Orbitz , a leading travel
site, ranked No. 1 in online customer experience for the second year in a
row in the newly released Spring 2004 Online Customer Respect Study of
Airlines, Travel agencies and Hotel/Resort Casino companies. The study was
conducted by The Customer Respect Group, an international research and
consulting firm that focuses on how companies treat their customers online.
Orbitz received a rating of 8.3 out of 10, which was significantly higher
than the average 6.2 among all the travel companies surveyed. Orbitz was
also awarded the top ranking in the 2003 travel company study.

The independent study, in its third year, is the only one to bring
objective measure to the analysis of corporate performance from an online
customer’s perspective. It assigns a Customer Respect Index (CRI(TM)) on a
scale of 0 - 10 to each of the 1,000 web sites surveyed. The Customer
Respect Index is a qualitative and quantitative in-depth analysis and
independent measure of a customer’s online experience when interacting
with companies via the Internet.

“Customers often cite a lack of simplicity as a primary deterrent in
purchasing travel online, so Orbitz offers the resources that make the
experience fast, easy and convenient,” said Eliah Kahn, Orbitz vice
president of Customer Experience. “From our 24/7 Customer Care center that
notifies travelers about flight delays to our industry-leading, quick
response time to customer emails, Orbitz provides a superior user
experience.”

“Studies show that customers expect the same high level of responsiveness
online as they do from a brick-and-mortar service provider,” said Roger
Fairchild, president of The Customer Respect Group. “While many companies
surveyed did not perform well in this area, Orbitz displayed a superior
commitment to its customers by providing quick and thorough responses to
online inquiries. We also applaud Orbitz for its customer-centric privacy
and personal data policies.”
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