IT COULD ALL have gone so differently for Expedia. When the online travel company was launched by Microsoft in 1996, it was, in the words of David Roche, Expedia.com's president, “within a whisker” of being named Microagent. Luckily, the less catchy name didn't catch on. Expedia is a new entrant in our list and neophilia — the love of something new — is a prized trait at the company. “It's a technology company. An awful lot about it is new all the time,” says Roche, who expects staff to be highly analytical, numerate and comfortable in a fast-paced environment. Today, Expedia Inc is a publicly-traded business and among the largest online travel companies in the world. It's the parent to several brands, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com and discount travel site Hotwire. In this country, more than 740 people work for these different arms at its London headquarters, a purpose-built space in Angel that staff helped to design. Expedia gets a positive My Company category score of 80%. “If you're spending at least eight hours of your day somewhere it's important to love your environment,” says Anna Gevorgyan, 28, who works for the Hotels.com customer retention team as a “scrum manager”, ensuring the team runs smoothly. She moved from Armenia to Britain two years ago, and also points to the “terrific” social life. Colleagues get together for breakfast twice a month, and company-wide drinks are held every month. Others agree with her, saying their teams are fun to work with (83%). Staff are also happy with the pay and benefits they receive (76%, a score beaten by just four other companies). The majority of employees (58%) earn between £25,001 and £55,000 a year, with 31% making between £55,001 and £100,000. A yearly bonus is awarded, and managers can give “spot bonuses”, including gifts such as iPads, to deserving employees. After three years' service, workers receive an annual travel bursary, and all staff can book discounted travel. Last September, nearly 200 people from the Hotels.com team travelled to Dubrovnik, where both work and play — treasure hunt around the old town — were on the agenda.