on tickets for other airlines.