Vacations are 100 percent awesome, yet only 57 percent of Americans take all of their vacation time. With the 2012 election campaign in full swing, Orbitz has founded the Vacation Party to secure Americans’ vacation rights.

Orbitz announced today a re-launch of the popular Orbitz Flights, Hotels, Cars for iPhone App, adding major speed improvements, powerful sort and filtering capabilities and new mapping tools that better highlight exclusive, mobile-only hotel discounts. The completely rebuilt Orbitz app is the only fully native, streamlined in-app search and book experience for flights, hotel rooms and car rentals.

As the economy improves consumers are hitting the road and increasing their summer vacation budgets with 53 percent planning to spend more than $1,500 compared to 39 percent in 2011. Orbitz surveyed nearly 1,000 U.S. travelers about their summer travel plans and of those surveyed 77 percent are taking a vacation this summer with more than half (56 percent) planning to travel by car and 39 percent by air.

Travel fans are being given another chance to win 50 fabulous vacations at destinations around the world with the latest version of Orbitz.com’s Facebook sweepstakes Orbitz 50 Faves, a fun and free Facebook game.

Orbitz for Business, the corporate travel brand of Orbitz Worldwide, today announced a new partnership with Limos.com, the world’s largest online marketplace for private car services, adding over 2,000 local town car and limousine suppliers to complement its existing portfolio of leading car rental providers

An improving economy and a pent-up demand for travel resulted in a strong year in 2011 for the travel industry and a bright outlook for 2012 with London, Austin and Chicago projected to be among the top destinations this year. Orbitz today released its “Look Back, Look Ahead” Insider Index, examining 2011 travel and projecting top destinations and travel trends for the year ahead.