Expedia now giving away free travel-related iOS apps, starting with Over

EXPEDIA.COM MEDIA LOUNGE

If you’re the type who enjoys seeing new places and meeting new and interesting people, chances are you’re using Expedia to plan your trips.

Originally started by the Windows giant Microsoft, the online travel service was later spun off as a separate entity because it was “no longer about software intensive technology” and they were “concerned that they would not do their best at this.”

Since then, Expedia’s been doing great: it’s grown into a multi-billion dollar business and is now the world’s largest full-service online travel company. Expedia.com is ranked the 138th website in the United States by the web traffic reporting service Alexa.

They have a decent iOS application and now Expedia is offering free iPhone and iPad apps related to traveling as part of its new ‘Media Lounge’ service.

Expedia Hotels & Flights for iOS has been bumped to version 3.6 and can now be downloaded free from the App Store. Hit the break for more info…

Media Lounge, now part of the freshly updated Expedia iOS app, permits you to download premium travel-related iPhone and iPad software from within the app.

To get started, fire up the app and tap on Trips to enter your personal travel profile. Next, tap on Extras and then check out what’s new in the Media Lounge and find the right app for your trip-planning needs, including free ones. The app also sports a new selection of both free and paid travel apps, curated by Expedia’s editors.

Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 005)Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 006)Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 007)

John Kim, Expedia’s Senior Vice President, remarked:

Here at Expedia, we believe that technology should deliver a delightfully relevant experience at every stage: from booking to check-in, and beyond.

With the introduction of Media Lounge, we’re taking the next step in providing a more complete experience for our users that are traveling with their iPhone or iPod touch.

The first app they’re giving away: Over, a photo-editing software that lets travelers personalize photos by adding text and artwork. Normally priced at $1.99 in the App Store, Over is now available for free through Expedia’s Media Lounge for a limited time.

Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 003)Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 004)

Other key features of the Expedia app:

  • Save big on hotel rooms
    • Save up to 40 percent with Expedia Mobile Exclusive hotel deals
    • Default to your current location for fast, on-the-go booking
    • See reviews from actual hotel customers
    • Sort by price, deals, or reviews — instantly
    • Get cheap hotel rooms or 5-star luxury suites
  • Find the perfect flight
    • Book a flight to anywhere in the world
    • Sort by price, duration, or time instantly
    • Search by airport name, city, or code
  • Book in a flash
    • Already signed in? Book in under 30 seconds
    • Earn Expedia Rewards points for mobile bookings 
    • Slide to purchase and away you go
  • View your itinerary
    • View upcoming trips that you book in the app and on the web
    • Open the app when you’re about to travel and immediately see your trip
    • Get notifications for flight delays, gate changes and much more
    • It looks awesome, too!

Expedia was recently revamped with iOS 7 styling.

Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 001)Expedia 3.6 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 002)

Planning trips to far-flung places is fun with Expedia so here’s a behind the scenes look at how the service performs millions of calculations and computations every millisecond to provide world travelers with a way to easily book their trips.

Download Expedia for iOS free in the App Store.

The app is universal and iOS 7.0 or later is required.

It’s available in 25 countries and customized to each of their primary languages.