Expedia
Expedia Group is a global online travel marketplace operating consumer brands (Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo) and a B2B platform (Rapid APIs, Expedia Partner Solutions) that serve leisure travelers, corporate clients, and travel partners across 70+ countries with flights, lodging, vacation rentals, cars, and activities.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Expedia does
Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is a global online travel marketplace operator headquartered in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1996 and spun off from IAC in 2005. It runs a portfolio of consumer travel brands — Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Wotif, ebookers, CheapTickets, Expedia Cruises, and CarRentals.com — alongside a significant holding in trivago for meta-search. The company serves leisure travelers (B2C), corporate clients via Expedia for Business, and B2B travel partners (financial institutions, OTAs, airlines, travel agencies) through its Expedia Partner Solutions platform and Rapid API ecosystem spanning 190 countries, 400+ airlines, and 200K+ activities. The OneKey unified loyalty program with a co-branded Wells Fargo/Mastercard credit card ties the consumer brands together.
The technology platform has been consolidated from legacy brand-specific systems into a single supply and distribution stack (completed during the 2020 pandemic), with AI-driven personalization, natural language search, agentic AI workflows, and an Intelligent Experience Platform for B2B partners. Expedia operates a premier travel advertising network leveraging first-party traveler data and is embedding its inventory across Uber, Meta, TikTok Go, Google AI Mode via the Universal Commerce Protocol, BMO Blue Rewards, OpenAI ChatGPT, and CLEAR airport experiences. Pending acquisitions of CarTrawler (~$350M, ground transport/Insurtech) and TiQets (experiences) extend the offering into adjacent verticals.
The business model is marketplace-commission-led (booking commissions on hotels, flights, vacation rentals, cars, activities, and packages) supplemented by B2B API/platform fees, advertising, loyalty economics, and merchant/ancillary services. Q1 2026 revenue was $3.43B (+15% YoY) on gross bookings of 113.9M room nights, with adjusted EBITDA of $542M (+83% YoY) and operating margin expanding to 7.3% from -2.3%. The balance sheet carries $5.4B in cash, Net Debt/EBITDA of 0.3x, a $2.5B revolving credit facility, and a newly authorized $5B buyback program, supporting both organic AI investment and inorganic expansion.
Expedia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Expedia
- Legal name
- Expedia, Inc.
- Website
- https://expediagroup.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Expedia Group is a global online travel marketplace operating consumer brands (Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo) and a B2B platform (Rapid APIs, Expedia Partner Solutions) that serve leisure travelers, corporate clients, and travel partners across 70+ countries with flights, lodging, vacation rentals, cars, and activities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Expedia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Travel Agency
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520), All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Booking & Reservation Platforms (B2B/B2C) (THALAMAA)
Keywords
Where Expedia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Expedia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Booking Commissions: Expedia earns commissions on hotel, flight, vacation rental, car rental, activity, and package bookings across its consumer brands (Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.); reported $3.43 billion in Q1 2026 revenue (+15% YoY) on gross bookings of 113.9 million room nights (+13% YoY).
- B2B Platform & API Services: Revenue from Rapid API integrations with financial institutions, airlines, OTAs, and travel companies (e.g., BMO Blue Rewards, Uber, Accor, 70+ airlines via CarTrawler); B2B segment grew 22% YoY in Q1 2026 with $5.4 billion cash and Net Debt/EBITDA of 0.3x supporting platform investment.
- Travel Advertising: Premier travel advertising network (Expedia Group Advertising) leveraging first-party traveler data and AI-driven insights; Harris Poll research showed travelers spend $500+ per trip on non-travel purchases, opening high-value targeting opportunities for non-travel brands.
- OneKey Loyalty / Co-brand Card Economics: Economic participation in the OneKey loyalty program and the co-branded credit card with Wells Fargo and Mastercard, including interchange, rewards economics, and ancillary member services.
