"South America: Quest for Wonder" Premieres on Public Television

CHICAGO, Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "South America: Quest for Wonder," the first episode in award-winning travel journalist/producer Richard Bangs' "Quest Series," premieres this week on public television stations across the United States.  Produced in partnership with Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW), "South America: Quest for Wonder" is a groundbreaking integration of television and the web that takes viewers to geographic and cultural landmarks served by LAN Airlines and its affiliates, part of the LATAM Airlines Group, and inspires travelers with a rich library of adventure travel content that Richard Bangs created exclusively for Orbitz.com.  Viewers will then be able to replicate the travel adventures seen on television through activities, packages, accommodations and flight arrangements available on Orbitz.com.

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The hour-long episode first aired Monday in several markets including Philadelphia, giving public television viewers and Orbitz.com visitors an opportunity to be inspired by iconic, world famous destinations such as Easter Island, the Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands.  "South America: Quest for Wonder" also airs this week on public television stations in Atlanta, Miami, Denver, Seattle and San Francisco, followed by New York City and dozens of additional markets in the coming weeks and months.

"This has been a passion project for me, so I am thrilled to finally share the captivating stories and stunning visuals of 'South America: Quest for Wonder' with public television viewers across the country," said Richard Bangs, host and producer of the "Quest Series."  "Travelers who are inspired by the program to explore these destinations for themselves can take advantage of rich trip planning resources available at Orbitz.com/SouthAmerica to book their own adventure."

"We are connecting South America to the world, and through partnerships like this with Richard Bangs and Orbitz, the LATAM Airlines Group and the airlines that comprise it are dedicated to putting South America on the radar of U.S. travelers and showing our unparalleled network of connectivity to over 108 destinations in the region including Iguazu Falls, Easter Island, Cuzco (Machu Picchu) and the Galapagos Islands," added Pablo Chiozza, LATAM Airlines Group vice president of North America and the Caribbean. 

Complementing the 60-minute episode now airing nationwide, Orbitz.com has developed a dedicated microsite at Orbitz.com/SouthAmerica providing trip planning information and recommendations about the featured destinations.

"'South America: Quest for Wonder' is the first episode to be produced in a new partnership between Orbitz Worldwide and Richard Bangs that uses cross-platform media integration to inspire travelers to explore the world," said Barney Harford, CEO of Orbitz Worldwide.  "Dedicated landing pages and online resources will complement the television programming and make it easy for travelers to plan a trip to the featured destinations."

Destinations featured on "South America: Quest for Wonder" include:

• Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is famous for its 887 iconic moai statues, each of which required a team of five or six men working together for approximately one year to complete.  Rapa Nui is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and is believed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world.
• The Iguazu Falls are a collection of majestic waterfalls on the Iguazu River, which forms the boundary of Brazil and Argentina.  Spanning approximately 1.7 miles with a total of 275 separate falls, the tallest waterfall boasts a 269-foot drop.
• Machu Picchu, a 15^th century Inca site located in the Cusco region of Peru, was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti.  Sometimes referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu is world-renowned for its stunning mountaintop setting and culturally significant ruins.
• The Galapagos Islands are located off the coast of Ecuador and harbor a unique ecosystem that includes giant tortoises, sea lions, land and sea iguanas, fur seals, and many species of birds.  Formed by volcanoes over 2 million years ago, this collection of 50 islands was made famous after Charles Darwin's 1859 publication of his book, "On the Origin of Species."

LAN Airlines recently merged with Brazilian carrier TAM to form the LATAM Airlines Group, offering passengers more flights to more destinations that any other airline group in South America.  LAN Airlines and its affiliates and TAM Airlines offer nonstop and connecting service from Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando and San Francisco to 108 destinations in South America.

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.

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 as well as "Mobile Steals," exclusive hotel deals of up to 50% off in the most popular destinations around the world, available to mobile consumers via m.orbitz.com and the full suite of Orbitz mobile apps. 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 LATAM Airlines Group S.A.
LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is the new name given to LAN Airlines S.A. as a result of its association with TAM S.A. LATAM Airlines Group S.A. now includes LAN Airlines and its affiliates in Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador, and LAN Cargo and its affiliates, as well as TAM S.A. and its subsidiaries TAM Linhas Aereas S.A., including its business units TAM Transportes Aereos del Mercosur S.A., TAM Airlines (Paraguay) and Multiplus S.A. This association creates one of the largest airline groups in the world in terms of network connections, providing passenger transport services to about 150 destinations in 22 countries and cargo services to about 169 destinations in 27 countries, with a fleet of 311 aircraft. In total, LATAM Airlines Group has more than 52,000 employees and its shares are traded in Santiago, as well as on the New York Stock Exchange, in the form of ADRs, and Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, in the form of BDRs.

Each airline will continue to operate under their current brands and identities. For any inquiry relating to LAN or TAM, please visit www.lan.com or www.tam.com.br, respectively. Further information at www.latamairlinesgroup.net

About Richard Bangs
Richard Bangs is an award-winning travel journalist and producer who has published over 1,000 magazine articles and 19 books, produced a score of documentaries and lectured at the Smithsonian, the National Geographic Society and The Explorers Club among other notable venues. Most recently Richard produced and hosted the public television series Richard Bangs' Adventures With Purpose, co-directed the IMAX film Mystery of the Nile and co-authored the Putnam book of the same name. His recent book, The Lost River: A Memoir of Life, Death and the Transformation of Wild Water, won the National Outdoor Book Award in the literature category and the Lowell Thomas Award for best book.  Over the course of his 30 years' experience as an explorer and communicator, Richard led first descents of 35 rivers around the globe, including the Yangtze in China and the Zambezi in Southern Africa.  In between adventures, Richard serves on a number of technology, travel and environmental boards. www.richardbangs.com

SOURCE Orbitz Worldwide