Expedia Website Basics

• Expedia is a travel website. Much like competitors such as Priceline or Travelocity, it allows the traveler to try out a number of combinations to see what is the best deal for travel.
  
  What sets this website apart from the others are the many options that can be mixed and matched. You can choose to look only for flights or you can also combine a flight with car rentals, hotels or complete vacation packages. On Expedia, you can also book a cruise with a rental car or a flight to where the cruise boards.
  
  

Options

• Choose from the menu options to get started on Expedia. You can pick Flights, Cars, Hotels, Cruises, Activities, Maps, Business Deals, Rewards, Vacation Packages or highlighted "Deals and Offers."
  
  If you pick the "Deals and Offers" selection, you'll be taken to a list of last-minute deals. This is good for the impulse traveler. While last-minute flights used to be cheap and hopeful travelers simply showed up at the airport to get a last-minute ticket, that changed in the wake of 9/11. Now, security is intense, and last-minute plane ticket buyers are often put through extra search measures. In fact, if you do purchase a last-minute deal, be sure to arrive at the airport at least 15 minutes earlier to allow for additional screening and security searching.
  
  

Main Expedia Website Function

• Most people simply use the "Build Your Trip" tool from the homepage of Expedia. It's in a box on the left column of the Website. You must pick one of the following to get started on trip building: Flight, Hotel, Cruise, Car or Activities. There is also extra buttons within the box if you want to attempt to book things together to save money. While you often can get a cheaper deal this way, it's to your benefit only if you need everything in the combination deal for your trip.
  
  You then select the trip information. You can choose a one-way ticket, round trip or even multiple destinations.
  
  You can choose "My dates are flexible." That option is recommended if you want to find the best deal. You can also select the exact date (and time of day) that you want to fly.
  
  You then enter a departure and arrival airport and city.
  
  You then choose how many adult tickets, senior tickets and child tickets that you need for travel.
  
  Choose "additional options" if you have other requirements for your trip. Otherwise, press "Search for flights." Within seconds, you will have several options to pick from for your travel.
  
  The website operates by striking deals with travel partners to give you the best deal. It benefits you by giving you a low price, and it benefits airlines and other companies by giving them needed business and selling tickets that are sometimes difficult to sell for the airline itself.
  
  

Site Expectations

• The website requires you to create an account in order to book a flight on the website. It doesn't require giving much information, but it does ask you to save your preferences for future searches and uses of the website.
  
  

Detailed Workings of the Website

• Expedia works by allowing the traveler to enter several pieces of information into the search engine. Through data entered by all its partnering travel websites and businesses, the database is thoroughly searched on the basis of combining all the requirements of the traveler. Within a matter of seconds, the traveler is presented with a list of options to purchase. If the traveler desires, different deals offering cars or other additions will also be listed.