CHICAGO, May 1, 2013 - More than half of all business travelers saved their company money by booking air travel at least 14 days in advance and 98 percent of all hotel rooms booked cost less than $165 per night, according to an Orbitz for Business analysis of business travel trends from the first quarter of 2013.
As employers work to enforce compliance with corporate travel policies that manage airfare expenses, 53 percent of all Orbitz for Business travelers booked airfare with at least 14 days advance notice in the first quarter of 2013, taking advantage of lower prices and more options for available fares and schedules.
| Advance Purchase* | Average Fare | % Segments Booked |
| > 21 days | $182.88 | 32% |
| 14-21 days | $192.02 | 21% |
| 7-13 days | $222.65 | 26% |
| 4-6 days | $281.46 | 16% |
| 0-3 days | $299.04 | 5% |
*Travel booked without a Saturday stay
Looking at overall domestic air travel across companies at every spend level in the first quarter of 2013, Orbitz for Business travelers saw a 2.9 percent drop in the average ticket cost as compared to the first quarter of 2012. International air travel savings were even more significant, as the average ticket cost dropped 15.9 percent in a year-over-year comparison of the first quarter. Additional data provided by Travel GPA, which delivers real-time travel policy and benchmarking analysis based on statistics from over 40,000 companies, shows that industry-wide cost savings were smaller than those experienced by Orbitz for Business travelers, with a 1.7 percent drop year-over-year in the average cost of a domestic ticket and just a 3.6 percent drop for international on a year-over-year basis.
"We work with our customers to implement travel management strategies that drive cost savings," said Mark Walton, Orbitz for Business vice president of strategy and account management. "Establishing corporate policies that encourage advance purchase behavior is one example, and our strong supplier relationships give companies the advantage of pricing that beats the industry average. It's encouraging that this data supports our initiatives to save companies money on their overall travel spend."
Mobile usage was another area of note in the first quarter of 2013, as travel bookings made using the Orbitz for Business mobile tool grew 67 percent overall in a year-over-year comparison with the first quarter of 2012. More specifically, rental car bookings on a mobile device increased 112 percent year-over-year, air bookings on a mobile device increased 89 percent and hotel bookings on a mobile device increased 46 percent for the same period. These numbers demonstrate that travelers rely on mobile devices for more than just check-in capabilities and itinerary management - they increasingly depend upon a mobile solution at all stages of business travel, including the booking process.
Other notable findings include:
Hotel Tiers
The vast majority of Orbitz for Business travelers - 86 percent - booked rooms in the upper upscale, upscale and upper midscale categories of properties while spending less than $165 per night on average in the first quarter of 2013:
| Hotel Tier | Average Cost per Night | % Room Nights Booked |
| Luxury | $207.83 | 2% |
| Upper Upscale | $161.85 | 33% |
| Upscale | $138.21 | 29% |
| Upper Midscale | $114.02 | 24% |
| Midscale | $99.38 | 9% |
| Economy | $81.19 | 2% |
Top Cities
Among Orbitz for Business customers traveling domestically, 59 percent of the top five air segments ended at O'Hare International Airport - making Chicago the most common business travel destination in the group:
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New York (LaGuardia) to Chicago (O'Hare)
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Atlanta to Newark
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Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago (O'Hare)
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Dallas/Fort Worth to Newark
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Newark to Chicago (O'Hare)
Likewise, Chicago ranked first in number of room nights stayed by Orbitz for Business travelers, followed by New York, Houston, Denver and San Francisco:
| City | Average Cost per Stay | Average Cost per Night |
| Chicago | $343.53 | $165.58 |
| New York | $532.92 | $278.70 |
| Houston | $316.33 | $160.83 |
| Denver | $278.17 | $133.32 |
| San Francisco | $468.12 | $211.95 |
About Orbitz for Business
Orbitz for Business is the corporate travel brand of Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW). Launched in 2002, Orbitz for Business offers a complete portfolio of global business travel products and services that help corporate customers plan, search and book travel. Orbitz for Business leverages Orbitz Worldwide technology, customized for corporate travelers. In addition to its leading technology, Orbitz for Business delivers full service, cost effective travel management solutions including 24/7 customer support; expense reporting and policy management tools; and comprehensive choice in travel inventory.
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to search for, plan and book a broad range of travel products and services including airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com) and HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (www.orbitz.com/OPN) delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world's largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations.
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Media contacts:
Orbitz Worldwide
Tim Enstice
+1 312-894-4721
tim.enstice@orbitz.com
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Source: Orbitz Worldwide Inc. via Thomson Reuters ONE
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