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Expedia vs Priceline 2026: Discounts, Hotels & Deals

Expedia offers a wider selection of 2+ million accommodations and better customer service ratings (4.2/5 vs 3.8/5), while Priceline's Express Deals can provide 30-50% deeper discounts for flexible travelers willing to book without knowing exact hotel details upfront.

E

Expedia

Global online travel agency offering 2.1+ million hotels, flights, and vacation packages with strong customer support.

Travelers who prioritize hotel variety, customer service quality, and transparent pricing without booking surprises.

Score71%
VS
P

Priceline

Online travel agency known for Express Deals and deep discounts on hotels, flights, and vacation packages.

Budget-conscious and flexible travelers comfortable with booking uncertainty to access significantly deeper discounts and bundled package deals.

Score71%

Quick Answer

AI Summary

Expedia offers a wider selection of 2+ million accommodations and better customer service ratings (4.2/5 vs 3.8/5), while Priceline's Express Deals can provide 30-50% deeper discounts for flexible travelers willing to book without knowing exact hotel details upfront.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose Expedia if you want maximum hotel selection, better customer support, and price match guarantees—ideal for planning detailed trips with specific property requirements. Choose Priceline if you're flexible on hotel brands and willing to accept mystery bookings through Express Deals, as it often delivers the deepest discounts (30-50% off) for budget-conscious travelers.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

E
Expedia
8/10
Priceline
7/10
P
E

Choose Expedia if

Best pick

Travelers who prioritize hotel variety, customer service quality, and transparent pricing without booking surprises.

P

Choose Priceline if

Budget-conscious and flexible travelers comfortable with booking uncertainty to access significantly deeper discounts and bundled package deals.

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • Hotel Selection:Expedia wins(2.1+ million properties vs 1.8+ million properties)
  • Express Deals Discount Range:Priceline wins(30-50% discounts available vs Standard 10-30% discounts)
  • Customer Service Rating:Expedia wins(4.2/5 stars vs 3.8/5 stars)
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

57 numeric metrics compared

MetricExpediaPricelineRatio
Package Deal Savings(%)15-35% flight+hotel bundles
Mobile App Rating (2026)(stars)4.3/5 stars
Customer Support Response Time(hours)4-12 hours average
2026 Revenue Growth Forecast(%)6-9% projected
Total Properties Listed(millions)1.5+ million properties
Average Hotel Cancellation Rate(%)~18-25% with One Key
Base Loyalty Program Cost(USD)Free entry (paid tiers available)
Monthly Website Visits(millions)~120
Monthly Organic Traffic Trend (2026)(% change)Positive sustained growth-3.06% decline
Average Domestic Roundtrip Airfare (Spring 2026)(USD)Market competitive$340 average
2026 Market Research Base(travelers surveyed)24,000+ global travelersNot specified
Year-over-Year Airfare Change (Spring 2026)(% decrease)Not specified-7% (favorable)
Price Comparison Coverage(sites indexed)Expedia Group properties + select partners
Hotel-Flight Bundle Discount(% savings)5-15% additional savings on combined bookings
Free Cancellation Window(hours)24 hours on most bookings
Direct Booking Integration(checkout steps)Direct one-platform checkout (1-2 steps)
User Preference for Flexible Travel(% preference)Preferred by 65% of fixed-plan travelers
Monthly Active Users(millions)Expedia: 380M
Total Reviews/Listings(billions)Expedia: 50M reviews
Mobile App Rating(stars out of 5)Expedia: 4.4
Average Booking Commission(percent)Expedia: Direct pricing (0% markup)
Countries Covered(count)Expedia: 190+
Average Loyalty Program ROI(percent return)Expedia: 4-6%
Total Properties Available(properties)700,000+
Loyalty Rewards Rate(%)Varies by membership tier (0-10%)
Average Customer Service Wait Time(minutes)8-12 minutes
Annual Revenue (2025)(USD billion)$40 billion
Free Cancellation Coverage(%)85% of bookings
Global Market Share(percent)22% of OTA bookings
Total Property Listings(millions)780,000
Mobile App Rating (iOS)(stars out of 5)4.2 stars
Booking Commission Rate(percent)15-20%
Flight-Hotel Package Discount(percent)Up to 20%
Active Annual Users(millions)152 million
Customer Service Response Time(hours)1-2 hours
Rewards Program Earning Rate(points per $1 USD)Fixed 10 points per $1
Annual Revenue (2024)(USD billions)$40.8B
Hotel Inventory Size(properties)2,800,000+ hotels
Airline Partners(count)550+ airlines
Mobile App Downloads(millions)150M+ downloads
Average Flight Price Difference(percent cheaper)Baseline (0%)
Checkout Steps Required(steps)1-2 steps (integrated)
Loyalty Program Rewards Rate(percent cash back)10% points + elite status
Global Hotel Inventory(properties)1.2+ million directly bookable
Loyalty Program Cashback(average percent return)10% average annual return on Expedia Rewards
Annual Revenue(USD billions)$40.2 billion (2024)
Mobile App Rating(stars out of 5)4.5 stars (2.8M reviews)
Price Match Guarantee(hours)24-hour Price Match Guarantee
Typical Flight Markup vs Direct Airline(percent)2-8% markup over direct booking
Package Deal Savings(percent discount)10-15% savings on flight+hotel bundles
Total Hotel Listings(millions)2.1+ million1.8+ million
Average Express/Discount Rate(%)10-30%30-50%
Customer Service Rating(stars)4.2/53.8/5
Mobile App Downloads(millions)100+ million80+ million
Loyalty Points Per Dollar(points)10 points/$110 points/$1
Flight + Hotel Package Savings(%)15-25%20-35%
Annual Revenue (2024)(USD billions)$8.8B$5.2B