- Merchant & Ancillary Services: Merchant model on certain transactions (where Expedia is the merchant of record) plus ancillary fees (e.g., travel protection, insurance, advertising on media channels, and currency exchange services).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer marketplace: Transaction-based pricing with dynamic rates on hotels, flights, vacation rentals, cars, and packages. |
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B Partner Solutions: Quote-based platform/API licensing with custom commercial terms. |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | TravelAds & Advertising: Performance/spend-based advertising on Expedia Group's travel advertising network. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels9 records
Expedia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Expedia Group operates a multi-brand global online travel marketplace aggregating flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises, activities, and vacation packages from third-party suppliers across consumer brands (Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire) serving leisure and corporate travelers in 70+ countries. The company also runs a separate B2B travel technology platform (Expedia Partner Solutions / Rapid APIs) that exposes its travel supply to financial institutions, airlines, OTAs, and travel companies via APIs, white-label solutions, and the Travel Agency Affiliate Program (TAAP), with a co-branded OneKey loyalty program and credit card spanning the consumer portfolio.
Product overview
Expedia Group operates as a multi-brand global travel marketplace platform organized around three core consumer brands (Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo) and a portfolio of acquired consumer sub-brands (Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Wotif, ebookers, CheapTickets, Expedia Cruises, CarRentals.com), supported by a significant investment in trivago for meta-search. Underpinning this consumer portfolio is a unified technology platform with a B2B business (Expedia for Business / Expedia Partner Solutions) that exposes Expedia supply through the Rapid API ecosystem, the Expedia Travel Agency Affiliate Program (TAAP), and the newly launched Expedia Intelligent Experience Platform for agentic AI integration. A unified consumer loyalty program (One Key, with a Wells Fargo / Mastercard co-branded credit card) ties the brands together, while Expedia Group Advertising operates a commerce media network on top of the platform. Recent acquisitions (Tiqets for attractions/experiences, CarTrawler for ground mobility) and partnerships (Uber, CLEAR, Meta, TikTok GO, Google UCP/AI Mode, OpenAI ChatGPT) extend the offering across the full trip journey, with AI-driven personalization and the Roamie chatbot powering consumer-facing intelligence.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Expedia: Consumer brand offering flights, vacation rentals, hotels, cars, and cruises
- Hotels.com
- Vrbo
- Hotwire
- Orbitz
Products and services
- Expedia.com Expedia Group's flagship all-in-one consumer travel shop offering flights, vacation rentals, hotels, cars, cruises, packages, and intelligent travel tools for end-to-end trip planning.
- Hotels.com Hotel-focused consumer booking brand offering stays across all price points with a rewards program on every booking, flexible management, and loyalty perks (Hotels.com Rewards).
- Vrbo Vacation rental brand for whole-home stays (beach houses, cabins, villas) targeted at families and groups, backed by the VrboCare guarantee, 24/7 support, and verified reviews.
- Expedia for Business / Expedia Partner Solutions Global B2B business providing travel supply, advertising, and partner technology solutions to financial institutions, travel companies, and other businesses, led by President of B2B & CCO Alfonso Paredes.
- Rapid API Suite B2B API ecosystem for travel partners, including Rapid Car API (190 countries), Rapid Flight API (400+ airlines), and Rapid Activities API for global experience bookings, supporting full-trip booking integration.
- Expedia Intelligent Experience Platform AI-focused B2B platform launched May 20, 2026 to help travel partners integrate Expedia's AI intelligence into their interfaces and agent workflows.
- One Key Loyalty Program Unified cross-brand consumer loyalty program spanning Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, with a co-branded credit card partnership with Wells Fargo and Mastercard and tiered benefits including airport lounge access for Gold and Platinum members.
- Expedia Group Advertising (TravelAds) Premier travel advertising network reaching high-value travelers across Expedia Group surfaces, leveraging first-party data and AI-driven insights for commerce media targeting and sponsored placements.
