Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation These accompanying financial statements present our results of operations, financial position and cash flows on a consolidated basis. The unaudited consolidated financial statements include Expedia Group, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiaries, and entities we control, or in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary of expected cash profits or losses. We have eliminated significant intercompany transactions and accounts. We have prepared the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting. We have included all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim period. These adjustments consist of normal recurring items. Our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). trivago is a separately listed company on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and, therefore is subject to its own reporting and filing requirements, which could result in possible differences that are not expected to be material to Expedia Group.
Accounting Estimates	Accounting Estimates We use estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Our estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements. These estimates and assumptions also affect the reported amount of net income or loss during any period. Our actual financial results could differ significantly from these estimates. The significant estimates underlying our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements include revenue recognition; recoverability of current and long-lived assets, intangible assets and goodwill; income and transactional taxes, such as potential settlements related to occupancy and excise taxes; loss contingencies; deferred loyalty rewards; acquisition purchase price allocations; stock-based compensation; accounting for derivative instruments and provisions for credit losses, customer refunds and chargebacks. The COVID-19 pandemic has created and may continue to create significant uncertainty in macroeconomic conditions, which may cause further business disruptions and adversely impact our results of operations. As a result, many of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, our estimates may change materially in future periods.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications We have reclassified prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation. During the first quarter of 2020, we reclassified depreciation expense from within our operating expense line items on our consolidated statements of operations to be included with intangible asset amortization expense.
Seasonality	Seasonality We generally experience seasonal fluctuations in the demand for our travel services. For example, traditional leisure travel bookings are generally the highest in the first three quarters as travelers plan and book their spring, summer and winter holiday travel. The number of bookings typically decreases in the fourth quarter. Because revenue for most of our travel services, including merchant and agency hotel, is recognized as the travel takes place rather than when it is booked, revenue typically lags bookings by several weeks for our hotel business and can be several months or more for our alternative accommodations business. Historically, Vrbo has seen seasonally stronger bookings in the first quarter of the year, with the relevant stays occurring during the peak summer travel months. The seasonal revenue impact is exacerbated with respect to income by the nature of our variable cost of revenue and direct sales and marketing costs, which we typically realize in closer alignment to booking volumes, and the more stable nature of our fixed costs. Furthermore, operating profits for our primary advertising business, trivago, have typically been experienced in the second half of the year, particularly the fourth quarter, as selling and marketing costs offset revenue in the first half of the year as we typically increase marketing during the busy booking period for spring, summer and winter holiday travel. As a result on a consolidated basis, revenue and income are typically the lowest in the first quarter and highest in the third quarter. The growth of our international operations, advertising business or a change in our product mix, including the growth of Vrbo, may influence the typical trend of the seasonality in the future. Due to COVID-19, which impacted travel bookings made in the first quarter 2020 and led to significant cancellations for future travel, we do not expect our typical seasonal pattern for bookings, revenue and profit during 2020. In addition, with the lower new bookings and elevated cancellations in the merchant business model, our typical, seasonal working capital source of cash has been significantly disrupted resulting in the Company experiencing unfavorable working capital trends and material negative cash flow. This is expected to continue until cancellations stabilize and travel demand begins to recover from current levels, at which time we expect merchant bookings and cash flow to increase. It is difficult to forecast the seasonality for the upcoming quarters, given the uncertainty related to the duration of the impact from COVID-19 and the shape and timing of a recovery.
Recent Accounting Policies	Recently Adopted Accounting Policies Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. As of January 1, 2020, we adopted the Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) guidance on the measurement of credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost, which includes accounts receivable, and available-for-sale debt securities, using the modified retrospective method. The new guidance replaced the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of credit losses. Upon adoption, this new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and no cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings was made. Cloud Computing Arrangements. As of January 1, 2020, we adopted the new ASU guidance on the accounting for implementation costs incurred for a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract using the prospective method. The update conformed the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract with the accounting guidance that provides for capitalization of costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use-software. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Fair Value Measurements. As of January 1, 2020, we adopted the new ASU guidance related to the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements, which removed, modified or added certain disclosures using the prospective method. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Guarantor Financial Information. In March 2020, the SEC amended Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X regarding financial disclosure requirements for registered debt offerings involving subsidiaries as either issuers or guarantors and affiliates whose securities are pledged as collateral. This new guidance narrows the circumstances that require separate financial statements of subsidiary issuers and guarantors and streamlines the alternative disclosures required in lieu of those statements. We adopted these amendments for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. Accordingly, combined summarized financial information has been presented only for the issuer and guarantors of our senior notes for the most recent fiscal year and the year-to-date interim period, and the location of the required disclosures has been removed from the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements and moved to Part I. Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Revenue	Revenue Prepaid Merchant Bookings. We classify payments made to suppliers in advance of our performance obligations as prepaid merchant bookings included within prepaid and other current assets. Prepaid merchant bookings was $533 million as of March 31, 2020, which is net of a $23 million reserve for future collectibility risk in consideration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, and $226 million as of December 31, 2019. Deferred Merchant Bookings. We classify cash payments received in advance of our performance obligations as deferred merchant bookings. At December 31, 2019, $4.898 billion of cash advance cash payments was reported within deferred merchant bookings, $2.880 billion of which was recognized resulting in $442 million of revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020, the related balance was $5.116 billion. At December 31, 2019, $781 million of deferred loyalty rewards was reported within deferred merchant bookings, $158 million of which was recognized within revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020, the related balance was $789 million. Deferred Revenue. At December 31, 2019, $321 million was recorded as deferred revenue, $109 million of which was recognized as revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020, the related balance was $221 million. Practical Expedients and Exemptions. We have used the portfolio approach to account for our loyalty points as the rewards programs share similar characteristics within each program in relation to the value provided to the traveler and their breakage patterns. Using this portfolio approach is not expected to differ materially from applying the guidance to individual contracts. However, we will continue to assess and refine, if necessary, how a portfolio within each rewards program is defined. We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Our cash and cash equivalents include cash and liquid financial instruments, including money market funds and term deposit investments, with maturities of three months or less when purchased. Restricted cash includes cash and cash equivalents that is restricted through legal contracts, regulations or our intention to use the cash for a specific purpose. Our restricted cash primarily relates to certain traveler deposits and to a lesser extent collateral for office leases.
Accounts Receivable and Allowances	Accounts Receivable and Allowances Accounts receivable are generally due within thirty days and are recorded net of an allowance for expected uncollectible amounts. We consider accounts outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms as past due. The risk characteristics we generally review when analyzing our accounts receivable pools primarily include the type of receivable (for example, credit card vs hotel collect), collection terms and historical or expected credit loss patterns. For each pool, we make estimates of expected credit losses for our allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, previous loss history continually updated for new collections data, the credit quality of our customers, current economic conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions and other factors that may affect our ability to collect from customers. The provision for estimated credit losses is recorded as cost of revenue in our consolidated statements of operations.
Fair Value Measurements	We classify our cash equivalents and investments within Level 1 and Level 2 as we value our cash equivalents and investments using quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources and models utilizing market observable inputs. Valuation of the foreign currency forward contracts is based on foreign currency exchange rates in active markets, a Level 2 input. Derivative instruments are carried at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets. We use foreign currency forward contracts to economically hedge certain merchant revenue exposures, foreign denominated liabilities related to certain of our loyalty programs and our other foreign currency-denominated operating liabilities. Our goal in managing our foreign exchange risk is to reduce, to the extent practicable, our potential exposure to the changes that exchange rates might have on our earnings, cash flows and financial position. Our foreign currency forward contracts are typically short-term and, as they do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment, we classify the changes in their fair value in other, net.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