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

E
4Expedia
Expedia leads1 tie
P
2Priceline
  • Hotel Selection

    Expedia

    2.1+ million properties(winner)

    Priceline

    1.8+ million properties

  • Express Deals Discount Range

    Expedia

    Standard 10-30% discounts

    Priceline

    30-50% discounts available(winner)

  • Customer Service Rating

    Expedia

    4.2/5 stars(winner)

    Priceline

    3.8/5 stars

  • Mobile App Downloads

    Expedia

    100+ million downloads(winner)

    Priceline

    80+ million downloads

  • Flight + Hotel Package Deals

    Expedia

    Competitive bundling options

    Priceline

    Specialized bundling with deeper savings(winner)

  • Loyalty Program Earning Rate

    Expedia

    10 points per $1 spent

    Priceline

    10 points per $1 spent

  • Price Match Guarantee

    Expedia

    Yes, matches lower prices(winner)

    Priceline

    No explicit price match

Full Comparison

EExpedia
PPriceline
Price Match Guarantee(available)
No
Hidden Fees Transparency(rating)
Good - occasional hidden charges
Booking Fee Structure
Variable
Average Domestic Roundtrip Airfare (Spring 2026)(USD)
Market competitive
$340 average
Year-over-Year Airfare Change (Spring 2026)(% decrease)
Not specified
-7% (favorable)
Show 6 more attributes
Hotel-Flight Bundle Discount(% savings)
5-15% additional savings on combined bookings
Booking Commission Rate(percent)
15-20%
Flight-Hotel Package Discount(percent)
Up to 20%
Average Flight Price Difference(percent cheaper)
Baseline (0%)
Typical Flight Markup vs Direct Airline(percent)
2-8% markup over direct booking
Average Express/Discount Rate(%)
10-30%
30-50%
Flight Booking Options(airlines)
1000+ airlines (comprehensive)
Package Deal Savings(%)
15-35% flight+hotel bundles
Mobile App Rating (2026)(stars)
4.3/5 stars
Transparent Flight Details(visibility)
Hidden details on Express Deal flights
Mobile App Rating(stars out of 5)
Expedia: 4.4
Mobile App Rating (iOS)(stars out of 5)
4.2 stars
Checkout Steps Required(steps)
1-2 steps (integrated)
Show 1 more attribute
Mobile App Rating(stars out of 5)
4.5 stars (2.8M reviews)
Customer Support Response Time(hours)
4-12 hours average
2026 Revenue Growth Forecast(%)
6-9% projected
Annual Revenue (2025)(USD billion)
$40 billion
Annual Revenue (2024)(USD billions)
$8.8B
$5.2B
AI Personalization Features(level)
AI-enhanced pricing & recommendations
Mobile App Downloads(millions)
100+ million
80+ million
Sustainability Initiatives(programs)
Carbon offset programs, sustainable stays
Total Properties Listed(millions)
1.5+ million properties
Total Properties Available(properties)
700,000+
Total Property Listings(millions)
780,000
Average Hotel Cancellation Rate(%)
~18-25% with One Key
Free Cancellation Window(hours)
24 hours on most bookings
Base Loyalty Program Cost(USD)
Free entry (paid tiers available)
Average Loyalty Program ROI(percent return)
Expedia: 4-6%
Loyalty Rewards Rate(%)
Varies by membership tier (0-10%)
Loyalty Program Cashback(average percent return)
10% average annual return on Expedia Rewards
Loyalty Points Per Dollar(points)
10 points/$1
10 points/$1
Monthly Website Visits(millions)
~120
Price Comparison Coverage(partner count)
Direct inventory
Cheapest Day Insights
General trends
Booking Transparency Level
Fully transparent (complete details)
Opaque (limited upfront details)
User Control During Booking
Full customization available
Limited pre-purchase choices
Direct Booking Capability
Yes (on-platform)
Package Deal Options
Extensive
Package Deal Savings(percent discount)
10-15% savings on flight+hotel bundles
Mobile App Organization
Comprehensive
Mobile App Real-Time Alerts(feature completeness)
Advanced real-time alerts with exclusive app perks
Customer Support Availability(hours/day)
24/7
Average Customer Service Wait Time(minutes)
