Second, they care about price. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice are investigating the airlines' proposal. The U.S. Senate is conducting a hearing about whether the Web site, originally scheduled to debut this summer, can be developed. The DOT has said it will issue a decision on the proposal by the end of the year. At the heart of the Orbitz controversy and the entire online travel industry is a fight for the growing number of U.S. leisure travelers.
Online travel is one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry.
The popularity of online travel sites has already changed the face of leisure travel in the United States. Before the widespread use of discount sites, last-minute travel was exceedingly expensive and out of the question for most leisure travelers. But discount brokers have changed that, allowing last-minute deals similar to those offered before the airline deregulation of 1978. Before that, airports were the haunt of college students and others who were long on time but short on cash. Inc. All rights reserved.