Expedia.com Eliminates Travel Booking Fees for Phone Orders

The world’s leading online travel agency, today announced that it has eliminated all phone-based booking fees. Expedia.com will not charge phone booking fees for any flight, car rental, hotel or cruise reservation booked by phone (1-800-EXPEDIA). The change to Expedia.com’s service policy is immediate.

This is the latest example of the meaningful steps Expedia.com is taking to drive down the cost of travel and to put travelers first in everything the company does. Expedia.com is now the only major online travel agency to offer fee-free telephone booking for air travel. By comparison, some online travel agencies charge as much as $25 per ticket to book via phone. Many airlines also apply as much as $25 in fees, per ticket, to book by phone.

The company eliminated online air booking fees and change fees and cancel fees on all hotel and car rental reservations in May 2009. Cruise change and cancel fees were also eliminated in May 2009 and cruise booking fees were eliminated in October 2009.

"Expedia.com is proud to stand up for the rights of phone-using Americans," said Tim MacDonald, senior vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. "In recent years, travel fees -- for baggage, gas, parking and the like -- have had a tendency to rise in unexpected and unpleasant ways. Expedia.com has chosen to move in a different direction. We expect that this decision will be well received by the millions of travelers we serve."
More travelers trust Expedia.com than any other travel site. Expedia.com delivers the most travel options in the world, which allows travelers to mix and match those options to book the trip they desire for a great price.

Expedia.com also provides an easy and convenient booking experience with features including the Fare Alert tool that delivers bargain fares for flights directly to a computer desktop, a Seat Guru service offering expert advice on the best airplane seats, the Deal Finder tool that delivers attractive destination deals to a Google home page, and a Traveler Opinions feature that provides the inside scoop and user ratings on hotels from people who have actually stayed there, and more.

SC high court says gov's ethics probe is public

South Carolina's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an ethics investigation into Gov. Mark Sanford's travel must be made public, clearing the way for lawmakers considering impeachment to review a report on the probe.

Sanford's lawyers had tried keep a report on a criminal investigation by the State Ethics Commission from being released to the House of Representatives as leaders there decide whether to move forward with impeachment efforts.

The commission's investigation was launched after Sanford returned from a five-day rendezvous with an Argentine lover in June that prompted investigations by The Associated Press into his travel practices. The AP found Sanford used state airplanes for personal and political purposes; used pricey commercial travel despite a state low-cost travel requirement; and didn't report private plane trips given by friends and donors.
Sanford's spokesman and lawyers, as well as Ethics Commission Director Herb Hayden, did not immediately respond to questions.

The governor said shortly after the investigation began that he would waive confidentiality rights, but his lawyers later argued he only intended to allow the scope of the investigation to be released. Attorneys wanted Sanford to have a chance to respond to the report before lawmakers saw it.

However, the court found the Republican governor had waived rights to confidentiality unconditionally in an Aug. 28 letter to the Legislature. The letter also said Sanford was "fighting for transparency," and that travel documents would support his frugal record.

That indicated "his intent was to waive confidentiality without limitation," the high court said. The court said Sanford's confidentiality waiver means nearly everything generated by the commission will be public.
House Speaker Bobby Harrell has said lawmakers will not move forward with impeachment discussions until they review the investigative report.

"It looks like now we will have access to this reporting of the facts," Harrell spokesman Greg Foster said.