CHICAGO -- United Airlines and Buy.com, a 3-year-old e-commerce
retailer, formed a joint venture to create a new on-line travel
superstore.
The companies expect the new site to make its appearance later
this year.
The site will be called BuyTravel.com and will highlight
United's E-Fares, the discounted "excess inventory" fares currently
available only on United's own Web site.
But it also will function as a full-service on-line travel
retailer, billing itself as a "one-stop shop" that provides travel
information and sells other airlines as well as hotels, car rentals
and cruises.
In addition to the leisure market sought by sites such as
Priceline.com, BuyTravel.com intends to target business
travelers.
BuyTravel.com will be a store-within-a-store, located on the
Buy.com Web site, a portal to seven on-line stores that sell
discounted computers, software, books, videos, games, music and
surplus products.
BuyTravel.com will operate as a separate company jointly owned
by the two firms.
Buy.com will provide advertising and marketing support; United
will provide travel expertise and discounted excess inventory, and
both companies will provide their e-commerce expertise.
United was among the earliest of the major airlines to embrace
new technology and electronic commerce.
It has aggressively promoted developments such as electronic
ticketing and on-line booking through its United Connection Web
site, which last year sold $200 million in travel.