Welcome to our review of Expedia, a one-stop shop for all of your travel needs.
Founded in 1998, Expedia has been making travel easier for over two decades, with a vast range of destinations covered, from the bustling streets of London to the tranquil beaches of Bali.
With a single search, you can find and book flights, hotels, car rental, and cruises. Plus, package deals combine flights and hotels to offer better value for money.
So, if you’re looking for a reliable, user-friendly platform to plan and book your trip, is Expedia a good option for you?
This review will give you an in-depth look at Expedia’s service, from the process of booking a trip through to their customer services’ reliability, and everything in between. Let’s dive in!
What we’ll cover in this article
Turtle Trip’s Stance
If you’re just looking to see what we think about Expedia, here it is, so there’s no need to read the whole article.
Expedia makes booking travel extremely convenient – everything is all in one place, so your flight, hotel, car hire, and even all of the activities for your trip, they’re all here.
Expedia gets a 10/10 from us for convenience.
Their pricing is typically quite competitive, but if you’re like us and you don’t mind spending the time doing multiple searches and comparing prices, you will find that you often book through other providers.
That being said, their member-only deals and their rewards program make their offers much more appealing, but do tie you in to using this one site.
Expedia gets an 8/10 from us for pricing.
Their customer service can be a mixed bag and their adamance to keep customers chatting to a virtual agent, and then a live rep, instead of offering any phone support, will disappoint many.
However, in most of our personal experiences we’ve had almost no problems, and while the few issues took longer than we had hoped to get fixed, they were resolved quicker than with some other booking sites.
Expedia gets a 7/10 from us for customer service.
Their user experience is great, as it’s easy to use, laid out well, and the filtering functionality is about the best we can find. Listings have plenty of info, photos, and customer reviews, and managing your booking is easy, too.
On a couple of occasions I’ve gone through to the booking page only to find that the price has now updated, which was extremely annoying. An increase of 5% may not be much for a 2 night stay for two, but would have been a bit more painful if we were a large group.
Expedia gets a 9/10 from us for user experience.
Overall we give Expedia a solid 8.5/10, with a strong emphasis on the convenience factor. While they may not be the first choice for younger or lower-budget travellers, they’re probably our #1 site for those who care less about getting the absolute cheapest price and more about a quick and seamless experience where everything is all managed through one platform.
Is Expedia legit and trustworthy?
In my many years of travels, I’ve used Expedia countless times for various bookings.
In my experience, it’s a very legitimate platform, and when I consulted with the rest of the team at Turtle Trip, as well as other colleagues in the industry, they all agreed that Expedia is one of the more reliable sites out there.
Customer reviews online for Expedia are very unreliable, however, as they host their own reviews.
On their own website, customers have rated Expedia 4.3/5 (at time of writing), while on Trustpilot where we expect customers to go to when they have a bad experience, Expedia is rated just 1.1/5.
It’s worth taking customer reviews with a pinch of salt, because in many cases customers will only write positive reviews if they are contacted by the company, but are far more eager to write a negative review if anything goes wrong.
In terms of safety, the website uses typical encryption methods to ensure your details are safe when you book.
However, it’s also important to remember that online safety also depends on us, the users. Always ensure that you’re connected to a secure network when making a booking, and double-check your reservation details and cancellation policies.
Features of Expedia
Expedia offers a range of features to help travellers plan and book their trips. These include:
- Flight booking: Expedia allows you to search for and book flights from various airlines.
- Hotel booking: You can search for and book hotels from various options, including luxury hotels, budget hotels, and vacation rentals.
- Car rental: Expedia offers car rental options from a variety of companies.
- Package holidays / vacation packages: You can book packages that include flights, hotels, and activities.
- Activities and attractions: Expedia offers a range of activities and attractions to book in various destinations.
- Rewards program: Expedia has a rewards program called Expedia Rewards that allows users to earn points on bookings that can be redeemed for future bookings.
Pros and Cons of Expedia
There are several advantages to using Expedia, including:
- Access to a wide range of travel options
- Ability to book flights, hotels, and activities all in one place
- Expedia Rewards program offers points that can be redeemed for future bookings
However, there are also some disadvantages to using Expedia, including:
- Limited customer service options
- Some users report issues with cancelled or changed flights
- Some users report difficulty using the platform
Expedia generally offers competitive pricing and a wide range of options compared to other travel booking platforms.
How does Expedia work?
Navigating the site is a breeze even for the most tech-averse. The platform is intuitive and user-friendly, with features you’ll recognise from many other travel booking websites.
Here’s a quick rundown of how it works:
- Begin your search
When you land on the homepage, you’ll see a search box where you can input your travel details. You can search for hotels, flights, cars, package holidays and things to do.
For instance, if you’re looking for a hotel, enter the destination you’re travelling to, the check-in and check-out dates, and the number of guests and rooms. Hit the search button, and voila! You’ll be presented with a list of options that can be filtered by price, rating, and more.
2. Find the perfect option for you
Your search will likely surface hundreds or thousands of options, so to make your experience quicker, use the filters to find exactly what you’re looking for.
In my example, I’ve filtered from over 1,100 hotels down to just the 14 that provide the exact experience I need, saving a lot of time in comparing options that aren’t adequate.
3. Choosing your hotel / flight
Once you’ve made your choice, click on it, and you’ll be taken to a page where you can choose from any options before booking.
Each listing comes with detailed information, including amenities, guest reviews, and cancellation policies, which I’ve found incredibly helpful in making informed decisions.
In my example, there are two rooms to choose from, and when making a choice I’m asked whether I’d like to pay up front or at the hotel. Naturally, because I don’t like wasting money, I’ll save £172 and pay up front.
4. Confirm & pay
Finally, once you’ve reviewed your selection, enter your details and proceed to the payment area.
Here’s where you’ll enter the details of all guests, see terms, conditions and cancellation policies, enter a discount code / coupon, and finally where you enter your payment details.
The payment options I was given were;
- Debit / Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express accepted)
- PayPal
- Klarna – 3 interest-free instalments
But, log into an account and you’ll also be able to redeem Expedia Rewards points.
After payment, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all your booking details. You can also manage your booking in your account on the website or the app.
Are the pricing & deals on Expedia good?
Expedia typically has competitive pricing that rivals the competition, and the vast range of offers to choose from, with various hotels and flights available, mean you can pick what’s affordable to you.
Although Expedia isn’t at the top of the list, they actually faired quite well against many other sites for booking a hotel in our report on the cheapest hotel booking websites.
The platform often provides deals and discounts that can help you to save significantly on your travel expenses, with one-off hotel discounts, last-minute offers, and discount codes that appear throughout the site.
Create an account and you’ll also join their rewards program which offers points for every purchase, which can be redeemed against future purchases. There’s also member-only offers available, too.
Remember, prices on Expedia can fluctuate based on demand, time of booking, and other factors. So, it’s always a good idea to book early and monitor prices for a while before making your final booking. This way, you can snag the best deal and make your travel budget go even further.
Why is Expedia cheaper than booking direct?
You might be surprised to know that it can sometimes be cheaper to book a flight through Expedia than booking direct with the airline.
Why? Wholesale discounts.
Expedia drives so many customers to airlines that they can negotiate cheaper prices for each seat sold, and part of their savings are passed back to you. This is similar to supermarket offers where they’ll purchase one item in vast quantities, allowing them to negotiate a cheaper price, and enabling them to run a promotion for you, the customer.