Orbitz
“Can Orbitz maintain a differentiated travel brand identity and loyalty program (Orbucks rewards) within the commoditized Expedia Group OTA portfolio?”
Founded2001
HQChicago, Illinois, USA
IndustryMarketplace / Travel
The story
Orbitz launched in 2001 as an airline-consortium-backed OTA to challenge Expedia and Travelocity. It went public in 2007 as Orbitz Worldwide, expanding through acquisitions of CheapTickets and ebookers. In 2015, Expedia acquired Orbitz Worldwide, and Orbitz now operates as a consumer-facing travel booking brand within Expedia Group. Orbitz for Business briefly developed corporate travel and expense integrations (e.g., with Visa IntelliLink) but these were not spun into standalone embedded finance offerings post-acquisition.
Last 12 months
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Product timeline
2001
Orbitz launched as an online travel agency (OTA) founded by major US airlines (United, Delta, American, Continental, Northwest) to compete with Expedia and Travelocity.· pivot
2007
Orbitz Worldwide formed as a holding company, consolidating Orbitz, CheapTickets, ebookers, and HotelClub under one umbrella.· acquisition
2007
Orbitz Worldwide IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: OWW).· ipo
2015
Visa and Orbitz for Business announced a fully integrated travel and expense solution, Visa Travel Manager, combining Orbitz booking with Visa IntelliLink expense management.· banking
2015
Expedia acquired Orbitz Worldwide for approximately $1.6 billion, making Orbitz a brand within the Expedia Group portfolio.· acquisition
The stack
Accounting gap: none