- Expedia Travel Agency Affiliate Program (TAAP) Global travel advisor affiliate program under President of B2B & CCO Alfonso Paredes enabling travel agencies to resell Expedia inventory.
- Expedia Cruises Cruise booking sub-brand within the Expedia Group portfolio.
- CarRentals.com Car rental booking sub-brand within the Expedia Group portfolio.
- Hotwire Discount/opaque-inventory travel booking brand brought into the Expedia portfolio during the IAC era.
- Orbitz Online travel agency brand acquired by Expedia Group offering flights, hotels, cars, packages, and vacation rentals.
- Travelocity Online travel agency brand acquired by Expedia Group.
- Wotif Australian online travel agency brand acquired by Expedia Group through the Wotif purchase.
- ebookers European online travel agency brand within the Expedia Group portfolio.
- CheapTickets Discount travel booking brand within the Expedia Group portfolio.
Quantifiable outcome
- 77% of travelers likely to book multiple trip elements on the same Expedia platform (Harris Poll, Feb 2026); 83% among Gen Z.
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Expedia
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Expedia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Expedia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Amazon Prime Day / Choose ChicagocoreChoose Chicago's first-ever partnership with Amazon making Chicago the exclusive bookable travel destination during Prime Day (June 23-26, 2026), offering 20% discounted hotel rates; bookings powered by Expedia with availability extending into Q1 2027.
- BMO (Bank of Montreal)flagshipBMO's new Blue Rewards loyalty program (replacing AIR MILES) features a travel redemption platform powered by Expedia, enabling 400+ brand partner members to book flights, hotels, and car rentals using accumulated Blue Points; new credit cards offer accelerated point earning on gas, groceries, wholesale, and EV charging purchases.
- CarTrawlerflagshipExpedia Group agreed to acquire Ireland-based B2B travel platform CarTrawler for ~$350M, extending B2B services into car rentals, ground transport, and Insurtech. CarTrawler's platform connects 550+ car rental suppliers, 500+ mobility suppliers, and approximately 300 travel brands worldwide (including 70+ airlines). Deal expected to close late 2026.
- Meta PlatformsflagshipAI-powered conversation ads enabling travelers to access Expedia chat directly from Instagram and Facebook, with in-feed trip planning announced at Explore 26. Captures travelers upstream of booking decision and supports Expedia's full-trip platform strategy.
- CLEAR (YOU)corePartnership to integrate CLEAR+ and CLEAR Concierge airport identity verification into Expedia's travel platform for One Key members. Available first in the U.S. at 60+ U.S. airports with tier-based pricing for One Key members; aims to bridge booking and airport experience.
- GoogleflagshipFounding partner of Google's Universal Commerce Protocol for AI-powered hotel bookings via Search AI Mode and Gemini. Also Direct Offers pilot partner (launched January 2026) and partner in Google's agentic commerce cart for hotel bookings announced at Google I/O alongside Booking.com, Marriott, IHG, Choice, and Wyndham.
- TikTok (ByteDance)flagshipLaunch partner for TikTok Go in the U.S., Indonesia, and Japan, enabling 200M+ American users to discover and book hotels, attractions, and tours directly within the TikTok app. Also beta-test partner for hotel metasearch cards redirecting to Expedia alongside Booking.com and Trip.com.
- AccorcoreMulti-market loyalty partnership covering seven markets including France, Germany, and the UAE, allowing Accor members to earn loyalty points on Uber rides and deliveries while leveraging Accor's hotel inventory for Uber's hotel booking feature; also expanded to Uber's 'Hotel Tab' feature.
- Uber TechnologiesflagshipReciprocal partnership announced at Uber Go-Get 2026: Uber users book ~700,000 Expedia hotels and Vrbo rentals in-app with up to 20% off and 10% Uber One credit; Expedia will integrate Uber ride bookings into its app starting June 2026. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (former Expedia CEO) sits on Expedia's board.
