AirAsia, the world’s best low cost airline and Expedia, Inc., the world’s largest online travel company, today announced the launch of a new joint venture company covering Asia Pacific and offering a complete range of great value flights, hotels, and holiday packages.

Under the joint venture agreement, a new company will be formed to operate Expedia® branded businesses in Japan, India, Southeast Asia and other East Asian markets, as well as AirAsia’s AirAsiaGo and GoRooms businesses.  The new venture will build on AirAsia’s unique local expertise, Expedia’s world leading technology, and both companies’ quality travel products in the region and beyond.

The new venture will mean AirAsia and AirAsiaX flights and travel packages can be found and booked through AirAsia.com, AirAsiaGo.com and Expedia.  Taken together with over 130,000 hotels worldwide, this will create a unique set of packages at incredibly low rates on both the AirAsiaGo and Expedia sites.

To celebrate, www.AirAsiaGo.com will be offering hotel discounts of up to 80% in 10 Asian cities for three days beginning 29th March, and Expedia will be launching its new Malaysian site www.expedia.com.my and Thai site www.expedia.co.th with a two week sale period offering discounts of up to 60% on South-East Asian destinations.

Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia, said, “With this announcement AirAsia and Expedia are launching a revolution in online travel for Asia. This partnership between two global brands and leaders in the travel industry comes at a time when online travel bookings are exploding in the region. Asia, and its booming economy, offers a huge opportunity to develop a set of loved consumer brands.

Barry Diller, Chairman and Senior Executive, Expedia, Inc., said, “By partnering with AirAsia, Expedia is taking an important step in developing our global position.  This is particularly exciting, given Asia’s influence in the online travel marketplace.”

“We couldn’t have found a better partner than AirAsia.  In addition to being the region’s leading low cost carrier, the airline also shares Expedia’s aspiration to make travel accessible to everyone.  I’m deeply impressed by AirAsia’s growth in such a short period of time, and its amazing network.”