Corporate agency Altour  has contracted to buy 12 of American Express' company-owned retail oulets, a move that will add leisure sales to the Altour mix.

New York-based Altour, a specialist in high-end and mid-market corporate travel, had already taken steps in that direction with its recent purchase of the Travel Authority of Jeffersonville, Ind.

The 12 American Express offices will be managed by Travel Authority, a company with "long-standing expertise in operating retail travel offices," said Altour President Alexandre Chemla.

Altour joined the American Express Representative Travel Network in April, when it also entered into an agreement with American Express to provide a number of services to network members.

The Travel Authority was an American Express rep before the Altour purchase.

With the Travel Authority in the fold, Altour is an $850 million business with 63 offices around the world. Its purchase of the 12 American Express outlets is expected to close by the end of the year.