Expedia Goes Out for Some Input

Online travel company Expedia, which took a giant step into the corporate travel arena last month with the acquisition of Seattle-based business travel firm Metropolitan Travel, is following up with the formation of a business travel advisory board.

The Bellevue, Wash.-based company said that its new Expedia Corporate Advisory Board (ECAB) is aimed at getting feedback from travel managers, suppliers and professionals who represent the travel interests of companies both small and large.

Some of the first board members are representatives from Avanade Inc., Nordstrom, REI, L-3 Security & Detection Systems, Intermec Technologies and Washington Mutual.

Travel industry suppliers working with Expedia include Delta Air Lines, Hyatt Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Expedia said its leisure travel business has benefited from substantial customer feedback and testing, and it expects the ECAB to help "unite the insights of corporate travel managers, business travelers and suppliers to shape our next-generation service."

At the time of the Metropolitan acquisition, Expedia said the deal would provide a core operation, around which it would develop a dedicated corporate travel technology and services business, expected to launch in full by year-end, employing Expedia's proprietary search and pricing platform.