- IShowSpeed (Darren Watkins Jr.)flagshipMulti-phase global partnership naming Expedia as Official Travel Partner for Gen Z, with 150M+ followers across platforms. Launched via 12-hour livestream across four Caribbean destinations (Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Maarten) and custom Exspeedia.com hub.
- TiQets (Tiqets International B.V.)flagshipExpedia Group agreed to acquire TiQets International B.V., an Amsterdam-based platform for museum and attraction tickets, on December 10, 2025, with the transaction expected to close in Q1 2026 subject to regulatory and Works Council advice. The deal was advised by Barclays and part of a broader industry move into the multi-billion dollar experiences sector.
- Conservation Fund, Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, AllTrails (Expedia Trails Fund)minorExpedia Trails Fund committed $4.3 million to restore trails and protected landscapes at 11 U.S. locations in partnership with these four conservation organizations; sustainability program announced at Explore 2026 conference.
- Capital One (former travel tech client)minorCapital One downgraded its relationship with Expedia; Capital One separately acquired key Hopper travel technology assets and approximately 150 Hopper employees in a deal that weakens Hopper as an independent B2B player and impacts Expedia's Capital One Travel account.
- Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) — former B2B accountminorHopper Technology Solutions replaced Expedia Group to provide travel services for RBC, Canada's largest bank. Expedia previously managed this B2B account, and the change came weeks after Capital One Travel also downgraded its relationship with Expedia.
- OpenAI (ChatGPT platform)coreExpedia Group is among early pilot brands (alongside Best Buy) testing ChatGPT's advertising platform and Direct Offers integration, with minimum commitments that dropped from $200K-$250K to $50K and CPMs from $60 to $25; ChatGPT weekly users reached 800M.
- OpenAI / ChatGPT App IntegrationscoreOpenAI introduced app integrations within ChatGPT (US/Canada) allowing users to interact with services including Booking.com, Canva, Uber, Spotify, DoorDash, and others; enables direct actions such as booking hotels, with more partners planned in 2026.
- OpenAI / ChatGPT (AI Agents)coreReference to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (who sits on Expedia's board) citing Expedia among rivals being potentially matched by OpenAI's AI-driven travel offerings; contextual indicator of competitive and parallel partnership dynamics.
- Booking.com, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Trip.com (TikTok Go launch partners)coreCo-launch partners with TikTok for TikTok Go in-app travel booking across hotels, attractions, and tours; OTA partners handle payment processing while TikTok retains the customer relationship through the booking moment.
- Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (Google UCP)flagshipFounding partners with Google, Booking.com, and Expedia on Universal Commerce Protocol hotel reservation vertical; announced May 19, 2026 for AI agent transactions in Google Search AI Mode and Gemini.
- Sherman (Tour Operators) — through Tiqets relationshipminorIndirect ecosystem relationship through Expedia's acquisition of TiQets, expanding Expedia into museum and attraction ticketing vertical; expected to close Q1 2026 subject to Works Council advice.
- Marriott International, Airbnb, Booking.com (AI deployment cohort)coreIdentified alongside Marriott, Airbnb, and Booking.com as visible examples of AI work in operations, personalization, and customer service across the travel industry; part of broader industry shift from years of AI discussion to active production deployments.
- Accor (Hotel Tab via Uber)coreAccor's hotel inventory powers Uber's 'Hotel Tab' feature launched April 30, 2026 alongside Expedia's booking infrastructure, positioning Uber as a new entry point for hotel discovery.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Expedia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trip.com Group: Ctrip-owned global OTA with leadership in Asia-Pacific and growing Western presence. Competes head-to-head with Expedia in flights, hotels, and packages, and is a co-launch partner on TikTok Go and Google's Universal Commerce Protocol.
- KAYAK: Meta-search travel engine owned by Booking Holdings. Direct competitor in price comparison and lead generation for hotels, flights, and cars, competing for the same upper-funnel traveler Expedia targets via its consumer brands and trivago.
