Orbitz Is Celebrating Its 15th Anniversary Under the Shadow of Expedia Ownership
Skift Take
As when it acquired Travelocity in early 2015, the Expedia Inc. acquisition model for Orbitz and CheapTickets is to slash employee rolls, find other cost synergies, move the newly acquired companies to the Expedia technology platform and continue to market the slimmed-down brands. As Orbitz begins its 16th year, it wouldn't be surprising to see the brand get more aggressive in its advertising.
Orbitz, which finds itself owned by Expedia Inc. 15 years this month after major U.S. airlines founded the site, offers consumers several different options and 130,000 more hotels than it had before it was acquired, and officials plan to play to the company's traditional strengths.
Hari Nair, general manager of Orbitz and CheapTickets, which was founded 30 years ago in Honolulu, says Orbitz will focus on the airline side of the business, mobile and its Orbitz Rewards loyalty program.
"We want to play to our strengths," says Nair, who became the Orbitz and CheapTickets general manager in October after working at Expedia since 2002.
Nair says the project to migrate Orbitz and CheapTickets to the Expedia technology and supply platform is 98 percent complete, which
