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Discount Travel Site Hotwire.Com Ranks Highest in J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM)

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 09:00 CST

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Discount travel site Hotwire.com(TM) is being recognized as the online travel site with the highest customer satisfaction when booking a hotel, airfare or rental car through an independent web site, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM).

The J.D. Power and Associates study notes that Hotwire(R) received the highest ranking of all independent travel Web sites evaluated in competitiveness of price, ease of booking, as well as appearance/design and ease of navigation. Hotwire's customer satisfaction ranking for competitiveness of price ranks higher than seven other sites evaluated.

"We are honored to be recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as the highest ranked independent travel Web site in customer satisfaction," said Eric Grosse, senior vice president and general manager of Hotwire.com. "Our goal is to meet customers' need for deep discounts by offering specially negotiated rates on top suppliers' unsold inventory. We are particularly proud that consumers gave Hotwire the highest marks for price competitiveness."

The J.D. Power and Associates study measured the satisfaction of travelers who booked airline, hotel or rental car reservations through one of eight major independent travel Web sites (not a hotel, rental car company or airline's own Web site). Customer satisfaction is evaluated based on six factors:

-- Competitiveness of price; -- Ease of booking; -- Usefulness of information on the Web site; -- Availability of booking options / travel packages; -- Appearance / design of Web site; and -- Ease of navigation.

Hotwire's top ranking across four of these measures contributed to the site's highest-ranking position in overall independent Web site satisfaction.

Added Tim MacDonald, vice president of product management: "At Hotwire, we're focused on delivering a superior experience by making it easy to find and book the best prices on travel. We are always investing in the customer experience and are pleased that customers find Hotwire.com easier to navigate and book when compared to other independent travel sites."

J.D. Power and Associates conducted a Web-based survey consisting of responses from 6,800 consumers, collected between March and October 2006. Individuals responding to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) indicated that they had booked an airline, hotel or rental car reservation through one of eight major independent travel Web sites (not a hotel, rental car company or airline's own Web site).

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the World Wide Web at http://www.jdpower.com/ .

About Hotwire.com

Hotwire.com(TM) is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. . CST: 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com/ .

NOTE: Hotwire and Hotwire.com are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Collins Fleishman-Hillard for Hotwire collinse@fleishman.com 415-318-4106

Hotwire.com

CONTACT: Emily Collins of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-415-318-4106, orcollinse@fleishman.com, for Hotwire

Web site: http://www.hotwire.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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