Expedia's coding interviews are typically medium to hard, comparable to Google and Meta, with a strong emphasis on problem-solving and their 14 Leadership Principles. The process includes a unique 'Bar Raiser' round focused on behavioral alignment. Allocate 2-3 months for preparation: solve 150-200 LeetCode problems (focus on trees, graphs, and DP), master all Leadership Principles with STAR stories, and practice system design fundamentals if targeting senior roles.
Focus heavily on core DSA: arrays, strings, trees (especially BST and Tries), graphs (DFS/BFS, shortest path), dynamic programming, and recursion. For SDE-2+ roles, expect 1-2 system design rounds covering scalability, APIs, and data modeling—study services like booking engines or search systems. Expedia often incorporates travel-domain scenarios, so prepare to discuss real-world constraints like high concurrency and data consistency.
Top mistakes include neglecting the Bar Raiser round by not preparing behavioral stories, rushing into code without clarifying requirements, and ignoring edge cases. Candidates also fail to communicate their thought process aloud or discuss trade-offs in system design. Avoid these by practicing mock interviews, always stating assumptions, and linking solutions to Expedia's Leadership Principles like 'Customer Obsession'.
Stand out by explicitly connecting your experiences to Expedia's Leadership Principles during every round—use concrete examples of teamwork, customer impact, and adaptability. In coding rounds, demonstrate clean, modular code and proactive communication. For system design, highlight scalability trade-offs relevant to travel tech (e.g., handling peak bookings). Show genuine interest in Expedia's products by referencing their tech blog or recent innovations.
The process usually takes 4-6 weeks: initial recruiter screen (1 week), 2-3 technical rounds (1-2 weeks), a Bar Raiser behavioral round (1 week), and final team matching (1 week). You'll typically hear back within 1-2 weeks after each stage. Delays often occur during team matching, so follow up politely with your recruiter if idle for over 10 days post-final interview.
SDE-1 interviews focus on core DSA, coding clarity, and basic OOD. SDE-2 adds system design fundamentals (e.g., designing a feature or service) and expects mentorship discussion. SDE-3 emphasizes deep system design (end-to-end architectures), leadership in projects, and trade-off analysis for large-scale systems. Tailor your prep: SDE-1: 80% coding; SDE-2: 50% coding, 50% design; SDE-3: 70% design, 30% behavioral/leadership.
Use LeetCode (filter by company and medium/hard problems), Exponent's Expedia-specific system design questions, and Expedia's engineering blog for domain context. Practice behavioral responses using the STAR method with Expedia's Leadership Principles. Access recent Glassdoor reviews for question patterns, and conduct mock interviews with current/former Expedia engineers via platforms like Interviewing.io or LinkedIn to gauge their emphasis on travel-tech scenarios.
Cultural fit is assessed via the Bar Raiser round and behavioral questions throughout—interviewers look for alignment with values like 'Collaboration' and 'Customer Obsession'. Expect scenario-based questions about handling conflicting priorities, user feedback, or team disagreements. Research Expedia's agile teams, their focus on data-driven decisions, and global collaboration. Prepare examples demonstrating adaptability in ambiguity, as travel tech often involves rapid iteration and cross-functional projects.
