Orbitz was started when five airlines - American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United - came together to develop a travel website that would serve people better. Their goal was to provide a place for convenient, one-stop shopping for low-priced airfares. Consumers can get substantially discounted hotel rates at luxury hotels as well as discount hotels.

Orbitz.com has become so proficient at what they do that their competitors are crying foul. They contend that Orbitz is a thinly veiled attempt to monopolize online ticket sales. Orbitz critics such as Travelocity and Expedia contend that Orbitz has an unfair advantage because the founding airlines offer their best deals exclusively on Orbitz. Officials at Qrbitz deny these charges

Orbitz Search Engine

The Orbitz search engine is the ITA Software Flight Search Engine, developed by computer scientists from the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Orbitz  search engine makes it easy to find the lowest fares on more than 455 airlines.

 Orbitz' inventory includes more than 455 airlines, 65,000 lodging properties and 23 rental car companies. Orbitz search results are presented in an easy-to-use matrix that don't won't favor or promote a specific travel provider, allowing you to easily identify and select the price and supplier that best meets your needs.