Orbitz Eco-tourism: Is Orbitz really going green? And can they help you get there too?

Posted by lindseyshoe

Orbitz, a Chicago based travel web site, has jumped on the green bandwagon to highlight eco-tourism packages as well as a list of eco-friendly hotels. While so many companies are greening (at least their advertising), Orbitz appears to be embracing the eco-friendly on several fronts.
While Orbitz is steadily making their mark on the travel industry as they book trips around the globe, the company is making efforts to decrease their carbon footprints on Mother Earth.

Bahman Koohestani, Orbitz CIO and the Orbitz team are tackling the challenge of trying to green the company’s electricity-hungry IT operations.
Orbitz is going carbon neutral in variety of ways, some big and some small.
Orbitz Carbon Neutral Steps:

• buying more energy efficient desktops, laptops and monitors that have sleep and standby modes
• two large power centers in Chicago are using the Exelon electricity company, which generates around 80% of the electricity from nuclear power plants as opposed to coal or natural gas; fuels that emit greenhouse gases
• consolidating data centers by moving 13 European centers to one in Chicago
• measuring and monitoring electricity usage daily
• installing custom server racks with built-in cooling systems that send hot air out instead of recirculation
• eliminating personal printers and adopting paper reduction strategies such as requiring expenses to be submitted electronically
• replacing paper cups with mugs in the office
• issuing desktop recycling bins in their offices
• recycling computer equipment
• using an office location convenient for mass transit
• using server consolidation, slashing the number of servers from 500 to 250

According to Doug Jaworski, director of infrastructure services for Orbitz, “We’re removing the systems that perform at a much slower capacity and are depreciated,” and “We will cut electrical costs by 40%, but that also saves us on server footprint.”
“We do have an excellent handle on how much energy we use,” Orbitz CIO, Koohestani says.
All of this greening at Orbitz centers on IT and operations. What is Orbitz offering customers in the way eco-tourism?
Are there really any “green” travel deals out there?

• Orbitz features eco-tourism destinations from Chicago to New Zealand or from Africa’s new safari camp to a float down Chile’s threatened Río Baker to New Zealand.
• You can reserve a hybrid rental car, or a greener, more fuel efficient car at Orbitz. (Hybrids are available in some states but not all.)
• Offset flight related carbon-emission through the Orbitz partner Carbonfund.org.
• Orbitz also offers a list of eco-friendly hotels.

In addition to the list of eco-friendly hotels, Orbitz takes part in sharing the criteria for what it takes to be considered a “green” hotel including:

• Use of a natural source of energy such as wind, water, solar or bio-fuel
• Use of environmentally friendly and safe products like detergents for linens, soaps or shampoos
• Contributing money from each hotel reservation to an environmental organization
• Use of energy conserving devices such as eco-friendly light fixtures or bulbs triggered by motion detectors, water-saving devices, water filtration systems and air filtration systems or purifiers
• Earning the ENERGY STAR® – a national mark of excellence in energy efficiency and carbon performance.

Energy Star rated buildings have to demonstrate they use nearly 40 percent less energy than average buildings and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Some critics have pointed out that some of the hotels listed as eco-friendly did not meet all of the green criteria and some only met one.
Still, at least Orbitz is giving consumers the information to make educated eco-tourist decisions.
We’ll keep watching, but it appears that Orbitz is trying to go green at their own home (offices) and help travelers and eco-tourists by displaying eco-friendly travel options as well.
Direct Links to: Orbitz Flights
Orbitz Green Car Rentals
Orbitz Green Hotel Rentals