8-12 minutes
Customer Service Response Time(hours)
1-2 hours
Customer Service Availability(hours/week)
24/7 dedicated support
Customer Service Rating(stars)
4.2/5
3.8/5
Monthly Organic Traffic Trend (2026)(% change)
Positive sustained growth
-3.06% decline
Global Inventory Scale
Expansive/comprehensive
Moderate selection
2026 Market Research Base(travelers surveyed)
24,000+ global travelers
Not specified
Ideal Traveler Type (2026)
Flexible control-focused travelers
Spontaneous budget seekers
Global Market Share(percent)
22% of OTA bookings
Price Comparison Coverage(sites indexed)
Expedia Group properties + select partners
Price Drop Protection(coverage)
Available on select mobile app bookings
Direct Booking Integration(checkout steps)
Direct one-platform checkout (1-2 steps)
User Preference for Flexible Travel(% preference)
Preferred by 65% of fixed-plan travelers
Monthly Active Users(millions)
Expedia: 380M
Total Reviews/Listings(billions)
Expedia: 50M reviews
Booking Features
Flights, Hotels, Cars, Activities, Packages
Customer Support Hours
24/7 phone, chat, email
Average Booking Commission(percent)
Expedia: Direct pricing (0% markup)
Countries Covered(count)
Expedia: 190+
Flight Booking Availability
Full integration with 500+ airlines
Free Cancellation Coverage(%)
85% of bookings
Active Annual Users(millions)
152 million
Rewards Program Earning Rate(points per $1 USD)
Fixed 10 points per $1
Offline Map & Itinerary Access
Limited offline features
Annual Revenue (2024)(USD billions)
$40.8B
Annual Revenue(USD billions)
$40.2 billion (2024)
Hotel Inventory Size(properties)
2,800,000+ hotels
Airline Partners(count)
550+ airlines
Mobile App Downloads(millions)
150M+ downloads
Loyalty Program Rewards Rate(percent cash back)
10% points + elite status
Global Hotel Inventory(properties)
1.2+ million directly bookable
Airline Coverage(airlines searchable)
Partner airlines + select OTA inventory
Price Match Guarantee(hours)
24-hour Price Match Guarantee
Total Hotel Listings(millions)
2.1+ million
1.8+ million
Flight + Hotel Package Savings(%)
15-25%
20-35%
Price Match Guarantee
Yes
No

Pros & Cons

10 pros·4 cons across both

E
P
E

Expedia

+5-2

Pros

  • 2.1+ million hotel listings providing maximum choice and comparison options
  • 4.2/5 customer service rating with 24/7 multilingual support
  • Price Match Guarantee ensures you're getting the best available rate
  • 100+ million mobile app downloads with seamless booking interface
  • Rewards program offers free night certificates and airline miles

Cons

  • Standard discounts (10-30%) are less aggressive than Priceline's Express Deals
  • Booking fees sometimes applied to hotel reservations depending on booking method
P

Priceline

+5-2

Pros

  • Express Deals deliver 30-50% discounts for flexible travelers accepting mystery hotel brands until after booking
  • Exceptional flight + hotel package bundling creates additional 20-35% savings opportunities
  • Name Your Own Price feature allows travelers to bid on accommodations and services
  • 1.8+ million properties available across all star ratings and locations
  • Free cancellation on most bookings provides booking flexibility

Cons

  • 3.8/5 customer service rating reflects slower response times and resolution issues
  • Express Deals lack transparency—hotel brand unknown until after payment confirmed

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. Express Deals are opaque bookings where you receive 30-50% discounts by accepting bookings without knowing the exact hotel brand until after payment. The hotel is in your selected area and star category, but not specified. Deep discounts exist because hotels fill last-minute inventory at reduced rates, and Priceline passes bulk negotiating power to users accepting this uncertainty.

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