There probably hasn't been a day like it before - when the global CEOs from two of the biggest online travel agencies on the planet quit within hours of one another.
Steve Barnhart (Orbitz) and Michelle Peluso (Travelocity) may even have worked it out together over a glass of mulled wine at Christmas?!?
Anyway, a friendly mole within the Travelocity empire kindly sent us Peluso's emotional farewell note to some of her staff.
Hi all,
By now you may have heard the news that I'm leaving Travelocity in early February. First of all, as you can imagine, it was an incredibly hard decision to make.
I could and did think of a thousand reasons to stay - not the least of which is how much I've enjoyed working with the Travelocity team and with so many of you in the industry - but in the end, there is one big reason to leave, and that's my family.
Being CEO of Travelocity Global is the greatest honor I've had, and I've never given it less than my all.
Giving it my all means a great deal of travel, and now with Auden, our new daughter, I just don't feel I can do that anymore and be the kind of mom for her I want to be.
And so, I came to the decision that it's better for me to find a new challenge closer to our home in New York.
But the most important thing I want to express is thank you for such a wonderful almost 10 years running Site59 and Travelocity.
Despite the challenges we occasionally face, this is an extraordinary industry - one that makes it possible for people to realize their dreams - be that to see their grandchild born or to see the night sky on the other side of the world.
I've always been profoundly conscious of what a privilege it is to have had the opportunity to help shape our industry and to work with so many extraordinary, inspiring people in all of you along the way. I thank you enormously for these terrific years, and I know we will keep in touch.
And, finally, Hugh Jones has been chosen by Sam and me to take over the CEO job, and I'm very excited about that. Hugh will be a terrific leader of Travelocity and along with our stellar leadership team - and such a talented group across the company - the future is exciting. I'll remain a committed investor and a devoted fan even as I move on to new things.
Hugh and I will be working on the transition over the next month, and I look forward to introducing him to those of you who are our partners who don't yet know him. You will find him as smart and talented as I do.
Once again, thank you - it's been an incredible joy and privilege.
Michelle
Having met Peluso a couple of times over the past three years, she certainly had an incredibly genuine and pleasant way about her.
A colleague told me tonight that Peluso's departure is "a big loss" to Sabre.
Totally agree with your assessment of Michelle Peluso. Among all the OTA CEO's she was the one with the most pleasant personality and unpretentious attitude. Quite a contrast to some of her peers in the business.