Site name: Orbitz URL: www.orbitz.com Background information: Orbitz is an online travel company offering leisure and business travelers a wide selection of low airfares as well as deals on lodging, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages, and other travel. The site was created to address consumers’ need for an unbiased, comprehensive display of fares and rates in a single location.

Site name: CheapTickets.com URL: www.cheaptickets.com Background information: CheapTickets is a leading seller of discounted leisure travel products online through its Web site. CheapTickets provides consumers access to its collection of airfares and discounted travel products to include hotel accommodations, cruises, rental cars, vacation packages, condo rentals, and

“Last Minute Trips.”

Site name: Travelocity URL: www.travelocity.com Background information: Travelocity is an online travel company featuring deals on flights, hotels, cars/rail, cruises, last-minute packages, and a variety of vacation activities.

Site name: Expedia URL: www.expedia.com

Background information: Expedia delivers consumers everything they need for researching, planning, and purchasing a whole trip. The company provides direct access to one of the broadest selections of travel products and services to include airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rental, cruises, and many other in-destination services from a broad selection of partners worldwide.
Exercises:

a. Describe the services these Web sites provide as compared with the services of a travel agency.

b. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using these Web sites versus using a travel agency to plan a trip?

c. What role do these Web sites play in the overall travel/tourism distribution system?