Hotwire

Hotwire, founded in 2000 and owned by Expedia, Inc - the largest online travel agency in the world, is a discount travel Web site offering airline tickets, car rentals, cruises, hotel reservations, and vacation packages. Hotwire travel partners allow Hotwire access to their unsold or surplus inventory - empty seats on flights, empty hotel rooms, and unrented cars - at significant savings. The inventory is presented to consumers as ‘opaque’; displaying fare and rate information but not the identity of the travel provider until after the purchase is completed.