Just got an email with subject line "Goodbye From Expedia Travels".

My first thought was the online travel agency "Expedia" close its door. That would be a shock! After reading thru the email, I realize it's etravels.net close its door. Expedia Travels is etravels.net's newsletter.

Biztravel a month ago, etravels.net now, who is next?

I was a charter subscriber to Expedia Travels, and did not renew my subscription. I got a survey asking me to tell them why I did not review. I replied that their articles were too sparse, didn't give full enough snapshots of the places they were writing about, and focused too heavily on web sites rather than the travel itself (i.e., how to get information about a place, rather than giving you information about a place). While the articles in their last couple of issues started to get a little better, they just could not compete with better travel magazines such as Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure. All in all, I just didn't find much reason to read the magazine or to spend additional money on it.

Djlawman

To clarify: yes, the magazine has published its last issue, dated Nov. 2001.

I'm totally in agreement, djlawman. Expedia Travels simply does not compete with the big boys, Traveler and T&L. Received a free one-year subscription to Expedia Travels, and must've read no more than a few articles. Too techie of an emphasis for me, too.

Not a great loss considering its lack of solid editorial content.

Glad I did not renew. Feel sorry for those who did, as they will probably lose the pre-paid money toward future issues.

Djlawman

I got a check today for $3.98 from Travelocity Magazine. They've folded up shop also and are reimbursing subscribers for missed issues.

Welcome to the harsh reality of business. You can't just spend money, you gotta make it too. These internet travel ventures were never built on sound financial plans and with continual reductions in airline commissions, the business plans would not permit the frills like e-newsletter and glossy superficial consumer travel magazines. Remember, expedia itself has been sold to the Home Shopping Channel, so that's about the only thing keeping it alive.

It's no coincidence the airlines are loosing buckets of money too. You cannot keep selling a product at less than the cost of producing it. And since we all want cheap fares, commissions to down, frills like food on flights disappear, and pretty soon another Chapter 11 looms.

Who else got their notice from ClickMiles that we are all now creditors in their bankruptcy reorg?

We've only just seen the tip of this iceburg!

I don't understand how any magazines in the USA make money. I currently have a 12-month free subscription to Conde Nast Traveler and a 2-month free subscription to Travel & Leisure going to a friend's US address.

And since the good magazines can be obtained easily for free, it's no wonder the lesser ones go to the wall.

Advertising, advertising, advertising.

Magazines base their ad rates on circulation. The higher the latter, the higher the former. Free subscriptions increase circulation, thereby justifying higher ad rates.

When you consider that many higher-end magazines have ad rates in excess of $150,000 per page, (C.N. Traveler's is $59,000) they might as well give the magazine away rather than bothering with a $50 subscription.

For clarification... Expedia Travels just licensed the Expedia brand name -- it was not published by Expedia, and the fact it was discontinued says nothing about the financial health of Expedia.

Expedia is profitable, so I am not sure why you say its business plan is not financially sound.