Expedia QuickConnect : Privacy Policy

Expedia QuickConnect© Privacy Policy

Below you will find the updated Privacy Policy for Expedia.com, effective September 1, 2006. For answers to some frequently asked questions about this update, please visit our Privacy FAQ. If you have not registered or otherwise provided information through this site on or after September 1, 2006, please refer to our previous privacy policy.

By participating in the Council of Better Business Bureau's BBBOnLine® Privacy Program, we have made a commitment to have our privacy practices and this Privacy Policy approved by BBBOnLine®. Further information about this program is available at BBBOnLine®.

We understand that making purchases online involves a great deal of trust on your part. We take this trust very seriously, and make it our highest priority to ensure the security and confidentiality of the personal information you provide to us. Please read the following policy to learn about our privacy practices. By visiting our U.S. website, www.expedia.com, you are accepting the practices described herein.

What information we collect from you
How we use your information
With whom we share your information
How you can access your information
Your choices with respect to the collection and use of your information
How we protect your information
Children's privacy
External links
Changes to this Privacy Policy
How you can contact us

What information we collect from you

In General. We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. This includes information that can identify you ("personal information"), including your first and last name, telephone number, postal and e-mail addresses, and, in some cases, billing information (such as credit card number, cardholder name, and expiration date). We also may request information about your traveler preferences, including meal requests, seat selection, frequent flyer/hotel/car rental program information, and ticketing options. You can choose not to provide information to us, but in general some information about you is required in order for you to register as a member; purchase products or services; complete a traveler profile; participate in a survey, contest, or sweepstakes; ask us a question; or initiate other transactions on our site.

Passenger Information. When you make travel or other arrangements for someone else through Expedia.com, we will request personal information and travel preferences about that individual. You should obtain the consent of other individuals prior to providing Expedia.com with their personal information and travel preferences, as any access to view or change their information will be available only through your account.

Information from Other Sources. We also may periodically obtain information about you from our business partners and other independent third-party sources and add it to our account information. Examples of information we may receive include: updated delivery and address information, which we use to correct our records and to facilitate proper delivery of travel information; and demographic information, which we use to better understand your potential purchasing preferences.

Automatic Information. We automatically collect some information about your computer when you visit Expedia.com. For example, we will collect your IP address, Web browser software (such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer), and referring Web site. We also may collect information about your online activity, such as trips viewed and purchases made. One of our goals in collecting this automatic information is to help customize your user experience.

Cookies and Other Web Technologies. When you visit Expedia.com, we may assign your computer a "cookie" (a small, unique identifier text file). For example, whenever you sign in as an Expedia.com member, we record your member ID and the name on your member account in the cookie file on your computer. We also may record your password in this cookie file, if you checked the box entitled "Save this password for automatic sign-in." Note that member IDs, passwords, and any other account-related data included in such cookies are encrypted for security purposes. You can always choose not to receive a cookie file by enabling your Web browser to refuse cookies or to prompt you before accepting a cookie. Please note that if you refuse to accept cookies from Expedia.com, you may not be able to access many of the travel tools offered by Expedia.com.

Information Collected by Third-Party Advertising Companies. Third-party advertisers, such as those we use to serve ads on our behalf across the Internet, may use cookies and other technologies (such as Web beacons or single-pixel GIFS) for several purposes, including: to measure the effectiveness of their ads; to analyze, modify, and personalize advertising content on Expedia.com and other sites; and to provide ads about goods and services we hope will be of interest to you. We do not have access to or control over cookies or other features they may use, and the information practices of these advertisers are not covered by this Privacy Policy. You can find out more about third-party advertisers and explore the option of not having this information collected by clicking here.

How we use your information

Expedia.com uses sensitive billing information (such as cardholder name, credit card number, and expiration date) for the purpose of completing the travel purchases you conduct on our site. We use other information about you for the following general purposes: to provide you with the products and services you request; to provide you with travel confirmation and updates; to manage your account, including processing bills and providing travel notifications; to communicate with you in general; to respond to your questions and comments; to measure interest in and improve our products, services, and Web site; to notify you about special offers and products or services that may be of interest to you; to otherwise customize your experience with Expedia.com; to reward you as part of any reward and recognition program you choose to join; to solicit information from you, including through surveys; to resolve disputes, collect fees, or troubleshoot problems; to prevent potentially prohibited or illegal activities; to enforce our Terms of Use; and as otherwise described to you at the point of collection.

