Orbitz President: Expedia-Travelocity Deal Removes Clutter in the Marketplace
Skift Take
Is Orbitz's hotel supply really differentiated enough from Expedia's and Travelocity's that consumers will notice the difference when Travelocity fades away as a competitor in 2014? That's doubtful, although Orbitz may have some tricks up its sleeve.
Orbitz president Chris Orton sees the recent Expedia-Travelocity alliance as an opportunity for Orbitz because "it kicks some clutter out of the marketplace."
And although Orbitz still uses Kayak a lot as a marketing vehicle despite a frayed relationship, Orton says Orbitz is placing a lot of bets and would "aggressively" use a new metasearch partner if it allows Orbitz to show its differentiation -- and isn't all about price.
Orton visited Skift's New York City office today, and discussed these and other issues.
Skift: There's been lots of big news with Expedia and Travelocity. How does that deal change things for Orbitz and Cheaptickets in the U.S.?
Orton: When we look at it in some ways it is sad to see a competitor that we've been competing with for years effectively throw in the towel. I think for us we look at it and say gosh, we've achieved a lot. We've gotten to a unique market position. We th