- Airbnb: Global alternative accommodations marketplace and the largest direct competitor to Expedia's Vrbo. Overlapping demand from leisure travelers, with growing adjacency into experiences and services that competes with Expedia's full-trip strategy.
- Booking Holdings: Parent of Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, and OpenTable. The closest direct competitor to Expedia, operating a global OTA across lodging, flights, ground transport, and experiences, with similar B2B platform offerings and a larger share of the global OTA market.
- MakeMyTrip: India's leading online travel company spanning flights, hotels, holidays, and ground transport. One of the top 5 OTA players globally (~54% combined share), serving as a key direct competitor in the fast-growing Indian travel market where Expedia also operates.
Emerging players
- Hopper: AI-driven travel app and B2B platform (Hopper Technology Solutions). Recently won Capital One Travel and RBC travel away from Expedia, positioning it as a rising B2B competitor with sharper AI/fintech capabilities in the financial-institution segment.
- trivago: Hotel meta-search engine majority-owned by Expedia Group. Comparable as a price-comparison and discovery surface in the hotel vertical, with overlapping audience and shared inventory relationships with major OTAs.
Regional players
- Traveloka: Southeast Asia's leading OTA operating across flights, hotels, packages, and attractions. Comparable business model and B2B ambitions in a different geography, positioning it as a regional peer with potential cross-border expansion threat.
- Despegar: Leading Latin American OTA operating across flights, hotels, packages, and car rentals. Comparable full-trip marketplace model focused on a different geography, with overlapping supplier economics and B2B partner strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Google Travel: Google's travel surfaces (Search, Maps, AI Mode, Universal Commerce Protocol) act as both a critical distribution channel and a competitor. As AI-powered booking becomes native to Google Search and Gemini, it represents the most strategically threatening adjacent player to Expedia's marketplace model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Expedia social profiles
Digital presenceExpedia compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Expedia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Expedia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Expedia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Expedia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Expedia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A28 records
Investments27 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Expedia
What does Expedia do?
Expedia Group operates a multi-brand global online travel marketplace aggregating flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises, activities, and vacation packages from third-party suppliers across consumer brands (Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire) serving leisure and corporate travelers in 70+ countries. The company also runs a separate B2B travel technology platform (Expedia Partner Solutions / Rapid APIs) that exposes its travel supply to financial institutions, airlines, OTAs, and travel companies via APIs, white-label solutions, and the Travel Agency Affiliate Program (TAAP), with a co-branded OneKey loyalty program and credit card spanning the consumer portfolio.
Is Expedia a public or private company?
Expedia is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Expedia founded?
Expedia was founded in 1996. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Expedia based?
Expedia is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Expedia make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Booking Commissions are the primary driver. The others are B2B Platform & API Services, travel Advertising, oneKey Loyalty / Co-brand Card Economics and merchant & Ancillary Services.
Who are Expedia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trip.com Group, KAYAK, Airbnb, Booking Holdings and MakeMyTrip. Emerging players are Hopper and trivago. Regional players are Traveloka and Despegar. Google Travel is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Expedia have an API?
Yes. Expedia Group operates the Rapid API ecosystem for travel partners, including Rapid Car API covering 190 countries, Rapid Flight API connecting to over 400 airlines, and Rapid Activities API for global experience bookings. The company also announced an upcoming B2B agentic AI server launching within months in 2026 that will enable travel partners to connect directly to Expedia inventory with real-time access and automation, with broad availability anticipated by Q4 2026. Partners can also leverage Expedia's Intelligent Experience Platform to integrate Expedia AI capabilities into partner interfaces and agent workflows. Developer documentation is at partner.expediagroup.com/en-us.
What industry is Expedia in?
Expedia's product category is Online Travel Agency. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAMAA, Online Booking & Reservation Platforms (B2B/B2C). Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 4700.