Orbitz for Agents to Pay Travel Agents Commissions

Orbitz is launching a groundbreaking program that offers travel agents the opportunity to earn commissions on hotel reservations and customized travel package bookings made on behalf of their customers using the Orbitz for Agents website.

The Orbitz for Agents program gives travel agents a broad range of hotel options around the world, including promotional rates on thousands of properties. The Orbitz for Agents program also allows travel agents to create customized travel packages (e.g. flight+hotel, flight+hotel+car, hotel+car) that can bring customers significant additional savings.

“By pricing the airline ticket and hotel room as a package, Orbitz for Agents is able to give customers access to highly discounted rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms and car rentals that airlines, hotels and car rental companies would not allow us to offer for booking separately,” Orbitz says.

"Orbitz for Agents is an easy to use solution for travel agents to book hotels and customized travel packages while earning extremely competitive commissions," said Ronnie Gurion, president, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution. "Orbitz for Agents also gives travel agents the ability to set and charge service fees on a transaction by transaction basis."

Standard commission rates include 10 percent for hotel reservations and 4 percent for travel package bookings. The first 500 travel agents to sign up and make their first booking on www.orbitzforagents.com by March 15, 2010 will earn higher commissions on hotel and travel packages through March 31, 2011. Promotional terms include 12 percent for hotel reservations and 5 percent for travel package bookings.

Commission percentages are based on gross booking amounts, excluding taxes and fees. All travel package bookings must include a hotel component. Additional terms are available on www.orbitzforagents.com.

Since launching its website to the general public in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the largest online travel sites in the world and has launched 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.

What's your opinion on this? Is this a new opportunity for agents? Some may say so but we've already seen one fan of our Facebook page say she has "better resources."

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