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 OMG, What?

That’s right, MSN Travel has dumped Expedia in favor of Orbitz. The reason provided that apparently Orbitz provides better features and customer service. This change affects customers in the U.S. and in the U.K. According to Allen Stern of CenterNetworks

The monthly traffic that will now be diverted in the air to Orbitz is in the range of 3.5 million unique visitors per month. When I check Expedia’s status board, all lines say “Delayed”. This is a big hit for Expedia.

In my opinion Expedia’s usability is much better than Orbitz. Was this deal completed for the reasons listed above or really for financial reasons?

Orbitz.. who?

Originally established through a partnership of major airlines, and subsequently owned by various entities, Orbitz.com – the flagship brand of Orbitz Worldwide – has been in operation since 2001.

Orbitz has been accused of illicit business practices involving the provision of travel for American students in Ireland. Orbitz is accused of using a bait and switch scheme to trick students into buying expensive tickets online. A lawsuit is pending in the Fourth Circuit Court. But none the less, this move will really hurt Expedia as they lose around 3.5 million visitors per month.

But wait, who’s Expedia?

Expedia is an Internet-based travel agency and a part of Expedia, Inc. which is based out of the United States of America with localized sites for 15 countries.

The site uses multiple global distribution systems like the Sabre reservation system for flights and for hotels, Worldspan, and Pegasus along with their own hotel reservation system for their contracted bulk rate reservations which is shared with other Expedia, Inc. sites. In 2006, Expedia.com was awarded a Webby Award in the area of “Best In Travel Websites”  and a Stevie Award from the American Business Association for “Most Innovative Companyâ€?.