The world’s largest online travel company Expedia has unveiled plans to spin off its TripAdvisor brand.
Expedia said it hopes to split into two public companies – Expedia and TripAdvisor – by the third quarter of 2011.
TripAdvisor allows travellers to post reviews and attracts more than 40 million visitors a month across 29 countries.
Expedia, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, employs 8,900 staff worldwide.
source: Press Association
Expedia became the second large travel website to fall out with American Airlines in as many months as the online travel company, stopped selling the carrier’s tickets on Saturday.
American and its online partners have struggled for months to agree terms as their contracts expire. American wants to pay the sites less and has pushed them to connect directly with its own computers rather than using intermediaries called global distribution systems.
In December American stopped selling tickets through Orbitz Worldwide, another travel and fare comparison website.
In an effort to dissuade the carrier from taking further steps to undermine online travel agencies, Expedia effectively buried American’s content on its website, as contract negotiations faltered in an effort to press American into a more amicable deal and prepare its own customers should talks fail.
source: FT.com
