Wotif bid from Expedia

[cove]

Wotif who have the appropriate code WTF have an offer from Expedia to be acquired.
Our company dumped all use of Wotif after their founder funded a Tasmanian politician into a power position in Federal politics. (He has now retired)
If the takeover succeeds we can lift that ban.

 

[Foreigner]

That deal has been sealed, according to this report:

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140706-900735.html

 

[cove]

Thanks for that post foreigner...it may wrap nicely into Expedia. I do use Expedia and Mal pointed out that you can port your way into their site from a rebate site to get cash back. A very nice way to get a great price and then a few per cent rebated. I guess it will be subject to any higher offer coming from a competing bidder and maybe a review by the competition reviewer.

 

[Warks]

How will it work for Expedia? As I understand it Expedia searches for deals using the other engines like hotels.com and Wotif. Now they will just use Wotif?

Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Cynicor]

How will it work for Expedia? As I understand it Expedia searches for deals using the other engines like hotels.com and Wotif. Now they will just use Wotif?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Nope, expedia are not an aggregator. They are their own wholesaler and sell their own deals/inventory. Will give them another portal or 2, with travel.com.au for flights and then the Wotif site, which always has fees and is often more expensive in my experience.

It's a bit like Webjet. Some people search and book there because they think it is the best/cheapest without bothering to compare.

 

[cove]

I think Expedia will be better to deal with once they have a stronger presence in Australia.

 

[Warks]

Nope, expedia are not an aggregator. They are their own wholesaler and sell their own deals/inventory. Will give them another portal or 2, with travel.com.au for flights and then the Wotif site, which always has fees and is often more expensive in my experience.

It's a bit like Webjet. Some people search and book there because they think it is the best/cheapest without bothering to compare.

I think I was confusing them with TripAdvisor. Yes I've bought deals through Expedia now I recall.

As for Webjet does anyone use them apart from checking options for routes and flight prices? I used to check on there for the BFOD when I was working for the man and then booked through the airline to avoid any other charges.

 

[Austman]

It's been approved. ACCC clears Expedia takeover of Wotif

 

[Mumfreqflyer]

I think Expedia will be better to deal with once they have a stronger presence in Australia.

I've always found Expedia really good to deal with.

any issues handled quickly and they have price matched and given me the $50 voucher before as well.

I've booked Garuda flights (only site that would allow less than 24 hour flight time booking) even the Garuda site wouldn't show the flights for the following day.

I find their iphone app is very easy to search for flights and hotels too which is probably why I have a bank of flights coming up and I always seem to 'stumble' upon a flight that is too cheap to pass up

 

[footy99]

I hope this doesn't affect the Wotif site in any way (except maybe removing the booking fee). Some of their 'secret' hotel deals are less than half the best price available anywhere else, even after the booking fee. Just going through my bookings for the last ~3 years, I've ended up going with Expedia twice (once for MH flights ex Europe, once for an email hotel deal in Phoenix, never in Aus) and Wotif 17 times (all hotels - 14 Aus, 2 Hong Kong, 1 San Fran including 8 'secret' hotels). It would be a major blow to the Aussie hotel consumer if it became an Expedia clone.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Yes, it's all due for shareholder approval very soon. A mate works at Wotif in Brissie. They are being de-listed from the ASX just after they pay out their final dividend.

 

[footy99]

Wotif is dead now. Exactly the same as Expedia. Might as well just redirect. Massive blow for the Aussie hotel consumer.

 

[Revolio]

Exactly right footy. used to be easy to work out the 5 star mystery hotels under the old format; under the expedia format who knows what you are getting. Trivago might pick up new customers - but then again what they offer on their general page contrasted to the booking page are usually distinctly different prices.