News last night over Google-tinis at their party (thanks Wendy !) that my good friend and former co-conspirator at Expedia, Simon Breakwell, has joined the multiple chute-pullers and is leaving.

Simon was one of the original guys, and for maaaaaany years he (a former British Airways guy) and I (veteran of various and sundry travel gigs) were the only travel types at a senior level in the company (Update: while there were ultimately many smart travel people at Expedia, for me I often think of - and I think I am remembering this well - Barry Diller asking Erik Blachford if Expedia had any travel types and Erik saying something like "yeah we have a couple of them - Simon and Stuart." Something like that anyway). He also made the silly decision to hire me back in the day :-)

Simon leaves his role as President of Expedia Europe, and though he is staying on the EXPE Board, his departure and those of two others I also just learned of leaves *one* of the original team still in place - Barney - by my reckoning.

Simon, Happy trails, mate. Enjoy that bike and don't be a stranger. I'll save you and Matt some benchspace in MUC :-)