These accompanying financial statements present our results of operations, financial position and cash flows on a consolidated basis. The unaudited consolidated financial statements include Expedia Group, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiaries, and entities we control, or in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary of expected cash profits or losses. We have eliminated significant intercompany transactions and accounts.

We have prepared the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting. We have included all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim period. These adjustments consist of normal recurring items. Our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). trivago is a separately listed company on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and, therefore is subject to its own reporting and filing requirements, which could result in possible differences that are not expected to be material to Expedia Group.

Accounting Estimates

We use estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Our estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements. These estimates and assumptions also affect the reported amount of net income or loss during any period. Our actual financial results could differ significantly from these estimates. The significant estimates underlying our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements include revenue recognition; recoverability of current and long-lived assets, intangible assets and goodwill; income and transactional taxes, such as potential settlements related to occupancy and excise taxes; loss contingencies; deferred loyalty rewards; acquisition purchase price allocations; stock-based compensation; accounting for derivative instruments and provisions for credit losses, customer refunds and chargebacks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created and may continue to create significant uncertainty in macroeconomic conditions, which may cause further business disruptions and adversely impact our results of operations. As a result, many of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, our estimates may change materially in future periods.

Reclassifications

We have reclassified prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation. During the first quarter of 2020, we reclassified depreciation expense from within our operating expense line items on our consolidated statements of operations to be included with intangible asset amortization expense.

Seasonality

We generally experience seasonal fluctuations in the demand for our travel services. For example, traditional leisure travel bookings are generally the highest in the first three quarters as travelers plan and book their spring, summer and winter holiday travel. The number of bookings typically decreases in the fourth quarter. Because revenue for most of our travel services, including merchant and agency hotel, is recognized as the travel takes place rather than when it is booked, revenue typically lags bookings by several weeks for our hotel business and can be several months or more for our alternative accommodations business. Historically, Vrbo has seen seasonally stronger bookings in the first quarter of the year, with the relevant stays occurring during the peak summer travel months. The seasonal revenue impact is exacerbated with respect to income by the nature of our variable cost of revenue and direct sales and marketing costs, which we typically realize in closer alignment to booking volumes, and the more stable nature of our fixed costs. Furthermore, operating profits for our primary advertising business, trivago, have typically been experienced in the second half of the year, particularly the fourth quarter, as selling and marketing costs offset revenue in the first half of the year as we typically increase marketing during the busy booking period for spring, summer and winter holiday travel. As a result on a consolidated basis, revenue and income are typically the lowest in the first quarter and highest in the third quarter. The growth of our international operations, advertising business or a change in our product mix, including the growth of Vrbo, may influence the typical trend of the seasonality in the future.

