Thursday, February 12, 2015

Orbitz to be sold to Expedia for $1.6 billion

Chicago-based online travel company Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: OWW) will be purchased by Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), according to a news release issued today by Expedia. Expedia, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement under which it will acquire Orbitz Worldwide, , including all of Orbitz Worldwide's brands, for $12.00 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, and a premium of approximately 29% over the volume weighted average share price for the five trading days up to and including February 11, 2015.

The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to approval by the shareholders of a majority of Orbitz Worldwide's common stock and other customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. The Board of Directors of Orbitz Worldwide received a fairness opinion from Qatalyst Partners and has recommended that its stockholders vote in favor of the merger.

"We are attracted to the Orbitz Worldwide business because of its strong brands and impressive team. This acquisition will allow us to deliver best-in-class experiences to an even wider set of travelers all over the world," said Dara Khosrowshahi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Expedia, Inc. "From the flagship Orbitz.com brand, to other well-known consumer brands such as CheapTickets, ebookers and HotelClub and the business-to-business brands Orbitz Partner Network and Orbitz for Business, the Orbitz Worldwide team has built a devoted customer base and we look forward to welcoming them to the Expedia, Inc. family."

"Our mission at Orbitz Worldwide has been to build our brands to be the world's most rewarding places to plan and purchase travel," said Barney Harford, Chief Executive Officer, Orbitz Worldwide. "We're excited for Orbitz Worldwide to join the Expedia, Inc. family and for our teams to work together to further enhance the offerings we provide to our customers and partners."

Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is one of the world's largest travel companies, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes leading online travel brands, such as:
  • Expedia.com®, the world's largest full service online travel agency with localized sites in 31 countries
  • Hotels.com®, the hotel specialist with localized sites in more than 60 countries
  • Hotwire®, a leading discount travel site that offers opaque deals in 12 countries throughoutNorth AmericaEurope and Asia
  • Travelocity®, a pioneer in online travel and a leading online travel agency in the US and Canada
  • Egencia®, the world's fifth largest corporate travel management company
  • eLong™, a leading mobile and online travel service provider in China
  • Venere.com™, an online hotel reservation specialist in Europe
  • trivago®, a leading online hotel metasearch company with sites in 49 countries
  • Wotif Group, a leading operator of travel brands in the Asia-Pacific region, including Wotif.com®, lastminute.com.au®, travel.com.au, Asia Web Direct®, LateStays.com, GoDo.com.au and Arnold Travel Technology
  • Expedia Local Expert®, a provider of online and in-market concierge services, activities, experiences and ground transportation in hundreds of destinations worldwide
  • Classic Vacations®, a top luxury travel specialist
  • Expedia® CruiseShipCenters®, a provider of exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network of 180 franchise locations across North America
  • CarRentals.com™, the premier car rental booking company on the web
The company delivers consumers value in leisure and business travel, drives incremental demand and direct bookings to travel suppliers, and provides advertisers the opportunity to reach a highly valuable audience of in-market consumers through Expedia® Media Solutions. Expedia also powers bookings for some of the world's leading airlines and hotels, top consumer brands, high traffic websites, and thousands of active affiliates through Expedia® Affiliate Network. For corporate and industry news and views, visit us at www.expediainc.com or follow us on Twitter @expediainc.
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) is a leading global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel. Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (orbitz.com), ebookers (ebookers.com), HotelClub (hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (cheaptickets.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (orbitzpartnernetwork.com) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world`s largest airlines, bank loyalty programs and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes. Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.