What do you think of Orbitz?

Wall Street Journal ^ | 10/3/02 | STEPHEN POWER

[stromsfriend]

WASHINGTON -- In this town where money talks, lobbyists long have known that campaign cash can help secure a lawmaker's vote. But can money be used to frame a policy debate?

The nation's air carriers are battling it out with online travel agents over Orbitz, the airline-industry-funded system that rivals fear could give airlines an unfair edge in selling tickets via the Internet. But the adversaries are going far beyond the usual tactics of pressuring lawmakers through campaign contributions and Capitol Hill lobbying. In the Orbitz fight, both sides are giving money to think tanks whose findings promote their viewpoints.

[L_Von_Mises]

Anyone that does not run a pop-up stopper these days is just plain crazy.

I can achieve the same results by making adjustments in my IE security settings and it doesn't cost me a dime. The only problem is that it removes some functionality from certain websites (javascript). My guess is that all those pop-up stoppers do is alter your security settings.

That said, I think the only people running pop-up adds anymore are Orbitz, NetFlix, online Casinos, and porn. It appears as though they are in good company. It is not just the fact that I get them, it is the fact that they are sending them that also pisses me off. It is the same mentality that assumes that by interrupting my dinner they can some how endear me into making a purchase from them.

[stromsfriend]

I don't like Orbits. They make you register just to look at more than one fair. Their fairs don’t include a $5-$7 fee of some kind that show on Travelocity, making them look cheaper until checkout time. I've found slightly better deals on Travelocity the last 2 times I used it. Plus I like the Travelocity interface better.

I think you are mistaken - Orbitz charges $5 per ticket, capped at $10 for ore than two - that's it. And maybe you missed it, but it has that $5 fee prominently displayed right next to the fare and adds them upfor you right there:

$320 airfare

$5 service fee

$325 trip cost

[mhking]

I wondered if anyone else had experiences with Orbitz....?

Personally, I think it tastes wretched - especially the Pineapple/Banana/Cherry/Coconut flavor...

Bleechh!

[paul51]

I've used orbitz countless times for flights and hotels. Whenever hunting for an airfare, I check out other sites, but orbitz has consistently given me the cheaper fare. Never had a problem

Likewise

[Keeper of the Turf]

Pop-up Stopper doesn't cost a dime either, and you lose no functionality.

[tje]

I use Orbitz and have found it to be excellent....

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Otherwise I use Hotwire.com if I am not concerned with keeping a time schedule. There you have to buy the the ticket before they tell you the flight times. You can say "no red-eye" flights, but you most assuredly will fly around 6AM. Unlike Priceline.com, where you have to bid on a ticket, they do tell you what the ticket will cost before you buy, they just don't tell you the flight time.

And, they're a rip if you fly with kids. No discounts, which means substantially larger fares. They don't tell you the airline, either, but using the method you listed, I checked Expedia and got the same fare as Hotwire listed, and found out it was AA. Went to AA's website, but the fare was still the same. Child discounts applied, though.

[N. Theknow]

And, they're a rip if you fly with kids.

I usually ship them via UPS.

[elfman2]

I don't recall the extra charges being displayed that early last time I looked, but I could be wrong. My wife told me that tickets were $10 less a few months back on Orbits, and it turned out that their service charge not being displayed early in the flight selection process was the whole difference.

Travelocity doesn't post two prices. Travelocity once screwed up my ticket, not purchasing it when promised, forcing me to pay a higher fair. After speaking to a manager, they paid the difference. I respect that - real customer service on an Internet discounter.