Expedia Affiliate Network has signed a long-term hotel supply partnership with Aer Lingus. Those booking flights on the Aer Lingus website now have booking access to almost 140,000 hotels worldwide – and the ability to create their own holiday packages when combined with Aer Lingus flights. The partnership also includes the ability to book excursions, event tickets and activities though EAN’s in-destination offering.
Asked to comment by Irish Travel Trade News, Paul Hackett of ClickandGo, which recently began offering holidays on the Aer Lingus website along with The Travel Department, said: “The addition of Expedia does not come as a surprise to us as Aer Lingus advised us of their intention back in May.
“We don’t see Expedia as being direct competition. They offer only hotels but not ‘packaged’ holidays, escorted programmes or cruises, and we don’t sell just hotels but sun holidays that are very directed to the Irish market – so there is very little overlap.”
