Ebookers continues revenue recovery

Orbitz Worldwide’s European brand ebookers recorded “double-digit revenue growth across all its major product lines” during the second quarter of the year.

Chief executive Barney Harford told Wall Street analysts that all ebookers’ points-of-sale have been on the Orbitz’ global platform since the end of 2008. “The ebookers teams are now able to focus 100% on driving business performance,” he said.

The double-digit revenue growth was on a constant currency basis. The earnings statement pointed to a strong performance in ebookers air business, which increased net revenue by 15%.

Harford said enhanced dynamic-packaging capabilities provided by the global platform were also driving the improved performance.

However, Orbitz Worldwide is increasingly focussed on hotels, he said. “We have instilled a discipline into the company whereby every decision is viewed through a hotel lens. All projects are seen through this lens. We ask ‘how will this project help build our hotel business’.”

Harford added: “As we look to ongoing international expansion, the most cost effective opportunity is on the hotel-focussed businesses. Hotelclub is probably the brand we will be using to drive the majority of our growth [internationally].”

He also suggested: “Despite the fact people have been selling hotels online for ten years now, there are still significant opportunities to improve the customer experience.”