Brandtree

Who owns Orbitz?

Orbitz is owned by Expedia Group (the United States, NASDAQ: EXPE), which acquired the brand on 17 September 2015, as part of a $1.6 billion deal that also included ebookers and CheapTickets.[1][2] Orbitz was founded in 2001 in Chicago, Illinois and was independent until 2015.

Evidence: Expedia Group, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-13, SEC EDGAR, 13 February 2026. Verified from filings; last checked .

Key facts

Current owner
Expedia Group, Inc. verified
Owned since
· deal details
Deal price (whole deal)
$1.6 billion (enterprise value) for 3 brands
Previous owner
Independent (2001–2015)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, Seattle, Washington
Origin
🇺🇸 United States, Chicago, Illinois
Founded
2001
Category
Internet & digital › Online travel › Online travel agencies
Parent ticker
NASDAQ: EXPE
Last verified
· 2 sources

About Orbitz

Orbitz was launched in 2001 by five American airlines as a joint venture intended to compete with the agencies selling their seats, an arrangement that drew antitrust scrutiny from the outset. Expedia acquired it in 2015 for about $1.6 billion, so the challenger became part of the incumbent.

How often Expedia Group names Orbitz in its annual report

A plain count of the times the name appears in the text of each annual report, not counting the start of a sentence. A brand that an owner writes about more is usually one it treats as central. The brand is named less often than it was three years earlier.

Annual report filedTimes Orbitz is named
20263
20256
202411

Ownership timeline of Orbitz

Owners of Orbitz over 2001 to 2026 Expedia Group 2015–present Expedia Group 20052010201520202025
  1. 2015 – present Expedia Group — acquired 17 September 2015 [1][2] verified

Where Orbitz sits in Expedia Group

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Orbitz sits in Expedia Group Tree of 9 brands under Expedia Group. Expedia Group Orbitz CheapTickets ebookers Expedia Hotels.com Hotwire and 3 more

Open the full Expedia Group ownership tree →

See the full Expedia Group brand portfolio (9) →

Other brands owned by Expedia Group

Expedia Group controls 9 brands on Brandtree, 9 of them in internet & digital.

Also in internet & digital

All Expedia Group brands →

Other brands in online travel agencies, and who owns them

Expedia Group has more brands in online travel agencies on Brandtree than any other owner: 7 of 42.

BrandOwnerOwner based in
Corporate Traveller Flight Centre Travel Group 🇦🇺 Australia
Bravofly lastminute.com Group 🇳🇱 Netherlands
Agoda Booking Holdings 🇺🇸 United States
eDreams eDreams ODIGEO 🇪🇸 Spain
Goibibo MakeMyTrip 🇮🇳 India
Kurz Mal Weg HomeToGo 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
Ctrip Trip.com Group 🇨🇳 China
Cozmo Travel Air Arabia 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

Every brand in online travel agencies and its owner →

About the owner: Expedia Group

Expedia Group is a publicly listed company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States, founded in 1996. Brandtree records 9 brands under its control, and it is listed as NASDAQ: EXPE.

Expedia began in 1996 as a division of Microsoft, was spun out in 1999, and passed through Barry Diller's IAC before becoming independent again in 2005. It owns most of the American online travel brands that appear to compete with each other, which is why comparing Expedia against Hotels.com and Orbitz compares three products from one company.

Expedia Group: full profile, brands and acquisition history →

🇺🇸 Orbitz and other American brands

Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,549 brands that began in the United States. 478 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Orbitz is not one of them.

All American brands and who owns them →

Deals involving Orbitz

Acquisition closed

Expedia Group acquires Orbitz, ebookers and CheapTickets

Expedia acquired Orbitz Worldwide for $12 per share in cash, about $1.6 billion including debt. The United States Department of Justice closed its review without challenge, concluding the merged firm would still face competition from Priceline and from hotels selling direct.

Value
$1.6bn
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Orbitz?

The parent company of Orbitz is Expedia Group, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is Orbitz American?

Yes. Orbitz originated in the United States in 2001 and its owner, Expedia Group, is also headquartered in the United States.

When did Expedia Group buy Orbitz?

Expedia Group completed its acquisition of Orbitz on 17 September 2015, after announcing the deal on 12 February 2015. The deal, which also included ebookers and CheapTickets, was valued at $1.6 billion (enterprise value).

Who owned Orbitz before Expedia Group?

Orbitz was an independent company from its founding in 2001 in Chicago, Illinois until Expedia Group acquired it in 2015.

Is Orbitz still owned by Expedia Group?

Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Orbitz is still owned by Expedia Group. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Expedia Group, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-13 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 13 February 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
  2. [2] Expedia, Inc. Form 8-K — completion of Orbitz Worldwide acquisition — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 8-K, published 17 September 2015; retrieved 16 September 2026.

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