Due to COVID-19, which impacted travel bookings made in the first quarter 2020 and led to significant cancellations for future travel, we do not expect our typical seasonal pattern for bookings, revenue and profit during 2020. In addition, with the lower new bookings and elevated cancellations in the merchant business model, our typical, seasonal working capital source of cash has been significantly disrupted resulting in the Company experiencing unfavorable working capital trends and material negative cash flow. This is expected to continue until cancellations stabilize and travel demand begins to recover from current

levels, at which time we expect merchant bookings and cash flow to increase. It is difficult to forecast the seasonality for the upcoming quarters, given the uncertainty related to the duration of the impact from COVID-19 and the shape and timing of a recovery.

Recent Accounting Policies

Recently Adopted Accounting Policies

Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. As of January 1, 2020, we adopted the Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) guidance on the measurement of credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost, which includes accounts receivable, and available-for-sale debt securities, using the modified retrospective method. The new guidance replaced the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of credit losses. Upon adoption, this new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and no cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings was made.

Cloud Computing Arrangements. As of January 1, 2020, we adopted the new ASU guidance on the accounting for implementation costs incurred for a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract using the prospective method. The update conformed the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract with the accounting guidance that provides for capitalization of costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use-software. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value Measurements. As of January 1, 2020, we adopted the new ASU guidance related to the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements, which removed, modified or added certain disclosures using the prospective method. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Guarantor Financial Information. In March 2020, the SEC amended Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X regarding financial disclosure requirements for registered debt offerings involving subsidiaries as either issuers or guarantors and affiliates whose securities are pledged as collateral. This new guidance narrows the circumstances that require separate financial statements of subsidiary issuers and guarantors and streamlines the alternative disclosures required in lieu of those statements. We adopted these amendments for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. Accordingly, combined summarized financial information has been presented only for the issuer and guarantors of our senior notes for the most recent fiscal year and the year-to-date interim period, and the location of the required disclosures has been removed from the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements and moved to Part I. Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Revenue

Prepaid Merchant Bookings. We classify payments made to suppliers in advance of our performance obligations as prepaid merchant bookings included within prepaid and other current assets. Prepaid merchant bookings was $533 million as of March 31, 2020, which is net of a $23 million reserve for future collectibility risk in consideration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, and $226 million as of December 31, 2019.

Deferred Merchant Bookings. We classify cash payments received in advance of our performance obligations as deferred merchant bookings. At December 31, 2019, $4.898 billion of cash advance cash payments was reported within deferred merchant bookings, $2.880 billion of which was recognized resulting in $442 million of revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020, the related balance was $5.116 billion.

At December 31, 2019, $781 million of deferred loyalty rewards was reported within deferred merchant bookings, $158 million of which was recognized within revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020, the related balance was $789 million.

Deferred Revenue. At December 31, 2019, $321 million was recorded as deferred revenue, $109 million of which was recognized as revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020, the related balance was $221 million.

Practical Expedients and Exemptions. We have used the portfolio approach to account for our loyalty points as the rewards programs share similar characteristics within each program in relation to the value provided to the traveler and their breakage patterns. Using this portfolio approach is not expected to differ materially from applying the guidance to individual contracts. However, we will continue to assess and refine, if necessary, how a portfolio within each rewards program is defined.

We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Our cash and cash equivalents include cash and liquid financial instruments, including money market funds and term deposit investments, with maturities of three months or less when purchased. Restricted cash includes cash and cash equivalents that is restricted through legal contracts, regulations or our intention to use the cash for a specific purpose. Our restricted cash primarily relates to certain traveler deposits and to a lesser extent collateral for office leases.

Accounts Receivable and Allowances

Accounts receivable are generally due within thirty days and are recorded net of an allowance for expected uncollectible amounts. We consider accounts outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms as past due. The risk characteristics we generally review when analyzing our accounts receivable pools primarily include the type of receivable (for example, credit card vs hotel collect), collection terms and historical or expected credit loss patterns. For each pool, we make estimates of expected credit losses for our allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, previous loss history continually updated for new collections data, the credit quality of our customers, current economic conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions and other factors that may affect our ability to collect from customers. The provision for estimated credit losses is recorded as cost of revenue in our consolidated statements of operations.

Fair Value Measurements

We classify our cash equivalents and investments within Level 1 and Level 2 as we value our cash equivalents and investments using quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources and models utilizing market observable inputs. Valuation of the foreign currency forward contracts is based on foreign currency exchange rates in active markets, a Level 2 input.

Derivative instruments are carried at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets. We use foreign currency forward contracts to economically hedge certain merchant revenue exposures, foreign denominated liabilities related to certain of our

loyalty programs and our other foreign currency-denominated operating liabilities. Our goal in managing our foreign exchange risk is to reduce, to the extent practicable, our potential exposure to the changes that exchange rates might have on our earnings, cash flows and financial position. Our foreign currency forward contracts are typically short-term and, as they do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment, we classify the changes in their fair value in other, net.