AirAsia, the world’s best low cost airline and Expedia, Inc., the world's largest online travel company, today announced the launch of a new joint venture offering everyone in Asia a complete range of great value flights, hotels, and holiday packages. This is the first partnership of its kind globally between a low cost carrier (LCC) and an online travel agent (OTA).
Under the joint venture agreement, a new company will be formed to operate Expedia, Inc.’s Expedia? branded businesses in Japan, India and Southeast Asia, as well as AirAsia’s AirAsiaGo and GoRooms businesses. The new venture will build on AirAsia’s unique local marketing expertise, along with Expedia’s world leading technology, and both companies’ quality travel products in the region and beyond.
The new venture will have the exclusive online third-party distribution rights in the region for AirAsia and AirAsiaX flights and travel packages meaning that with few exceptions in the region the only place to find and book AirAsia flights online will be AirAsia.com, AirAsiaGo.com and Expedia. Taken together with over 130,000 hotels worldwide, this will create a unique set of packages for Asian customers at incredibly low rates on both the AirAsiaGo and Expedia sites.
In addition, AirAsia and Expedia are partnering outside of the new venture to make Expedia the exclusive third party travel provider for AirAsia inventory allowing travellers to book AirAsia flights on any of Expedia’s travel sites worldwide.
Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia, said, “With this announcement AirAsia and Expedia are launching a revolution in online travel for Asia. This partnership between two global brands and leaders in the travel industry comes at a time when online travel bookings are exploding in the region. Asia and its booming economy offers a huge opportunity to develop a set of loved consumer brands.
“We are pleased to have Expedia as our partner and are proud to welcome them to Asia. We’ve taken our time to find a great partner that understands Asia and matches our drive, passion and aspiration.” added Fernandes.
“AirAsia have made it possible for everyone to fly. Through this partnership with Expedia we hope to share the same experience we’ve shared with others and take our unique travel and brand experience further, farther and wider,” Fernandes concluded.
Barry Diller, Chairman and Senior Executive, Expedia, Inc., said, “By partnering with AirAsia, Expedia is taking an important step in developing our global position. This is particularly exciting, given Asia’s influence in the online travel marketplace.”
We are delightedto have established such a meaningful partnership with AirAsia, and are confident that this new endeavour between Expedia and AirAsia will support our mutual aspirations to make travel accessible to consumers the world over. Given AirAsia’s position as the world’s leading low-cost carrier, combined with Expedia’s impressive selection of global travel offerings and package technology, we think this partnership enables both companies to offer travellers world-class travel products at an unparalleled value,” Diller added.
AirAsia’s branded website’s www.airasiago.com and www.gorooms.com and Expedia, Inc.’s existing Expedia branded businesses in Japan (www.expedia.co.jp), India (www.expedia.co.in) and Singapore (www.expedia.com.sg) along with new markets launched today in Malaysia (www.expedia.com.my) and Thailand (www.expedia.co.th) will be operated by the joint venture.