I was in the gym today and a former female coworker came to salute me. She is not that attractive, but she is over average in looks. I once was interested in her but since she basically friendzoned me, I just stopped contacting her and even deleted her contact to avoid temptation to contact her. She was later fired and all contact was lost.

However, during this interaction with her in the gym I did observe how people around treated me... a guy that never saluted me suddenly salutes me. People look at me like "wow that guy probably is interesting", women smile to me, etc. Normally I'm invisible when I go to the gym, so I got a point of comparison. This interaction was just in a window of less than an hour. She was with another guy that was another orbiter and basically made a demeaning about him when he got close to the two of us speaking, so yes, she likes orbiters.

Personally, I don't find the company of women that enjoyable. It is often boring (YOU have to be her entertainer) at best and at worse it costs money and patience and resources, even if you are sexually interested in her. However, I perfectly understand why some men choose to be orbiters even costing them time, money and patience... they do get some status and recognition for that. I don't participate in such self-humilliation ritual anymore, and I don't think men and women can be equal friends without some sexual interest appearing eventually, but regardless I now understand orbiters better.

I also suppose orbiters are also a benefit for many women, since women often contact them enough or keep them around, men pay them stuff, protection, etc. But I guess not all woman enjoy that, just as I don't enjoy being a friendzoned orbiter.

TLDR: the company of women (even if the guy gets no sex) is usually a sign of high status for people around for the man. Therefore, orbiters do get something from being around women, even if it is way less than what they want.