Please review "Your choices with respect to the collection and use of your information" below.

With whom we share your information

Expedia.com may share your information with the following entities:

Suppliers, such as hotel, airline, cruise, car rental companies, or activity providers, who fulfill your travel reservations. Throughout Expedia.com, all services provided by a third-party supplier are described as such. We do not place limitations on our suppliers' use or disclosure of your personal information. Therefore, we encourage you to review the privacy policies of any travel supplier whose products you purchase through Expedia.com. Please note that these suppliers also may contact you as necessary to obtain additional information about you or to facilitate your travel reservation.
Third-party vendors who provide services or functions on our behalf, including credit card processing, business analytics, customer service, marketing, distribution of surveys or sweepstakes programs, and fraud prevention. These companies have access to personal information needed to perform their functions but are not permitted to share or use the information for any other purpose.
Business partners with whom we may jointly offer products or services. You can tell when a third party is involved in a product or service you have requested because their name will appear with ours. If you choose to access these optional services, we may share information about you, including your personal information, with those partners. Please note that we do not control the privacy practices of these third-party business partners and recommend you evaluate their practices before deciding to provide your personal information.
Companies within the Expedia family. Sharing this information with our U.S. corporate affiliates, including Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Hotwire, and Classic Vacations, as well as international corporate affiliates such as Expedia.uk and Expedia.de, enables us to provide you with information about products and services, both travel-related and other, which might interest you. To the extent that our corporate affiliates have access to your information, they will follow practices that are at least as restrictive as the practices described in this Privacy Policy. They also will comply with applicable laws governing the transmission of promotional communications and, at a minimum, give you an opportunity in any commercial e-mail they send to choose not to receive such e-mail messages in the future.

With whom we share your information

In response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process; to establish or exercise our legal rights; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise required by law. In such cases we reserve the right to raise or waive any legal objection or right available to us.
When we believe it is appropriate to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal or suspected illegal activities; to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of Expedia.com, our customers, or others; and in connection with our Terms of Service and other agreements.
In connection with a corporate transaction, such as a divestiture, merger, consolidation, or asset sale, or in the unlikely event of bankruptcy.

Other than as set out above, you will be notified when personal information about you will be shared with third parties, and you will have an opportunity to choose not to have us share such information.

We also may share aggregate or anonymous information with third parties, including advertisers and investors. For example, we may tell our advertisers the number of visitors a Web site receives or what are the most popular vacation destinations. This information does not contain any personal information and is used to develop content and services we hope you will find of interest.

How you can access your information

You can access your information at various points on the Expedia.com Web site. These include:

The My Account page on Expedia.com, where you can view, update, or change your personal information. On this page, you also can change your password; elect to have an automatic password sign-in when logging on to Expedia.com; add new travelers and delete existing travelers from your member profile; update or correct names, phone numbers, and emergency contacts for travelers associated with your profile; and update your travel preferences.
The My Itineraries page, where you can view, update, or delete your saved trip itineraries.

Expedia.com allows customers to sign in using their Windows Live® ID. Expedia.com does not share your personal information with Microsoft in connection with this service. For more information about Windows Live ID, please review the Microsoft privacy policy at http://privacy.microsoft.com.

You can close your Expedia.com account by selecting the Account Closure option. We will send you an e-mail confirming your request to close your account to the e-mail address contained in your member profile. Please note that after you close an account, you will not be able to sign in or access any of your personal information. However, you can open a new account at any time. Please also note that we may retain certain information associated with your account for analytical purposes as well as for recordkeeping integrity.

