Orbitz
has unveiled its new vacation package display, the “Vacation Matrix,” a tool that offers the easiest vacation-package shopping experience on the Internet. Travelers now have the first-ever ability to compare and price multiple airline and hotel options on a single screen when booking a customized package.
This pioneering feature was developed to help travelers enjoy the convenience and savings afforded by vacation packages, while eliminating the hassle and confusion involved in booking flights and hotels together. The “Vacation Matrix” allows Orbitz users to view the full range of hotel and airline choices simultaneously, as part of one easy-to-navigate grid, making the customization and booking of travel packages online as easy as buying a single airline ticket or reserving a hotel room.

“Package deals can offer big savings when planning a vacation, but until now, online shoppers were not able to see all their airline and hotel options on one screen. It made booking a vacation online a very time-consuming task,” said John Samuel, executive vice president of Consumer Travel at Orbitz. “Orbitz’ ‘Vacation Matrix’ is a breakthrough because you can see so many options at a glance and quickly select the airline, hotel and price that best meets your needs.”

With one click, Orbitz “Vacation Matrix” displays up to six airline and 20 hotel options, showing a total of up to 120 different flight-plus-hotel vacation package combinations at one time. Further streamlining the booking process, Orbitz allows users to sort airline and hotel options by the following criteria: Best Value, Lowest Price, Star Rating and Hotel Name. Orbitz also provides added flexibility to customize a vacation by searching preferred room categories once a hotel has been selected.

Orbitz’ vacation packages can often provide savings in excess of 15 percent compared to booking air and hotel arrangements separately. Examples of vacation package savings available today on Orbitz are the following:

Industry data shows that in 2002, more than half of online travelers used the Internet to research packages. Yet, more travelers are booking air travel and hotel accommodations “on the fly” in order to customize their own packages.

“Travelers increasingly want the savings and convenience of vacation packages, but they don’t want to lose control of planning their trips in the process,” said Samuel. “With Orbitz’ new “Vacation Matrix,” they now have the best of both worlds.”

Related stories on ITN:

(08/09/2003) Orbitz Improves its Website

(11/08/2003) Orbitz Delivers Hotel Discounts to Companies of All Sizes

(30/07/2003) Orbitz Unveils Sleek New Site Design
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