Orbitz Pledges $25,000 in Travel to Vacation Party Nominee

CHICAGO, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Vacations are 100 percent awesome, yet only 57 percent of Americans take all of their vacation time. With the 2012 election campaign in full swing, Orbitz has founded the Vacation Party to secure Americans' vacation rights.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070813/AQM125LOGO)

"In a Vacation Party survey of the electorate, 41 percent said that the current presidential candidates are not pro-vacation," said Chris Orton, president of Orbitz.com. "Orbitz is seeking a Vacation Party candidate who will help us preserve the greatness of travel for future generations. And we're prepared to back that candidate with a contribution of $25,000 in travel."

Orbitz is looking for a leader of the Vacation Party who will cut the vacation deficit, provide universal access to beachfront views, and fill hotel rooms from sea to shining sea. The winning candidate will be chosen via Facebook election. 

Candidates for the Orbitz Vacation Party nomination can enter the contest by following these simple steps:¹

1. Make a 60 second video to persuade voters why they should lead the Orbitz Vacation Party by August 27, 2012.  Visit the Orbitz Vacation Party headquarters at www.orbitzvacationparty.com to get a creative brief and starter kit detailing video guidelines, and upload a video.
2. An expert panel of judges will narrow down entries to three finalists based on entertainment value, persuasiveness, fit to brand and interview performance.
3. Orbitz will open voting to the general public from September 6 – 19, 2012.

The top three candidates who have what it takes to vacation tirelessly on behalf of the Orbitz Vacation Party stand to win:

• Grand Prize: $25,000 in free travel, plus be named the 2012 Orbitz Vacation Party candidate
• First Prize: $5,000 in free travel
• Second Prize: $2,500 in free travel

Orbitz will announce the winners on or about September 25, 2012 and the creator of the winning video will be named the Orbitz Vacation Party candidate, and will campaign for the Vacation Party in some fabulous vacation destinations in the weeks leading up to the November general election.  

Candidates are free to use the results of the Orbitz Vacation Party nationwide survey of travelers, which include²:

• 65% of Americans said the 2012 presidential candidates should make time for a vacation during an election year
• Nearly 40% of respondents noted that if they were the Vacation Party candidate, the first Vacation Bill they would pass would be to provide budget-friendly vacation options for all
• The majority of Americans said that, if given a choice, they would declare New Year's Eve (30%) and  the first day of summer (27%) new national holidays
• 64% of survey respondents said two to three weeks should be the minimum amount of vacation time Americans receive

Terms & Conditions:
¹No purchase necessary. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.), 21 and older who did not purchase any equipment for purposes of entering the promotion. Void where prohibited. For Official Rules and complete details, visit www.OrbitzVacationParty.com.
²The Orbitz Vacation Party survey was fielded via insightexpress from July 10-14, 2012 and was completed by 752 U.S. travelers 18 and older that have taken a trip in the last twelve months.

About Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for and book an array of travel products and services, including flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. Since launching its website 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 the Orbitz Matrix Display and Orbitz Price Assurance. The Matrix Display revolutionized the way the travel industry displayed fares and makes it quick and easy for consumers to compare flights, rental cars and vacation packages. Orbitz.com also offers "Insider Steals" a weekly, members-only flash sale that provides exclusive deals of 50% or more off of handpicked hotels in top destinations around the world. On Orbitz.com consumers can search a broad range of suppliers worldwide. Orbitz.com is owned by Orbitz Worldwide. Stay connected to Orbitz.com with sale alerts, exclusive promotions and engaging conversations by following Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and the Orbitz Travel Blog.

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, CheapTickets, ebookers, HotelClub, RatesToGo and the Away Network. Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world's largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations. Orbitz Worldwide uses its Investor Relations website to make information available to its investors and the public at http://investors.orbitz.com. You can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the company posts new information to the website.

SOURCE Orbitz.com