Premier Specialty Network

Leading online travel agency Expedia is scheduled to release its first quarter results Thursday, April 26. This quarter’s earnings may be impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment and consumer spending. The airline sector is going through a consolidation phase with most big players in the capacity caution mode. Consistent hikes in passenger fares have impacted the passenger volumes, which will likely impact the company’s earnings this quarter.

During the first quarter, Expedia’s corporate travel management arm, Egencia, also announced its plan to acquire leading Nordic corporate travel company, VIA Travel. This acquisition will strengthen its position in international markets. Further, the company plans to invest heavily in new platforms and mobile applications to explore new growth drivers and effectively deal with competition. Expedia competes with other leading online travel agencies such as Priceline.com, Travelocity and Orbitz.

See our complete analysis for Expedia

Market Share Growth Strategies

The addition of the largest travel management company in Nordic countries to Egencia will further enhance the company’s corporate travel service portfolio. The acquisition also opens up opportunities to strengthen Expedia’s position in European markets. Egencia currently forms only 2.8% of Trefis price estimate for Expedia. VIA Travel will add to the company’s market share as well as Egencia’s share in Trefis value for the parent company. Expedia is also pushing into Asian markets with key focus on emerging economies. It plans to invest $20 million in the next two years to expand India operations.

Operating Margins Squeezed

Expedia understands the importance of being apace with latest technologies. It is leveraging its prior acquisition, Mobiata, to develop new mobile applications for its brands. Recently, Hotels.com, the company’s hotel booking arm, launched a mobile application for Windows 7 platform.

The company also expects to launch new air and package platforms in 2012. It launched its hotel connectivity platform Expedia Connect 2 which enables reservation providers to design, build and deploy standardized interfaces to connect directly with Expedia.

While these initiatives may help Expedia to keep itself at pace with competition, the costs associated with technology and marketing are expected to rise. As a result, the EBITDA margins may fall this quarter.

We have a $33.19 price target on Expedia, which represents a 5% upside to the current market price. We will review our price estimate post this quarter’s earnings release.

Understand How a Company’s Products Impact its Stock Price at Trefis

Like our charts? Embed them in your own posts using the Trefis WordPress Plugin.

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
American Airlines AAdvantage® members can now book award travel via AA.com on British Airways, a oneworld® alliance member and joint business partner, and on Hawaiian Airlines, an AAdvantage participating airline. These expanded options offer customers a more convenient way to book one-way, round-trip and multi-city award travel on one or a combination of participating airlines on AA.com.

This enhancement to the AAdvantage flight award booking tool is part of American’s ongoing effort to simplify the process of redeeming miles for flight awards on participating airlines.

“This new AA.com functionality gives AAdvantage members more control, convenience and flexibility during the award booking process,” said Suzanne Rubin, President – AAdvantage Loyalty Program. “The ability to book participating airline awards online is something our customers have been asking for, and we’re pleased to offer them this convenient new option when redeeming their miles for flights on British Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.”

The addition of British Airways, American’s fellow oneworld member and joint business partner, to the list of airlines offering this new award booking option highlights American’s ongoing commitment to offering enhanced benefits to its customers and the customers of fellow oneworld members. In 2010, American, British Airways and Iberia implemented a trans-Atlantic joint business allowing the three airlines to cooperate commercially on nonstop flights between the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Canada, Mexico and the European Union, Switzerland and Norway.

In addition to British Airways and Hawaiian Airlines, AAdvantage members can also redeem their miles on AA.com for award travel on American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. For more details please visit
www.AA.com .

Customers who are not AAdvantage members can enroll for free at
www.AA.com/enroll .

About American AirlinesAmerican Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® carrier serve 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories with, on average, more than 3,300 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American’s award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members and members-elect serve more than 900 destinations with more than 10,000 daily flights to 149 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. AMR Corporation common stock trades under the symbol “AAMRQ” on the OTCQB marketplace, operated by OTC Markets Group.

AMR Corporation, and certain of its United States-based subsidiaries, including American Airlines, Inc. and AMR Eagle Holding Corporation, on Nov. 29 filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. More information about the Chapter 11 filing is available on the Internet at
http://aa.com/restructuring .

