Regarding Hotwire vs the future Orbitz, Hotwire sells unpublished fares, much like a consolidator or Priceline would. From my understanding Orbitz will be selling published fares, but with a guarantee from the airlines that the lowest published fares will be made available through Orbitz. The fact that Orbitz will sell published fares could make a huge difference with frequent travelers, as being able to earn miles, get upgrades, and not have extra restrictions (or prohibitions) on itinerary changes keeps many people buying only published fares.