Expedia Affiliate Network Launches New Charity Program TravelRelief.org

LONDON, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia® Affiliate Network (EAN), a dedicated division within Expedia Inc. focused on co-branded and private label partnerships, today launched a new website and charity program, TravelRelief.org, where at least 8% of the hotel booking price will be donated to participating charitable organizations. If a customer books a hotel at the total price of 300 USD, there is a 24 USD donation per transaction on TravelRelief.org  to a customer selected charity. The TravelRelief program is co-branded with Hotels.com®, a subsidiary of Expedia Inc.  

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100106/AQ33533LOGO)

"TravelRelief was designed to provide non-profits with a way to convert moral support into funds that can help make a real difference to their cause. Charity supporters and frequent travelers can book over 50,000 hotels worldwide at highly competitive internet rates and help a charity at the same time, simply by remembering to visit TravelRelief.org," said Lily Cheng, Senior Director, Marketing and Strategy for EAN. "This is an economically sustainable program for Expedia, so it is a win-win for all parties.  This could potentially contribute tens or even hundreds of millions to charities on an annual basis.  It's a big vision and we are calling out to supporters to help us spread the word."

The program is built on the EAN affiliate model that allows EAN to partner with charities and donate a percentage of hotels booking price to the charities selected by visitors to TravelRelief.org.  We are excited to announce six launch charity partners that are already live on the site:

• Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. Cancer Research UK's groundbreaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has saved millions of lives.
• The NSPCC is the UK's leading children's charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC runs projects and services across the United Kingdom and Channel Islands, including ChildLine, the UK's free, confidential 24-hour helpline for children and young people.
• Samasource connects women, youth and refugees living in poverty to computer-based work for paying clients. These little bits of labor, performed via the Internet, add up to real livelihoods for our beneficiaries.  
• The Greater New Orleans Foundation is the city's foremost philanthropic group that has led the way in helping this rarest of cities recover from the likes of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
• Hong Kong Shark Foundation is a voluntary group dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of sharks in the marine ecosystem in order to reduce the consumption of shark fins in Hong Kong.
• Project Kaisei is focused on addressing the issue of marine debris at sea and its impact on our ocean environment. The organization is testing new technologies for a large cleanup effort to remove plastic debris, while also inspiring solutions for innovative prevention techniques and policies on land.

Charities can join the program by using a simple self sign-up form at http://travelrelief.org/join-travelrelief/.

For supporters who want to stay in touch with the latest on the program, please join our Facebook group here and help spread the word.  

About EAN

Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) is part of Expedia Inc., the leading online travel company in the world. EAN works with more than 10,000 private label partners globally, providing access to Expedia's highly competitive travel products, including hotels, packages, car, flights, insurance and destination services, and benefit from unrivalled supply quality. Further information about EAN can be found at www.ean.com.

About Hotels.com

Hotels.com® is a leading provider of lodging worldwide, offering more than 85,000 properties in over 60 countries from national chain hotels and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts. Visit www.hotels.com or speak directly to a travel expert at 1-800-2-HOTELS 24 hours a day. Hotels.com, A Smarter Way to Book™. Hotels.com is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE). Contact Taylor L. Cole, APR. Email : [email protected]

Expedia and Expedia Affiliate Network are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Hotels.com is  either registered trademark or trademark of Hotels.com, LP, a subsidiary of Hotels.com.  Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. © 2010 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST: 2029030-40

SOURCE Expedia Affiliate Network