Gas Up and Go: Expedia Adds Free MasterCard Gas Card to Most Perk-Packed Sale in Company History

BELLEVUE, Wash., June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia.com®, the world's largest online travel agency, has teamed with MasterCard to make summer travel even more rewarding. As part of Expedia's 2011 Summer Sale – the largest in the company's history – consumers who book with a MasterCard card will now earn yet one more perk: free gas. From June 6 through July 4, customers who use a MasterCard card to book and pay for a two-night stay with participating hotels on Expedia.com will receive a $25 MasterCard prepaid gas card. A booking of three or more nights will earn customers a $50 prepaid gas card.

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"We pride ourselves on saving customers up to 30% on their summer travel hotels through our annual Summer Sale," said Tim MacDonald, senior vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. "This year, we're making summer travel even more affordable by adding an array of excellent perks including up to $50 in free gas in partnership with MasterCard."

This MasterCard prepaid gas card is the latest addition to the 2011 Summer Sale, which Expedia® has playfully dubbed "My Summer is Better Than Your Summer." In addition to the gas card, the sale offers an array of freebies and extras including gift cards, food and beverage credits, and credits redeemable for local activities and experiences in addition to up to 30% off hotel and package bookings at nearly 11,000 properties worldwide. Travelers can find the summer deals on www.expedia.com/sale.

"With a recent survey noting that nearly half of Americans plan to stay close to home this summer, this promotion is one way MasterCard cardholders can maximize their vacation dollars to get great hotel deals and free gas," said Rob Sheets, Group Head of Merchant Relationships and Co-Brand Management, MasterCard Worldwide.  

About Expedia.com

Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel site, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.

Hotel discounts are based upon Expedia's everyday stand-alone hotel rates (excluding taxes and other fees) and are subject to availability and book/stay date restrictions.  See site for full details.

About MasterCard Worldwide

As a leading global payments company, MasterCard Worldwide prides itself on being at the heart of commerce, helping to make life easier and more efficient for everyone, everywhere. MasterCard serves as a franchisor, processor and advisor to the payments industry, and makes commerce happen by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, governments, businesses, merchants, and cardholders worldwide. In 2010, $2.7 trillion in gross dollar volume was generated on its products by consumers around the world. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network – the fastest payment processing network in the world – MasterCard processes over 23 billion transactions each year and has the capacity to handle 160 million transactions per hour, with an average network response time of 130 milliseconds and with 99.99 percent reliability. MasterCard advances global commerce through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro®, and Cirrus®; its suite of core products such as credit, debit, and prepaid; and its innovative platforms and functionalities, such as MasterCard PayPass™ and MasterCard inControl®. MasterCard serves consumers, governments, and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, please visit us at www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.

Expedia and Expedia.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST: 2029030-50

Web site: http://www.expedia.com/

SOURCE Expedia, Inc.