--- source_url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotwire.com?utm_source=openai" title: Hotwire.com - Wikipedia mirrored_at: 2026-08-05T03:39:31.456Z host: en.wikipedia.org cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotwire.com__q__utm_source_openai" --- > **Original source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotwire.com?utm_source=openai From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hotwire Type [Subsidiary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiary "Subsidiary") Founded 2000; 26 years ago Founders Karl Peterson Eric Grosse Gregg Brockway Spencer Rascoff Headquarters [San Francisco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco "San Francisco"), [California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California "California") , United States Products Airline travel Car rental services Hotel reservation Vacation packages Revenue US$ 35 million (2018) Number of employees 300+ [Parent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parent_company "Parent company") [Expedia Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedia_Group "Expedia Group") Website [www.hotwire.com](http://www.hotwire.com/) **Hotwire** is an American travel website that offers airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages. It operates by selling off unsold travel inventory at discounted prices. The company is headquartered in [San Francisco, CA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco "San Francisco"), Hotwire, Inc. is an operating company of the [Expedia Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedia_Group "Expedia Group").[\[1\]](#cite_note-1)[\[2\]](#cite_note-2) Hotwire was launched in 2000, by Karl Peterson, Eric Grosse, Gregg Brockway, and [Spencer Rascoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Rascoff "Spencer Rascoff"). Initial funding came by founding partner [Texas Pacific Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Pacific_Group "Texas Pacific Group") (TPG), a leading private equity firm that Karl Peterson used to work for, that invested an initial $75 million into Hotwire.[\[3\]](#cite_note-3) Hotwire first offered tickets from six major airlines, that also invested into Hotwire's launch: [American](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines "American Airlines"), [Northwest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Airlines "Northwest Airlines") (now [Delta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Air_Lines "Delta Air Lines")), [Continental](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Airlines "Continental Airlines") (now [United](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines "United Airlines")), [America West](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_West "America West") (now American), United, and [US Airways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways "US Airways") (now American).[\[4\]](#cite_note-4)[\[5\]](#cite_note-skift-5) Prior to its formal launch, Hotwire was codenamed Purple Demon.[\[6\]](#cite_note-6) In September 2003, [IAC/InterActiveCorp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAC/InterActiveCorp "IAC/InterActiveCorp"), which had acquired [Expedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedia "Expedia") in 2001, announced its acquisition of Hotwire.com for $663 million.[\[7\]](#cite_note-:0-7) In 2004, an internet research firm estimated that through cross-advertising between Hotwire and Expedia, IAC was able to reach a total of an additional 1.5 million unique visitors to both websites monthly.[\[8\]](#cite_note-8) Henrik Kjellberg, 2014 Karl Peterson, one of Hotwire's four founding members, served as Hotwire's first CEO. In 2006, Hotwire was overseen by Founder and CFO (2004-2006) Eric Grosse. In January 2009, Eric Grosse became President of Expedia Worldwide and Clem Bason took over as President of the Hotwire Group.[\[9\]](#cite_note-9)[\[10\]](#cite_note-10) 1. [↑](#cite_ref-1) Rosenbloom, Stephanie (February 25, 2015). ["Booking Flights and Hotels: Online Agents or Direct?"](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/travel/booking-flights-and-hotels-online-agents-or-direct.html). _The New York Times_. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved February 21, 2019. 2. [↑](#cite_ref-2) ["Washington Post: The frugal traveler's essential list of budget travel hacks"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-frugal-travelers-essential-list-of-budget-travel-hacks/2018/08/01/7f43e210-9048-11e8-8322-b5482bf5e0f5_story.html?). _[The Washington Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post "The Washington Post")_. 3. [↑](#cite_ref-3) ["Hotwire Launch to Provide Yet Another Way to Offload Cheap Inventory"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060313123109/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ZCK/is_36_10/ai_65148336). _World Airline News_. September 8, 2000. Archived from [the original](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ZCK/is_36_10/ai_65148336) on March 13, 2006. 4. [↑](#cite_ref-4) [Wade, Betsy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Wade "Betsy Wade") (November 12, 2000). ["TRAVEL ADVISORY; New Web Site Offers Discounts on 6 Airlines"](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/12/travel/travel-advisory-new-web-site-offers-discounts-on-6-airlines.html). _The New York Times_. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved February 19, 2019. 5. [↑](#cite_ref-skift_5-0) Schaal, Dennis (2016). ["The Definitive oral history of online travel"](https://skift.com/history-of-online-travel/). _[Skift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skift "Skift")_. Retrieved June 15, 2016. 6. [↑](#cite_ref-6) ["Can purple demon avoid Orbitz errors?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180624232813/http://www.elliott.org/inside-interactive-travel/can-purple-demon-avoid-orbitz-errors/). _Elliott.org_. July 5, 2000. Archived from [the original](http://www.elliott.org/inside-interactive-travel/can-purple-demon-avoid-orbitz-errors/) on June 24, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2008. 7. [↑](#cite_ref-:0_7-0) [Julia Angwin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Angwin "Julia Angwin"); Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal. ["InterActiveCorp to Buy Hotwire, As Online-Travel Push Continues"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB106418549972915000). _WSJ_. Retrieved February 19, 2019. 8. [↑](#cite_ref-8) Tedeschi, Bob (July 5, 2004). ["E-Commerce Report; InterActiveCorp is finding ways to cross-promote its properties and increase its customer base"](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/05/business/e-commerce-report-interactivecorp-finding-ways-cross-promote-its-properties.html). _The New York Times_. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved February 19, 2019. 9. [↑](#cite_ref-9) ["Clem Bason press release"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090301161059/http://press.hotwire.com/index.php?s=press_releases). Archived from [the original](http://press.hotwire.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=187) on March 1, 2009. 10. [↑](#cite_ref-10) ["Management team"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090705121029/http://www.hotwire.com/about-hotwire/our-company/managementTeam.jsp). _Hotwire_. Archived from [the original](http://www.hotwire.com/about-hotwire/our-company/managementTeam.jsp) on July 5, 2009. - [Official website](http://www.hotwire.com/)