Your choices with respect to collection and use of your information

As discussed above, you can choose not to provide us with any information, although it may be needed to make travel purchases or to take advantage of certain features offered on Expedia.com.
You also can add or update information on the My Account and My Itineraries pages and close your account as described above.
When you register as a member on Expedia.com, you will be given a choice as to whether you want to receive e-mail messages from Expedia.com about special offers. As a registered Expedia.com member, you can modify your choice at any time on the My Account page under the heading "E-mail settings." Whether registered as an Expedia.com member or not, you also will be given the opportunity to unsubscribe from commercial messages in any such e-mail we send. Please note that we reserve the right to send you other communications, including service announcements, administrative messages, and surveys relating either to your Expedia.com account or to your transactions on Expedia.com, without offering you the opportunity to opt out of receiving them.
The Help portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Please note that if you refuse to accept cookies from Expedia.com, you will not be able to access portions of our site.

How we protect your information

We want you to feel confident about using Expedia.com to plan and purchase your travel, so we are committed to protecting the information we collect. While no Web site can guarantee security, we have implemented appropriate administrative, technical, and physical security procedures to help protect the personal information you provide to us. For example, only authorized employees are permitted to access personal information, and they only may do so for permitted business functions. In addition, we use encryption when transmitting your sensitive personal information between your system and ours, and we employ firewalls and intrusion detection systems to help prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to your information.

Children's privacy

Expedia.com does not sell travel or other services for purchase by children. Should a child whom we know to be under 13 send personal information to us, we will use that information only to respond directly to that child to inform him or her that we must have parental consent before receiving his or her personal information.

External Links

If any part of the Expedia.com Web site links you to other Web sites, those Web sites do not operate under this Privacy Policy. We recommend you examine the privacy statements posted on those other Web sites to understand their procedures for collecting, using, and disclosing personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Expedia.com may update this Privacy Policy in the future. We will notify you about material changes to this Privacy Policy by sending a notice to the e-mail address you provided to us or by placing a prominent notice on our Web site.

How you can contact us

If you have questions about either Privacy Policy (or your travel planning or purchases), please e-mail us using our support and feedback form.

This Privacy Policy is effective as of September 1, 2006.

CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS NEWS ABOUT EXPEDIA CONTACT DEVELOPER AREA
	Privacy Policy Expedia QuickConnect© Privacy Policy Below you will find the updated Privacy Policy for Expedia.com, effective September 1, 2006. For answers to some frequently asked questions about this update, please visit our Privacy FAQ. If you have not registered or otherwise provided information through this site on or after September 1, 2006, please refer to our previous privacy policy. By participating in the Council of Better Business Bureau's BBBOnLine® Privacy Program, we have made a commitment to have our privacy practices and this Privacy Policy approved by BBBOnLine®. Further information about this program is available at BBBOnLine®. We understand that making purchases online involves a great deal of trust on your part. We take this trust very seriously, and make it our highest priority to ensure the security and confidentiality of the personal information you provide to us. Please read the following policy to learn about our privacy practices. By visiting our U.S. website, www.expedia.com, you are accepting the practices described herein. What information we collect from you How we use your information With whom we share your information How you can access your information Your choices with respect to the collection and use of your information How we protect your information Children's privacy External links Changes to this Privacy Policy How you can contact us What information we collect from you In General. We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. This includes information that can identify you ("personal information"), including your first and last name, telephone number, postal and e-mail addresses, and, in some cases, billing information (such as credit card number, cardholder name, and expiration date). We also may request information about your traveler preferences, including meal requests, seat selection, frequent flyer/hotel/car rental program information, and ticketing options. You can choose not to provide information to us, but in general some information about you is required in order for you to register as a member; purchase products or services; complete a traveler profile; participate in a survey, contest, or sweepstakes; ask us a question; or initiate other transactions on our site. Passenger Information. When you make travel or other arrangements for someone else through Expedia.com, we will request personal information and travel preferences about that individual. You should obtain the consent of other individuals prior to providing Expedia.com with their personal information and travel preferences, as any access to view or change their information will be available only through your account. Information from Other Sources. We also may periodically obtain information about you from our business partners and other independent third-party sources and add it to our account information. Examples of information we may receive include: updated delivery and address information, which we use to correct our records and to facilitate proper delivery of travel information; and demographic information, which we use to better understand your potential purchasing preferences. Automatic Information. We automatically collect some information about your computer when you visit Expedia.com. For example, we will collect your IP address, Web browser software (such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer), and referring Web site. We also may collect information about your online activity, such as trips viewed and purchases made. One of our goals in collecting this automatic information is to help customize your user experience. Cookies and Other Web Technologies. When you visit Expedia.com, we may assign your computer a "cookie" (a small, unique identifier text file). For example, whenever you sign in as an Expedia.com member, we record your member ID and the name on your member account in the cookie file on your computer. We also may record your password in this cookie file, if you checked the box entitled "Save this password for automatic sign-in." Note that member IDs, passwords, and any other account-related data included in such cookies are encrypted for security purposes. You can always choose not to receive a cookie file by enabling your Web browser to refuse cookies or to prompt you before accepting a cookie. Please note that if you refuse to accept cookies from Expedia.com, you may not be able to access many of the travel tools offered by Expedia.com. Information Collected by Third-Party Advertising Companies. Third-party advertisers, such as those we use to serve ads on our behalf across the Internet, may use cookies and other technologies (such as Web beacons or single-pixel GIFS) for several purposes, including: to measure the effectiveness of their ads; to analyze, modify, and personalize advertising content on Expedia.com and other sites; and to provide ads about goods and services we hope will be of interest to you. We do not have access to or control over cookies or other features they may use, and the information practices of these advertisers are not covered by this Privacy Policy. You can find out more about third-party advertisers and explore the option of not having this information collected by clicking here. How we use your information Expedia.com uses sensitive billing information (such as cardholder name, credit card number, and expiration date) for the purpose of completing the travel purchases you conduct on our site. We use other information about you for the following general purposes: to provide you with the products and services you request; to provide you with travel confirmation and updates; to manage your account, including processing bills and providing travel notifications; to communicate with you in general; to respond to your questions and comments; to measure interest in and improve our products, services, and Web site; to notify you about special offers and products or services that may be of interest to you; to otherwise customize your experience with Expedia.com; to reward you as part of any reward and recognition program you choose to join; to solicit information from you, including through surveys; to resolve disputes, collect fees, or troubleshoot problems; to prevent potentially prohibited or illegal activities; to enforce our Terms of Use; and as otherwise described to you at the point of collection. Please review "Your choices with respect to the collection and use of your information" below. With whom we share your information Expedia.com may share your information with the following entities: Suppliers, such as hotel, airline, cruise, car rental companies, or activity providers, who fulfill your travel reservations. Throughout Expedia.com, all services provided by a third-party supplier are described as such. We do not place limitations on our suppliers' use or disclosure of your personal information. Therefore, we encourage you to review the privacy policies of any travel supplier whose products you purchase through Expedia.com. Please note that these suppliers also may contact you as necessary to obtain additional information about you or to facilitate your travel reservation. Third-party vendors who provide services or functions on our behalf, including credit card processing, business analytics, customer service, marketing, distribution of surveys or sweepstakes programs, and fraud prevention. These companies have access to