About the AAdvantage ProgramThe AAdvantage® program was the first frequent flyer program. Established in 1981, the program now has more than 69 million members worldwide. Members can earn miles at more than 1,000 participating companies, which include 27 hotel chains representing more than 60 brands, more than 20 airlines, eight car rental companies, eight financial companies, and more than 500 brand name retailers. In addition, members can earn miles when making purchases with one of more than 100 affinity card products in more than 40 countries. In 2011, AAdvantage members redeemed more than 166 billion miles to claim more than 7.5 million awards for flights, upgrades and other rewards. For more information and a listing of AAdvantage program participating companies, visit
www.aa.com/aadvantage .

Current AMR Corp. news releases can be accessed at

http://www.aa.com

SOURCE American Airlines

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

FAIRFAX, Va., Apr 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Omega World Travel, a fast-growing, award-winning leader in the travel
management industry, as well as one of the largest woman-owned
businesses in the United States, announces being selected as a 2012 “Top
Business” Recipient in five categories by DiversityBusiness.com.
DiversityBusiness.com collects and compiles the ‘Top Business List’ on a
state and national basis from a business survey, which is used to
determine the top businesses and the most successful entrepreneurs based
on the companies’ profiles and annual gross revenues.

“We are honored that DiversityBusiness.com has ranked Omega World Travel
at the top of five Top Business Lists this year. 2012 is proving to be
one of our most successful years and it also marks our 40th
year in business,” says Omega World Travel CEO Gloria Bohan.
“DiversityBusiness.com’s recognition continues to inspire me and my
employees to be dedicated and committed to our work and strive to
empower the community for economic growth.”

2012 “Top Business” Award categories Omega World Travel is recognized
in are as follows:

–
Ranked #1-Top 100 Diversity Owned Businesses in Virginia

–
Ranked #1- Top 100 Women Owned Businesses in Virginia

–
Ranked #1- Top 100 Privately-held Businesses in Virginia

–
Ranked #2 -Top 500 Women Owned Businesses in the U.S.

–
Ranked #4 -Top 500 Diversity Owned Businesses in the U.S.

Omega World Travel will be listed in DiversityBusiness.com’s “Top
Business List,” which will be published during The 12th Annual National
Business Awards Ceremony and Conference and has over 20 million viewers
annually.

The 12th Annual National Business Awards Ceremony and Conference is set
to be held April 25- April 27, 2012 at Foxwoods Resort & Casino in
Mashantucket, CT. The award ceremony and conference promotes diversity
business opportunities by bringing together America’s “Top Business
Owners,” and America’s “Top Fortune 500.”

About Omega World Travel

Omega World Travel is a woman-owned, diversity supplier, and the fourth
largest travel management company in the U.S. Headquartered in Fairfax,
Va., Omega World Travel services corporate, government, meeting, and
leisure clients throughout the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Omega World Travel also owns Cruise.com,
one of the largest sellers of cruises on the Internet, and TravTech,
a software development company. For additional information about Omega
World Travel please visit: OmegaTravel.com

About DiversityBusiness.com

Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness, with over 50,000 members, is the
largest organization of diversity owned businesses throughout the United
States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies,
government agencies, and colleges and universities. DiversityBusiness
provides research and data collection services for diversity including
the “Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities”,
“Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America”, and others. Its research
has been recognized and published by Forbes Magazine, Business Week and
thousands of other print and internet publications. The site has gained
national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and
design. DiversityBusiness reaches more diverse suppliers and
communicates more information to them on a more frequent basis then all
other organizations combined. We also communicate with mainstream
businesses, government agencies and educational institutions with
information related to diversity. Our magazine reaches over 300,000
readers, a monthly e-newsletter that reaches 2.4 million, and website
visitors of 1.2 million a month. It is a leading provider of Supplier
Diversity management tools and has the most widely distributed Diversity
magazine in the United States. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by
Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of
Southport, CT. Founded in 1980.

SOURCE: Omega World Travel

RMR & Associates Inc.
Laura Asendio, 301-230-0045 x 300
lasendio@rmr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article: