Expedia News: No Fees And Hotel Sale

Visitors planning a trip to Hawaii may benefit from a couple of nice changes over at Expedia.  In a press release I received today Expedia is offering no fee airline bookings as well as free hotel nights, as follows:

1.  Stay 3, 4 or 5 nights:  get the last hotel night free.  For this offer, book By April 9 for travel by May 15.  New deals will be added on April 9 with validity through May 31.  Many (52) Hawaii hotels are participating in this offer.  They include the entire spectrum, from economy to luxury, on all major islands.  The way it works is that some hotels offer the third night free, while others offer the fourth or fifth night free.

2.  Book any flight without booking fees.  No airline booking fees represents a huge change in the business model at the OTA’s (online travel agencies). At present this offer is only valid through May 31.  I expect however to see it extend both beyond that date as well as to other sites like Travelocity and Orbitz.  In order to make up for lost ticketing revenue, these companies will need to reply more on packaging air with hotels, car rentals, and activities.