Because travelers`
schedules often change, Expedia.com
has made exchanging airline tickets
easier than ever with the launch of the Expedia(R) Online Exchange Wizard.

Caption: Erik Blachford, president of Expedia, North
America
The first of its kind for any online travel agency, this service enables
travelers to research alternative plans, calculate price differences, and
complete the change—all without picking up the phone to call customer
service.
 
Similar to all travel agencies, exchanging airline tickets is one of the
top customer requests into Expedia`s call centers.  Now travelers can make
changes on their own with a service that is simple to navigate and easy to
understand.  Customer service representatives will continue to be available
24x7 at 1-800-EXPEDIA for all customer requests, including ticket exchanges,
when needed.
 
“The Online Exchange Wizard is just another way in which Expedia makes
planning travel - and in this case, changing your travel plans - as
convenient as possible,” commented Erik Blachford
, president of Expedia, North
America.  “We want our customers focusing on an enjoyable trip experience and
not on the process of exchanging a ticket.”

 
To exchange a ticket, customers simply click on the “Exchange this ticket”
link within their booked itinerary found in the “My Trips” section of the
site.  Customers are then alerted to the possibility that there may be
airline-imposed fees and possible fare differences, which could impact their
travel decisions.  They can then select the desired flight leg(s) they would
like to exchange.  Once this decision has been made, Expedia presents the
traveler with additional flight options for the desired flight segments they
are exchanging.  After selecting a different flight, customers are able to
view the new fare compared to the old fare, and the total cost to make an
exchange.  At any point in the exchange process, travelers have the option to
cancel their search and return to their original itinerary.  When the exchange
has been completed, Expedia sends the customer a confirmation email with the
new itinerary.
  Expedia(R)`s Online Exchange Wizard is currently available only to
customers with an e-ticket traveling to and from destinations within the
United States.

Related stories on ITN:

(09/09/2002) Expedia to Boost Area Tourism with goCaribbean.com

(27/08/2002) Expedia Report Reveals Future Travel Trends for the `Generation Jet Set`

(19/08/2002) The Expedia Corporate Advisory Board Launched

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