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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Travelocity redesigns its homepage
http://www.eyefortravel.com/news/north-america/travelocity-unveils-new-homepage

Faisal Galaria, European Managing Director for Kayak quits the company
Galaria would not comment on his sudden departure from Kayak except to say there was a “difference of opinion over the direction of the company”. The company has grown primarily through word-of-mouth, keyword buying and PR in the UK since its launch.

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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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Expedia (temporarily) eliminates booking fees
After the successful move by Priceline in 2007 to eliminate booking fees and disappointing sales in Q4’08, Expedia follows suit and also eliminates booking fees.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090311/online_travel_companies_sector_snap.html?.v=1

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