Orbitz Review

www.orbitz.com

Overall 2.69 of 5 view all 16 reviews

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Publisher's Circle

LauraBelle
South Elgin, IL

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Taking the hassle out of traveling

Budget-Conscious, Internet User, a family traveler

Pros

Easy to Use, Always Improving, All the Info in One Place, Only Travel Tool I Need

Cons

None

MAR

2007

Intro
I've been using the internet travel service orbitz.com since 2003, which during that time, it was somewhat revolutionary. Now, it may not be as so, but it still keeps me satisfied enough that I don't need to go searching elsewhere. Looking for cheap flights that met with my desired times to fly, I used to check all the travel sites, all the airlines, etc. But once I checked into Orbitz, and it gave me not only exactly what I wanted, but the added little benefits as well, such as my own personal space there, I stayed.

Flights
The primary reason I use orbitz.com is to check for flights. Each time I use it, they seem to have made more and more improvements over the last time. Not that we even travel that much, as it's pretty much confined to a yearly trip to Florida to see my in-laws, and an occasional trip to New Orleans for a long adults only weekend, but we haven't been there since Katrina. And when we traveled to Acapulco, it was graciously arranged and paid for by my parents. The calendar function seems to get easier to use every year, as when you're booking ahead, it's hard to remember dates, which day of the week the 19th falls on, etc. After just putting in the basic info, such as the to and from, the dates, and how many passengers, I'm presented with a list of prices and options, nonstop or one-stop, airlines, etc. I can choose to organize the findings by price, departure time, or shortest flight. Sometimes it even warns you if there are only a few tickets left at that price, just so you can grab it while you're there, otherwise you're likely to lose it if you leave and come back.

This most recent time I used orbitz.com, just this past weekend, I was searching for flights to see my in-laws in June. Traveling during Spring Break seems to have gotten very unaffordable. Not only did I find several one-stop flights for $118, not including the taxes and fees, I also found one nonstop for the same price. That's right. Nonstop from Chicago-O'Hare to Orlando for $118 on a red-eye. I played around choosing different date options, keeping my same criteria, but changing the day we were leaving and the day we were coming back. By the time I was done, I found the nonstop flight for $118, traveling from a Monday to a Tuesday the following week. We normally like to spend a few more days there than that, but who could pass up a bargain like that? That was $569.16 out the door. We decided we wouldn't even be able to drive there for that price with the price of gas what it is.

Hotels and Cars
I've used ortbitz.com to book hotels and cars as well. We stay with my in-laws when we travel to Florida, so I don't need hotel accommodations then, but I've traveled to hotels for a weekend trip "with the girls," or for a wedding. Booking a hotel through orbitz.com is just as easy as booking a flight, as is booking a car. And after booking your flight, you're presented with the option of booking a hotel, car, theme park tickets, transportation to the airport, etc. It's more or less one-stop shopping for travel.

The Best Part
The best feature I can find with orbitz.com is it allows me my own little travel area. It shows me the weather in my little corner of the world, and will also show me the weather where I'm traveling or anywhere else I choose. It also has on file all the trips I have booked through orbitz.com. Just yesterday we were wondering when the last time we flew United was, and checked through our past trips on the site to find out. I can check our whole itinerary, including with whom we traveled, our ticket numbers, and our total cost. And last year, I remember thinking we got a good deal, and we paid nearly $200 more altogether than this time. They also have a handy feature called TLC. They will place a call to your cell phone or an email to your PDA at a specified time before your flight, letting you know if you're on schedule.

Traveling with kids is tough enough, and with orbitz.com, they seem to take care of more things, so I don't have to.