Orbitz Launches 'Open Beach Guarantee' Giving Hotel Refunds for Florida Travelers

CHICAGO, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbitz customers with plans for a beach vacation along the Florida Gulf Coast this summer can rest easier.  Orbitz.com announced today its Open Beach Guarantee, developed in partnership with participating Florida hotels, which offers full refunds on standalone hotel reservations* if the beach at a customer's destination is closed due to the oil spill.

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"We are closely monitoring this environmental tragedy, and our first priority is to communicate timely, transparent information to our customers about the impact of the oil spill," said Barney Harford, president and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide.  "The Open Beach Guarantee offers peace of mind to our travelers planning a trip to the Gulf Coast.  While our initial focus is Florida, we are working with hotel partners to quickly extend this guarantee to other Gulf Coast beach destinations."

Under the Guarantee, customers who make a standalone hotel booking* at a participating property on Orbitz.com for travel between June 14 and July 31, 2010, will be eligible for a full refund on their hotel stay if a government agency closes a beach within 20 miles of the property or declares it dangerous.  

Orbitz also launched a new resource center for travelers seeking up-to-date information about the oil spill and its impact along the Gulf of Mexico. Travelers can find daily updates from the Orbitz Care Center team, detailed trajectory maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), local volunteer opportunities, and links to government and tourism websites.

For more details on the Open Beach Guarantee and participating hotels, or to access the Oil Spill Resource Center, visit www.orbitz.com/oil.  

Terms & Conditions:

*To be eligible, customers must have booked a standalone hotel reservation (not part of a package) with a participating property on Orbitz for a stay from June 14 through July 31, 2010. Hotels booked as part of a vacation package are not eligible for refund.  A customer may request a refund from Orbitz for any unused hotel nights if a government agency has declared a beach within 20 miles of the property closed or dangerous due to oil.  For a complete list of participating properties in which customers would be eligible for a refund if a standalone hotel reservation was made, visit: www.orbitz.com/oil.

About Orbitz.com

Orbitz.com (www.orbitz.com) is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for and book a broad array of travel products, including airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Since launching its Web site to the general public in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the largest online travel sites in the world and has led the industry with innovations including Flight Price Assurance, Hotel Price Assurance and Total Price hotel search results. On Orbitz.com consumers can search more than 80,000 suppliers worldwide including airlines, hotels and car rental companies. Orbitz.com is owned by Orbitz Worldwide.

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About Orbitz Worldwide

Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com), RatesToGo (www.ratestogo.com), the Away Network (www.away.com), and corporate travel brand Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com). For more information on partnership opportunities with Orbitz Worldwide, visit corp.orbitz.com.

SOURCE Orbitz.com