orbitz

Low Latency No. 29: The not-so-friendly skies

Is it wrong of Orbitz to be pushing higher prices on Mac users? Of course not. The travel agency can do whatever it wants, and if it's found that Mac users spend more money on vacations, the agency's well within its rights to serve them more expensive trip results. And let's be honest, there are plenty of people who buy a Mac for all of the wrong reasons, ultimately overpaying on a machine that's only going to be browsing Facebook.

On the other hand, there's no denying that Apple products have earned a solid reputation in terms of build quality and reliability. This has trickled over into the buying psychology of customers. If people are convinced paying more will get them a product that they will be satisfied with, the same mentality can be applied to spending more on a vacation to ensure a better time. Don't hate Orbitz for figuring that out.… Read more

How to outfox Web sites trying to get you to pay top dollar

So, Orbitz has spilled the beans, well some of them, and says it in essence up-sells to people based on which browser they use.

The site told The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that it discovered that Mac users tend to pay as much as 30 percent more for hotel rooms. (Well, they are paying a premium for the computer too so it's not that surprising, although $20 to $30 more is significant.) Leveraging that information, Orbitz decided to experiment with displaying pricier hotels in search results to Mac users than to Windows users. Before you get too miffed, … Read more

Time to target those rich Mac users

Today's headline roundup will have you worried about Terminator cats targeting rich Mac users via their Facebook email addresses:

The engineers at the super secret Google X lab have created the self-driving car and the augmented reality Google glasses. This time, while trying to push the limits of technology, they may have started to create Skynet. Google engineers strung 16,000 computer processors together, and then set the network free on the Internet. The New York Times explains that the system began to learn... about cats. Google engineers never told the computer what a cat was, it just picked … Read more

The 404 1,082: Where it's rude to point (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Scumbag Facebook changes your e-mail address on the sly.

- HBO teases Sorkin's 'Newsroom' pilot for free on YouTube.

- Winamp history lesson of the day: how the greatest MP3 player undid itself.

- Orbitz capitalizes on Mac users to boost online business.

- A first look at the new Star Trek Communicator app!… Read more

Mac users pay more than PC users, says Orbitz

Apple customers are known to pay a premium for their Macs, strong design, and integrated software. Apparently, Mac users will also shell out more for hotel rooms too.

According to the Wall Street Journal, travel site Orbitz has been able to segment its audience in Apple and Windows camps. The upshot: Mac users will pay $20 to $30 a night more on hotels than PC users.

The Journal noted:

The sort of targeting undertaken by Orbitz is likely to become more commonplace as online retailers scramble to identify new ways in which people's browsing data can be used to … Read more

Kayak, a travel agent in your pocket

If you need to book a hotel, flight, or rental car, or you just need a little advice before going on a trip, you should definitely check out Kayak.

Think of Kayak as a digital travel agent that searches through hundreds of different travel sites to help you book your trip. It searches through popular sites like Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz, all at the same time, and gives you current rates and itineraries that can all be booked in just a few clicks. In addition, Kayak offers convenient travel tools like a packing list, currency converter, and airport information, all … Read more

Beware of Orbitz and 'deceptive' practices

commentary Frequent fliers beware. Consider this a sort of travel warning.

Orbitz, the beleaguered service that aggregates air and hotel fare so users can compare prices via the Web, has again been caught trying to dupe customers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Monday that Orbitz was hit with a $60,000 fine for violating rules prohibiting "deceptive price advertising." Seems the DOT imposes rules on how airfare prices can be displayed online. Orbitz and rivals, such as Travelocity and Expedia, are required to post the full price of an airline ticket in their ads. … Read more

Less agonizing travel search with Hipmunk

Whether you're a novice traveler or a frequent flyer, the Hipmunk travel search app should be a breeze to handle. Simply type in your destination and departure cities and select your travel dates. Then select Coach, Business, or First class, and enter the number travelers. And that's it. The process is very similar to that of most travel apps and Web sites, plus it comes with some quick auto-complete suggestions, a super-smooth date selector, and uniquely visual interface.

After you fill in all the fields, Hipmunk goes off and searches through its database to bring up tons of … Read more

Find your next flight with Hipmunk iPhone app

A new iPhone app from Hipmunk aims to make it easier to find and book your next flight on the go.

Known for its travel search site, the Hipmunk crew just launched its first app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch crowd. Letting you find and compare all the available flights to your destination, the free app aims to help you choose the best one based on price, time, and other factors.

Taking the stage and wowing the crowds yesterday at the Launch 2011 event in San Francisco, the Hipmunk app is a snap to use.

Just enter your … Read more