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Orbitz Worldwide Senior Editor Jeanenne Tornatore on Hurricane Sandy's impact on airlines, hotels as well as travel booking websites.
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Flights canceled airport's closed you just heard from Mike -- the travel analyst how bad it is for the airlines the global travel business.
And the global travel association predicting some 5141000.
Troops will be canceled costing the travel industry approximately.
606 million dollars that's just a preliminary report could be much worse -- travel.
Sites very popular -- many of you use them orbits it is publicly traded.
Orbitz Worldwide assessing possible losses and helping customers rebook their trips joining us now on fox this -- exclusive from Chicago.
Orbitz Worldwide senior editor -- -- toward a -- we've got the the audio reestablished -- -- so thank you for joining us right off the -- I wanna ask you -- what steps are you would Orbitz taking and what kind of volume are you seeing on your site for re bookings.
Why don't have any volume numbers for you at this point and fortunately it's such a fluid situation that's you know.
We're continuing to wait to see -- you know when the airports in New York metro area will re open so the weekend.
Read that our customers frankly at this point our focus has really been on sending out alerts to tens of thousands of our customers.
Who have been affected by this is flights have been canceled.
And as we continue later this week at the focus of really -- re looking getting those people to their best -- -- JFK LaGuardia and liberty in Newark are still close to mean to you need those three -- to open before you can really start moving those canceled flights -- We'll certainly for high volume of flights you will need those major have airports and open in the areas.
You know.
Thankfully we have seen out of Boston.
Is open and flights have been going -- Boston today in DC we're hoping that by tomorrow we start to see mark passenger commercial flights heading out of that metro airport.
Those metro airports as well -- Philadelphia Dallas Baltimore all of them are open.
You want orbits I understand -- waving your cancellation fees 151000.
Flights canceled is that going to affect your bottom line.
You know unfortunately that's not something I have information on for you at this point one thing I can tell you is on the -- health -- in fact in some of these destinations.
We've seen week over week increase in bookings you know with so many.
Displaced travelers people that have -- stuck at these airports in the airports are -- are looking for places to stay in the the New York metro area we've seen a 15%.
Week over week increase in hotel bookings in Washington DC that number is actually.
A 68%.
Increase week over week -- -- so that's a -- point is urge the out -- you're right.
Travelers you -- hotel sites as well I -- I know in New York City.
Waldorf Astoria is totally -- you've got the Hilton or Sheraton booked that even on the high end the peninsula the Saint Regis.
Very hard they're kicking people out at this point who only had two -- reservations because they've got a whole group of other people coming in.
Absolutely of the good news for travelers who maybe -- at some of these airports is that.
Looking this morning at availability ever in and around the -- partner -- we do still see some availability act outside of the Newark Airport and LaGuardia so folks that are.
In those areas could still find some room what we should mention that the Parker meridian was completely evacuated because of the Crane that had snapped.
And we were hearing reports of people for us from as far away as France walking the streets just knocking on hotel -- and please can we stay there as well.
So clearly it is at a very very touch and go situation -- thank you very much for joining us.
