orbitz.com
What Orbitz.com Is and What It Does
Orbitz.com is a travel booking website where you can search for and reserve flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and other travel services all in one place. It’s part of the Expedia Group, a large travel company that owns several popular travel brands.
When you land on the main site, you’ll see tools to input your destination, travel dates and number of travelers. The system then aggregates options from many suppliers so you can compare prices and availability for things like cheap flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and bundled packages that mix all three.
Orbitz also provides last-minute deals and promotions on travel products, and has mobile apps designed to let you make or manage bookings on your device.
How Orbitz Works in Practice
Technically, Orbitz functions as an online travel agency and travel fare aggregator. That means it doesn’t operate its own airlines, hotels, or car rental companies. Instead, it pulls inventory and pricing from many suppliers and displays those options in one place. After you select something, Orbitz handles the booking process with the provider on your behalf.
Here’s a quick breakdown of core services:
- Flights: Search for domestic and international flight options from hundreds of airline partners and book tickets online.
- Hotels: Compare hotel rooms from a huge network of properties worldwide and reserve rooms for your travel dates.
- Car Rentals: Find deals on rental cars with options across major rental companies.
- Vacation Packages: Combine flights, hotels, and car rentals into one package to potentially save money compared to booking each separately.
On top of that, Orbitz runs a rewards program called Orbitz Rewards. Users can earn “Orbucks” — a type of loyalty credit — on bookings and then redeem them toward future hotel stays. Booking via the mobile app usually nets higher reward rates.
Why People Use Orbitz
There are several practical reasons travelers choose Orbitz:
One-Stop Comparison
Orbitz lets you see multiple travel components at once, with filters to narrow down your choices. You don’t have to visit airline or hotel sites one by one to scout deals.
Rewards and Discounts
Orbitz Rewards is a selling point for frequent travelers. Earning Orbucks on hotels, flights, and packages can reduce the total cost of future bookings if you redeem them wisely. Some deals and “Insider Prices” are exclusive to members.
Bundling Savings
Vacation packages — mixing flights, hotels, and cars — can sometimes be cheaper than booking each individually. That can make Orbitz appealing for people planning entire trips in one go.
Mobile Booking Features
The Orbitz app is built to let you find and book travel on the go, sometimes with mobile-only deals. It also lets you manage reservations and track flights.
Common Criticisms and Limitations
Orbitz isn’t perfect, and people often have mixed experiences with it. Some of the common complaints include:
Customer Service Issues
Many users report that dealing with customer support after booking through Orbitz can be frustrating. Since Orbitz essentially acts as a middleman between you and the provider (like an airline or hotel), some customers find it harder to resolve problems through Orbitz than booking direct.
Third-Party Booking Drawbacks
Online travel agencies like Orbitz sometimes show very good prices, but there can be trade-offs. If a flight is delayed or a hotel cancels, you usually have to go through Orbitz to resolve it, not the airline or hotel directly. Some travelers prefer booking directly with providers for that reason.
User-generated travel forums and review threads are a mixed bag — while some travelers say they’ve had good experiences, others strongly recommend booking flights or cars directly rather than through Orbitz to avoid issues like overbooking or long waits at rental counters.
Interface and Usability
A subset of users finds the website interface a bit outdated or clunky, though it works functionally for searching and booking.
Who Orbitz Is Best For
Orbitz works best if you’re looking for comparative shopping across multiple travel products quickly. It’s useful if you want:
- To compare prices on flights, hotels, and cars in one place.
- A rewards program on travel purchases.
- To bundle travel components for potential savings.
It might be less ideal if you prioritize direct interactions with airlines or hotels or want to avoid third-party booking complications. In that case, comparing prices on Orbitz and then booking with the provider directly may be a strategy some travelers follow.
Key Takeaways
- Orbitz.com is a travel booking site that aggregates flights, hotels, car rentals and packages from many suppliers.
- It functions as an online travel agency, not a direct provider of travel services.
- Rewards (Orbucks) and bundling can create savings for frequent users.
- Mixed user reviews — it’s useful for price comparison, but customer support and third-party issues are common complaints.
- Mobile app benefits include deals and booking features on smartphones.
FAQ
Is Orbitz legitimate?
Yes. Orbitz is a well-known travel booking platform owned by Expedia Group and has operated since the early 2000s.
Can I earn loyalty rewards with Orbitz?
Yes — the Orbitz Rewards program lets you earn Orbucks on eligible bookings that you can redeem on future hotel stays.
Is it better to book directly with airlines and hotels?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Booking direct can sometimes make customer service issues easier to manage. Many travelers use Orbitz to compare prices and then decide where to book.
Can I cancel or change bookings through Orbitz?
You generally must go through Orbitz to cancel or change reservations made on the site, which can add complexity compared with direct booking.
Are Orbitz deals always cheaper?
Not always. There are often good deals, especially with packages or mobile-exclusive offers, but it’s still recommended to compare prices across providers.
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