The online travel company Orbitz faced some major
headwinds last quarter. Rising fuel prices hiked the cost of
airline tickets, causing fourth-quarter domestic bookings to
drop along with revenue by 3 percent.
But in Thursday’s earnings announcement, CEO Barney
Harford raised his outlook for 2012 and told CNBC he expects
to move the revenue needle up by “high single
digits.”
“Airfare increases are a significant challenge for consumers. But we’re already seeing 14 percent growth in Orbitz hotel bookings in first six weeks of this year,” he said.
Harford’s strategy to reverse the revenue drop is largely based on people booking their flights and checking fares through their mobile devices.
“We’re really excited about mobile. Just a
couple weeks ago we launched the ‘Hotels by
Orbitz’ iPhone app, where you can book a hotel securely
in ‘three taps.’ It builds on the success
we’ve had on the iPad app,” he added.
Mobile now represents 12 percent of consumer searches on
Orbitz.com, and Harford intends to capitalize on that trend
by offering “steals and deals” exclusively for
mobile users.
Additionally, Hardford announced Orbitz will launch a
strategic partnership with American Express’
Amex Consumer
Travel Network in the second half of year.
Additional News: Orbitz Worldwide Inks Deal With United Continental
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