Customer Reviews (100)

april austin • 2025-03-24T06:09:51.909Z

I keep having to refresh it and it won't show me seat assignments in order to book a flight. frustrating!

Damon Jones • 2025-03-24T01:47:01.697Z

I have used Expedia for years and I have enjoyed using the app here in the states and overseas.

Trent Fordham • 2025-03-24T01:24:44.533Z

App crashes regularly, especially when I've been going through a long list of hotels I want to compare. So I have to start all over again, only to find it crashing again. Very frustrating.

Summary of Key Insights

The Expedia app generally receives positive feedback, with many users praising its ease of use, good deals, and comprehensive travel options. However, a significant minority of users report negative experiences related to app crashes, booking issues, misleading advertising, and poor customer service. The One Key rewards program is a notable positive, but issues with pricing transparency and refund policies detract from the overall experience. The overall sentiment is positive, but the reported issues need to be addressed to improve user satisfaction. The app has an overall rating that skews positive, but the volume of 1-star reviews indicates significant problems for a subset of users.

  • Overall Rating: Skews positive due to high percentage of 5-star reviews.
  • Key Strengths: Ease of use, good deals, comprehensive travel options, One Key rewards.
  • Key Weaknesses: App crashes, booking issues, misleading advertising (especially regarding amenities and pricing), poor customer service, lack of price transparency, refund policy issues.
  • Score Distribution: 5-star (61%), 4-star (6%), 3-star (7%), 2-star (4%), 1-star (22%). This indicates a polarized user experience, with many very happy users but also a significant number experiencing serious issues.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not specified, but assumed to be recent based on the app version (2025.11.0).
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis based on review text, keyword extraction to identify common themes, and frequency analysis of mentioned issues and features. The analysis focuses on identifying recurring patterns and pain points expressed by users.

Key User Pain Points

  • App Crashes: Several users reported the app crashing, especially when browsing a large number of hotels, leading to frustration and lost progress.
  • Booking Issues: Problems with booking flights and hotels, including trips not appearing after booking, inability to select seat assignments, and errors during the booking process.
  • Misleading Advertising: Hotels falsely advertising services or amenities (e.g., breakfast included when it's not), and discrepancies between advertised and actual room conditions. Photos not representative of the property.
  • Poor Customer Service: Unhelpful and dismissive customer service when trying to resolve issues, difficulty contacting customer support, and slow response times. Chat feature reported as useless.
  • Lack of Price Transparency: Prices increasing at the end of the booking process, hidden fees, and lack of clarity regarding currency (e.g., displaying prices in USD for Australian users without clear indication).
  • Refund Policy Issues: Difficulty obtaining refunds for "refundable" tickets due to hidden fees and taxes, and issues with changing hotel bookings even when the hotel's policy allows for refunds.
  • One Key Card Issues: Credit for applying for One Key card not showing up.
  • Account Issues: Problems changing email associated with account.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Search Filters: More flexible hotel filters, including distance to subway stops and ability to save hotels to a list.
  • Clearer Currency Display: Explicitly indicate the currency being used, especially for international users.
  • One-Way Trip Options: Easier way to book one-way trips from hotels to airports.
  • Favorites Button Fix: A user reported the favorites button disappearing. It should be restored and made reliable.
  • Ad Filtering: Users want the ability to filter objectionable ads.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ease of Use: Many users find the app easy to use and navigate.
  • Good Deals: Users appreciate the deals and savings offered, especially when booking flights and hotels together.
  • Comprehensive Travel Options: The app provides a wide range of travel options, including flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities.
  • One Key Rewards: The One Key rewards program is a popular feature.
  • Reliability: Many long-term users find Expedia to be a reliable platform for booking travel.
  • Convenience: The app makes it easy to manage all travel reservations in one place.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix App Crashes: Investigate and resolve the app crashing issues, especially during hotel browsing. This significantly impacts user experience.
  • Improve Customer Service: Enhance customer service responsiveness and helpfulness. Address complaints about unhelpful and dismissive responses. Ensure chat feature works effectively.
  • Ensure Price Transparency: Clearly display all fees and taxes upfront, and explicitly indicate the currency being used. Prevent prices from increasing unexpectedly at the end of the booking process.
  • Address Misleading Advertising: Implement stricter verification processes for hotel listings to ensure accurate descriptions of amenities and room conditions.

Medium Priority:

  • Simplify Refund Process: Make the refund process more transparent and easier to understand. Clearly outline any fees or taxes that are non-refundable.
  • Improve Booking Reliability: Address issues with trips not appearing after booking and errors during the booking process.
  • Enhance Search Filters: Add more flexible hotel filters, including distance to subway stops and the ability to save hotels to a list.
  • Fix Account Management Issues: Allow users to change the email associated with their account even if they no longer have access to the old email.
  • Restore Favorites Button: Ensure the favorites button is working correctly and reliably.

Low Priority:

  • Improve One-Way Trip Booking: Streamline the process for booking one-way trips from hotels to airports.
  • Ad Filtering: Consider options for filtering objectionable ads.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Hotel Verification Service: A service that verifies hotel amenities and conditions to prevent misleading advertising. This could be integrated with travel booking platforms or offered as a standalone service.
  • Transparent Pricing Tool: A browser extension or app that automatically identifies and highlights hidden fees and taxes on travel booking websites.
  • AI-Powered Customer Service Assistant: An AI-powered customer service assistant that can quickly and accurately answer common travel-related questions and resolve issues.
  • Travel Community Forum: A forum where users can share their experiences with hotels and flights, and report misleading advertising or poor customer service.

Trends and Observations

  • Polarized User Experience: The high percentage of both 5-star and 1-star reviews suggests a polarized user experience, with some users having very positive experiences and others encountering significant problems.
  • Customer Service is Key: Many negative reviews cite poor customer service as a major issue, highlighting the importance of providing responsive and helpful support.
  • Importance of Transparency: Users value transparency in pricing and booking policies, and are frustrated by hidden fees and misleading advertising.
  • Buggy App Experience: Several users reported crashes and other technical issues, indicating a need for improved app stability and performance.

Conclusion

The Expedia app offers a convenient way to book travel and access deals, but it suffers from several critical issues that negatively impact user experience. Addressing the high-priority recommendations, particularly fixing app crashes, improving customer service, and ensuring price transparency, is crucial for retaining users and improving overall satisfaction. By focusing on these areas, Expedia can solidify its position as a leading travel booking platform.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.expedia.bookings