Orbitz Enters into Agreement with Hotwire to Provide Specially Negotiated Fares and Hotel Rates - Brief Article

Information Superhighways Newsletter, August, 2001

Orbitz, an on-line travel site backed by the airlines, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hotwire, the discount travel site, to offer Orbitz customers an even wider array of low prices through the addition of specially negotiated airfares and hotel rates aimed at travelers with flexible plans.

Via a link on the Orbitz site, consumers will be able to directly access Hotwire's Hot-Fares and Hot-Rates that are well below published prices. In addition, Hotwire customers who want to pick precise fight times and choose from multiple carriers and flight options will be able to access Orbitz via a link on the Hotwire site.

The co-marketing agreement is designed to save consumers time and money by allowing them to move seamlessly between Orbitz and Hotwire for shopping and booking travel. Hotwire will be the opaque booking engine for Orbitz and Orbitz will serve as the non-opaque booking engine for Hotwire.

Both companies will continue to function independently. By linking to each other, Orbitz and Hotwire will make it even simpler for consumers to find the best fares, while benefiting from each others' market strengths.