Online travel company Expedia announced Thursday that it has acquired Orbitz Worldwide Inc. for $1.3 billion.
It’s the latest step in Expedia’s takeover of the travel industry. In January, the company agreed to buy SabreCorp. ’s Travelocity brand for $280 million, in a effort to glean denser customer base.
“We are attracted to the Orbitz Worldwide business because of its strong brands and impressive team. This acquisition will allow us to deliver best-in-class experiences to an even wider set of travelers all over the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, president and chief executive officer, Expedia, Inc. in the press release. “From the flagship Orbitz.com brand, to other well-known consumer brands such as CheapTickets, ebookers and HotelClub and the business-to-business brands Orbitz Partner Network and Orbitz for Business, the Orbitz Worldwide team has built a devoted customer base and we look forward to welcoming them to the Expedia, Inc. family.”
The Expedia “family” is growing at a rampant pace. With Thursday’s purchase Expedia has now, in less than a month’s time, bought two of its biggest competitors.
“With the Orbitz acquisition, Expedia would become the biggest player in the travel retail area with a market share of over 6%, according to information from Euromonitor International. This puts it back in the lead, over rival Priceline.com Inc.,” reports The Wall Street Journal.