June 11--When it comes to great reputations in the travel and hospitality industries, Chicago-based Hyatt and Orbitz Worldwide rank near the top, according to a study released Thursday by the Reputation Institute.
Among travel brands, Orbitz ranked No. 2 after Sabre. Expedia, which earlier this year announced plans to buy Orbitz, ranked No. 3, followed by Air Canada, Southwest Airlines, Hertz, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Avis and JetBlue.
Chicago-based United Airlines was the only large airline not to make the top 10.
Hyatt ranked No. 4 among hotels, bested by Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group and Wynn.
The Reputation Institute said it used more than 57,000 consumer ratings to measure the public's perception of companies based on seven factors: innovation, leadership, governance, citizenship, workplace, performance, and products and services.
It said 60 percent of people's decision to buy, recommend or invest in a company depends on their perception of it, rather than a particular product or service.
gkarp@tribpub.com
