Travel CEOs Take On the Ice Bucket Challenge

Expedia Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi did the honors of bringing online travel CEOs on board with the viral Ice Bucket Challenge.

Khosrowshahi took the challenge earlier this week and challenged TripAdvisor CEO Steve Kaufer and Sabre CEO Tom Klein to join in. Kaufer and the TripAdvisor team accepted the challenge, and Klein is gearing up to take the challenge next week, says Sabre spokeswoman Nancy St. Pierre. Kaufer in turn challenged Orbitz CEO Barney Harford, who accepted.

Several Expedia employees also took the challenge and donated $100 each, and the company pledged to match their donations. TripAdvisor’s employees did the same and raised $15,000.

Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza also took the challenge this week and tasked American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, JetBlue CEO Dave Barger and Delta CEO Richard Anderson to do the same. JetBlue spokesman Marty St. George is among the first in the travel industry to take the challenge.

The challenge calls for pouring a bucket of ice water over your head to raise awareness for ALS within 24 hours of being challenged or donate $100 to the ALS Association. So far, the challenge helped raise $31.5 million for the association and brought 637,527 new donors to the association.

Even TV personality Anthony Bourdain got in on the action.

Ben Baldanza’s Ice Bucket Challenge from Maggie Espin-Christina on Vimeo.