U.S. Online Travel Agencies 3Q15: And Then There Were Two

Consolidation continued in the world’s largest online travel market, the U.S., as Expedia formalized its US$1.6 billion acquisition of Orbitz in September 2015. With Travelocity and Orbitz now in tow, Expedia has cornered the domestic online travel sector, firming its stance against its lone direct competitor, Priceline. Overseas, a stronger dollar remains a deterrent to OTA growth. In 3Q15, total U.S. public OTA gross bookings increased 2% year over year.