Qantas has acquired a 51% stake in online travel business TripADeal for an undisclosed sum.
The Australian carrier wants to boost its leisure offering to loyalty program members through the acquisition of TripADeal, which is also based in Australia.
According to a release, TripADeal has built up direct relationships with hotels, tour operators and other travel suppliers in the 10 years since it was established.
It offers a range of packages from skiing in Japan and Antarctica trips to African safaris, which can now be booked using Qantas points regardless of whether the carrier is part of the package.
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In the 12 months before the pandemic, TripADeal brought in bookings worth more than £112 million.
“This is a great opportunity at the perfect time. Coming out of the pandemic, people want a holiday experience that is special but also tried and tested, and there is a huge shift to booking online,” says Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas Group.
“That’s exactly what TripADeal does. It’s an Aussie success story built on delivering ready-made holidays at very sharp prices, and their level of repeat customers shows how well they do it.”
Richard Johnston, co-founder of TripADeal, says, “This business is about making it easier for people to take amazing holidays essentially at the click of a button. It’s taken a decade for us to build the relationships direct with suppliers to be able to offer all the experiences we have, and the ability to now use Qantas Points for that is really going to drive our growth in the years ahead.”
Qantas Loyalty is targeting double digit growth in 2022 and EBIT of $500- to $600 million by its full-year 2024.