Orbitz started as a project of five big American airlines that wanted their own answer to Expedia and Travelocity. The site sold flights, hotels and vacation packages online. By 2007 Orbitz Worldwide also included ebookers in Europe and HotelClub in Asia Pacific. It was one of the largest online travel companies in the world, and a generation of travelers knew its name.

Five Airlines, One Website

The airlines formed the company in 1999 and launched the site in 2001. Their bet was that, together, they could sell their own tickets online more cheaply than through outside agents. Orbitz won customers with a fast search engine and a clear display of fares. Cendant bought Orbitz in 2004. In 2006 Blackstone bought Cendant's travel arm, Travelport, which later spun Orbitz Worldwide out to the public.

Bought by Its Old Rival

Orbitz Worldwide priced its IPO at $15 a share in July 2007 on the New York Stock Exchange. The recession and heavy debt soon pressed on the business, and the stock fell far below its offering price. In 2015 Expedia bought Orbitz for about $1.6 billion. The airlines' answer to Expedia now belonged to Expedia. Orbitz kept running as a separate brand there, alongside Travelocity and CheapTickets.

Cover: The Great Halley's Comet, José Guadalupe Posada. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a comet (orbit).