ORBITZ : Your Online One Stop Travel Shop
Written: Jun 11 '01 (Updated Jun 11 '01)
The Bottom Line
is that Orbitz offers one stop travel planning for online travelers. Their site is one of the most comprehensive travel sites available.
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Orbitz claims to be able to search over two billion travel possibilities in just a matter of seconds, with the most web-only fares available. I had used other travel sites and figured they were all about the same but I was wrong. Orbitz was indeed impressive.
When you visit their site, the first thing you notice is the Orbot flight search, which is the interface for your travel search. Simply enter your destination information, selected time of departure, date of travel, how many traveling, and whether you want non-stop.
Planning Your Travel
We are planning a trip to San Francisco in July so I entered:
Leaving Kansas City on July 13th to return from San Francisco on July 22 with no specified times of travel and no specifications on how many stops. There will be two adults.
In just a matter of seconds, I received flight and fare information from ten different airlines with prices starting at $227.00 and up. For two adults on a non-stop flight to San Francisco, it would be $453.00. After deciding which fare is the best, you simply click on the 'select' button and at this point you must register with the Orbitz site to go any further in your travel plans. The registration took just a minute or so and only required the most basic information including name, e-mail address, security question, and closest airport in your city. The best part is that by simply registering, you are automatically entered in their 'travel getaway'.
To continue processing your travel plans, they request the travelers names and information. You are asked if you have a seating preference, special meal requirements, handicapped access, and frequent flyer information. The nice thing about this feature is the information is quite detailed so they have all the necessary information on each passenger. For example, the meal selection gives you a number of options to specify any special needs including Muslim, diabetic, Kosher, or vegetarian meals.
Once you have entered all the traveler information, you are then prompted for your credit card information. If you have used the service before, you may have selected the option to have this information stored for easy access on your next planned travel.
Through Orbitz, you can select either e-tickets or paper tickets. If you prefer to have paper tickets delivered to your door then there is a charge for processing/shipping starting at $10.00.
Prior to processing your tickets, it is strongly recommended that you read the 'flight fare rules' because there are some fairly strict guidelines regarding cancellations and changes. According to their rules, tickets are nonrefundable/nontransferable/ nonexchangeable. Any changes made to the tickets will be charged at $100.00. The list of rules and restrictions is fairly lengthy but you will want to make sure and read everything before finalizing your purchase.
Other Services
Not only does Orbitz offer the ability to search airline fares but you also have the option to search hotels, rental cars, cruises, packages, and also the deals section, which lists their current specials.
One of the more impressive features about the Orbitz site is the Travel Care section, which offers an abundance of information including tips on planning, updates on travel conditions, must know information about your destination, and the 3-hour notifications. The notification system will alert you 3 hours before your scheduled flight via voicemail, fax, e-mail, or paging unit to offer reminders of your flight time, airline name, departure time, and more. This is a very useful feature to busy travelers.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, the Orbitz travel planning site is one of the more organized, easy to navigate, and comprehensive sites available online. To gain all the information I needed took less than five minutes.
Orbitz has an impressive list of partners including most of the major airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies. With so many solid partnerships, it isn't a wonder that the site is able to offer such detailed information and decent fares.
Orbitz covers everything you need to know about your travel destination with their travel watch system. They take care of their customers from start to finish, allowing the user to store all the information for any upcoming travel plans. When you book reservations with Orbitz, you can be sure that they are guiding you through everything from start to finish.
Although other travel sites have offered similar information and services, few offer everything in one stop. Orbitz is definitely your one stop shop for travel.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Pamela
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Reviews written: 211
Trusted by: 372 members
About Me: "Good lord, who Jiffy-popped her head?"
- Karen from Will and Grace
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