WebProNews

Orbitz Worldwide has announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Microsoft to be the online travel agency for MSN.com's travel portal in the U.S. and the UK.

Orbitz.com replaces the Microsoft founded Expedia in the U.S. and affiliate ebookers.com will serve the MSN UK site.

Orbitz says the deal could attract 3.5 million visitors per month to Orbitz through MSN Travel. Orbitz did not offer data on how many visitors it could bring to its ebookers site.

"Our partnership with MSN will provide additional visibility and traffic to both Orbitz.com and ebookers.com, strengthening growth in both the United States and the United Kingdom," said Steve Barnhart, CEO and president of Orbitz Worldwide.

Microsoft said it choose Orbitz because of the travel site's features and customer service.

Orbitz and ebookers.com will provide all of MSN Travel's offerings, including air, hotel, vacation packages, cruise and rental car bookings.

"Orbitz provides an excellent online experience for its customers and has unique customer-focused services," stated John Russell, senior channel manager of MSN Travel at Microsoft Corp.

"Microsoft is committed to delivering innovative features that help our MSN Travel customers make smarter decisions, and the integration of Orbitz's technology is another step toward fulfilling that commitment."