Expedia.com Lends a Helping Hand to Holiday Travelers

Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While the holiday season is joyful, it also can be the busiest and most hectic time of year, especially if travel is a part of holiday plans. As a result, Expedia.com, the world's leading online travel service, has launched a holiday travel center to arm customers with travel information that can help make this year's holiday travels merrier.

Equipped with everything customers need for hassle-free travel, the Expedia.com Holiday Travel Center features stress-reducing tips from renowned sociologist, author and life coach, Dr. Martha Beck. The center also offers advice on finding great travel deals, ideas for things to do during delays and tips for entertaining kids while traveling.

"Expedia.com is committed to providing customers with the information and tools they need to ensure the smoothest possible holiday booking and travel experience," said Teri Franklin, product manager for Expedia.com. "The Expedia.com Holiday Travel Center offers valuable planning information such as real-time flight schedules, weather forecasts and packing tips, and even helpful advice on how to add a little 'vacation' to holiday travels."

Some stress-reducing travel tips featured on the Expedia.com Holiday Travel Center include:

-- Check your flight's status. On the day you're scheduled to travel, use Expedia's flight status to check whether your flight is running on time, and note its gate assignment.

-- Fly early or late. Flying early in the morning or late at night will reduce your chances of getting bumped. And if possible, get an advance seat assignment when you book your flight. If you don't have an advance seat assignment, call the airline on the day of travel and try to get one over the phone.

-- Make a list of hotels near your connecting airport. If you do get stuck and have to find a room for an unplanned overnight stay, knowing your options can save you time and hassle. On the Expedia hotels page, click "Search near an airport." Type in the name of the airport where you'll be making a connection en route and you'll receive a printable list of hotels in order of proximity to the airport.

-- Give yourself a little holiday gift. In the midst of buying gifts for everyone else, don't forget to treat yourself. You took time off to visit family and friends, so you should enjoy it. Consider booking a massage (ahead of time) at your hotel or build in some down time at a local day spa or gym. Customers can even book fun destination activities for the entire family right from Expedia.com.

Although the busy holiday travel season subsides after the New Year, Expedia remains dedicated to customer service year-round. In the event travelers want personal advice about lodging, require last-minute changes or are faced with an unforeseeable travel interruption, customers can call Expedia's 24-hour live customer support at 1-800-EXPEDIA. Expedia also offers two automated sources of information: an online FAQ wizard that helps travelers quickly and easily find answers to their travel questions and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology that lets travelers automatically confirm their itineraries.

Travelers can visit the Expedia.com Holiday Travel Center for more tips and information at: www.expedia.com/holiday.

Source: Expedia, Inc.