Rumor: Kayak and Orbitz considering a merger?
Orbitz is owned by the Travelport, a unit of Blackstone Group and is also a publicly traded company. Other companies that Blackstone’s Travelport unit holds include:
• Galileo, Worldspan, Apollo (GDSes); G2SwitchWorks (GNE);
• Orbitz (mainstream OTA); CheapTickets (discount OTA); eBookers (European OTA); Orbitz RoadWarrior (business travel); Away Network (luxury travel);
• Octopus Travel, HotelClub, RatesToGo (hotel bookings);
• Gullivers Travel Associates a.k.a. GTA (hotel wholesaler);
• Hilton hotels, La Quinta Inns & Suites (hotel chains)

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Exploring Copenhagen
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/08/01/cph.see/index.html

CNN: Making the most of Manila’s chaotic charm
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/05/24.manila/index.html

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Lessno partner, Partners Software extends distribution deal with easyJet
Partners Software has extended the remit of its successful cooperation deal with easyJet, Europe’s 4th largest airline. The new agreement gives the German travel software business preferred rights to manage connections between approved travel agents and booking engine suppliers to the easyJet reservation system.
http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/31017-Partners-Software-extends-deal-with-easyJet

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Orbitz cuts hotel fees, launches hotel price match program
Orbitz has reduced its fees for all hotel bookings through July 15. The move is similar to a recent round of airfare fee cuts from Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity, which were aimed at jump-starting sluggish air bookings. Orbitz also boasts that it will show you the full price of your booking up front, which it claims no other online travel agent (OTA) does. Orbitz also expanded its Price Assurance program to include hotels, meaning Orbitz customers can receive a cash refund if another Orbitz customer books the same stay at a lower price. That sounds great, and it is, but keep in mind that the lower price must be for the exact same check-in/check-out dates and room class, and an Orbitz customer must actually book that lower rate. If the rate is available but no one books your exact stay, no dice.

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Kayak introduces Custom Airports functionality
Blog announcement: http://blog.kayak.com/2009/04/30/custom-airports-seriously/

Chinese travel search engine Baidu to launch a travel page
Chinese search engine provider Baidu.com has formally launched a travel page at lvyou.baidu.com in time for the Labor Day holiday to provide travel information collection services. Lvyou.baidu.com is more like a topic page, covering information about hot tourist destinations, scenic spots photos, hot travel agencies and travel news focus, aggregating partial contents of Baidu.com and Baidu Knows (zhidao.baidu.com) to bring more convenience to Baidu’s users.
http://www.chinatechnews.com/2009/04/28/9660-chinese-travel-search-engine-baiducom-launches-travel-page/

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