personal information needed to perform their functions but are not permitted to share or use the information for any other purpose. Business partners with whom we may jointly offer products or services. You can tell when a third party is involved in a product or service you have requested because their name will appear with ours. If you choose to access these optional services, we may share information about you, including your personal information, with those partners. Please note that we do not control the privacy practices of these third-party business partners and recommend you evaluate their practices before deciding to provide your personal information. Companies within the Expedia family. Sharing this information with our U.S. corporate affiliates, including Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Hotwire, and Classic Vacations, as well as international corporate affiliates such as Expedia.uk and Expedia.de, enables us to provide you with information about products and services, both travel-related and other, which might interest you. To the extent that our corporate affiliates have access to your information, they will follow practices that are at least as restrictive as the practices described in this Privacy Policy. They also will comply with applicable laws governing the transmission of promotional communications and, at a minimum, give you an opportunity in any commercial e-mail they send to choose not to receive such e-mail messages in the future. With whom we share your information In response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process; to establish or exercise our legal rights; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise required by law. In such cases we reserve the right to raise or waive any legal objection or right available to us. When we believe it is appropriate to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal or suspected illegal activities; to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of Expedia.com, our customers, or others; and in connection with our Terms of Service and other agreements. In connection with a corporate transaction, such as a divestiture, merger, consolidation, or asset sale, or in the unlikely event of bankruptcy. Other than as set out above, you will be notified when personal information about you will be shared with third parties, and you will have an opportunity to choose not to have us share such information. We also may share aggregate or anonymous information with third parties, including advertisers and investors. For example, we may tell our advertisers the number of visitors a Web site receives or what are the most popular vacation destinations. This information does not contain any personal information and is used to develop content and services we hope you will find of interest. How you can access your information You can access your information at various points on the Expedia.com Web site. These include: The My Account page on Expedia.com, where you can view, update, or change your personal information. On this page, you also can change your password; elect to have an automatic password sign-in when logging on to Expedia.com; add new travelers and delete existing travelers from your member profile; update or correct names, phone numbers, and emergency contacts for travelers associated with your profile; and update your travel preferences. The My Itineraries page, where you can view, update, or delete your saved trip itineraries. Expedia.com allows customers to sign in using their Windows Live® ID. Expedia.com does not share your personal information with Microsoft in connection with this service. For more information about Windows Live ID, please review the Microsoft privacy policy at http://privacy.microsoft.com. You can close your Expedia.com account by selecting the Account Closure option. We will send you an e-mail confirming your request to close your account to the e-mail address contained in your member profile. Please note that after you close an account, you will not be able to sign in or access any of your personal information. However, you can open a new account at any time. Please also note that we may retain certain information associated with your account for analytical purposes as well as for recordkeeping integrity. Your choices with respect to collection and use of your information As discussed above, you can choose not to provide us with any information, although it may be needed to make travel purchases or to take advantage of certain features offered on Expedia.com. You also can add or update information on the My Account and My Itineraries pages and close your account as described above. When you register as a member on Expedia.com, you will be given a choice as to whether you want to receive e-mail messages from Expedia.com about special offers. As a registered Expedia.com member, you can modify your choice at any time on the My Account page under the heading "E-mail settings." Whether registered as an Expedia.com member or not, you also will be given the opportunity to unsubscribe from commercial messages in any such e-mail we send. Please note that we reserve the right to send you other communications, including service announcements, administrative messages, and surveys relating either to your Expedia.com account or to your transactions on Expedia.com, without offering you the opportunity to opt out of receiving them. The Help portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Please note that if you refuse to accept cookies from Expedia.com, you will not be able to access portions of our site. How we protect your information We want you to feel confident about using Expedia.com to plan and purchase your travel, so we are committed to protecting the information we collect. While no Web site can guarantee security, we have implemented appropriate administrative, technical, and physical security procedures to help protect the personal information you provide to us. For example, only authorized employees are permitted to access personal information, and they only may do so for permitted business functions. In addition, we use encryption when transmitting your sensitive personal information between your system and ours, and we employ firewalls and intrusion detection systems to help prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to your information. Children's privacy Expedia.com does not sell travel or other services for purchase by children. Should a child whom we know to be under 13 send personal information to us, we will use that information only to respond directly to that child to inform him or her that we must have parental consent before receiving his or her personal information. External Links If any part of the Expedia.com Web site links you to other Web sites, those Web sites do not operate under this Privacy Policy. We recommend you examine the privacy statements posted on those other Web sites to understand their procedures for collecting, using, and disclosing personal information. Changes to this Privacy Policy Expedia.com may update this Privacy Policy in the future. We will notify you about material changes to this Privacy Policy by sending a notice to the e-mail address you provided to us or by placing a prominent notice on our Web site. How you can contact us If you have questions about either Privacy Policy (or your travel planning or purchases), please e-mail us using our support and feedback form. This Privacy Policy is effective as of September 1, 2006.