DULLES, Va. -- First it was Yahoo and FareChase.
And now, not long thereafter, it is America Online and Kayak
Software.
AOL took a minority stake in Kayak Software and the two
companies plan to launch a Web-based travel-search offering early
next year.
The multiyear technology and marketing agreement signed Nov. 10
between AOL and Kayak, a travel-search startup with former Orbitz,
Expedia, Travelocity and Intuit officials at the helm, gives
impetus to the comparison-shopping trend in travel.
The new AOL travel-search offering, which will be powered by
Kayak, will be on "the open Web" -- as opposed to the members-only
AOL service -- and meshes with AOLs strategy to move more retail
business to the Web. Travelocity will continue to power the AOL
Travel Channel, where it is the exclusive air, car and hotel
provider.
Terry Jones, the chairman of Kayak and former Travelocity CEO,
noted that AOL will be able to promote the travel-search offering
to AOL subscribers and beyond, and that it will have a "look and
feel" different from the Kayak beta site. Kayak, he said, will
continue to promote www.kayak.com and will pursue deals with other
players.
Yahoo purchased FareChase during the summer and is readying a
travel comparative- shopping engine for consumers.
To contact reporter Dennis Schaal, send
e-mail to [email protected]