History
Founded as a division of Microsoft in October 1996,[3] Expedia was spun off into a public company in 1999.[4] IAC, known at the time as USA Networks Inc, acquired a controlling interest in the company in 2001[5] and acquired the remainder of the company in 2003.[6] In August 2005, IAC spun off the company.[7] In December 2011, Expedia, Inc. spun off TripAdvisor.[8]
The company's headquarters moved from Bellevue, Washington to Seattle in 2019.[2][9]
In February 2020, Expedia announced it was cutting 3,000 jobs, roughly 12% of the workforce, citing a "disappointing 2019". Diller, in his role as acting CEO, stated the company had become "sclerotic and bloated" and that employees were "all life and no work".[10] The company announced another reduction in workforce in February 2024, aiming to reduce 1,500 employees, 208 of which are from the Seattle office.[3]
In 2023, Expedia Group launched One Key, a unified loyalty program for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. This allowed users to earn and use rewards across the three brands.[11][12]
In 2024, Expedia Group launched Travel Shops, a platform that enables influencers and content creators to earn commissions by promoting hotels and travel accommodations.[13]
Expedia Group's AI-powered travel tool launched in 2024 and allows Expedia customers to plan and manage trips.[14]
