SINGAPORE, October 1 - Priceline, the unique Name Your Own Price^TM travel service, has become the first Singapore travel company to feature on MSN's local travel channel, Priceline and MSN announced today.

The partnership aims to bring affordable travel to MSN users, plus the convenience of a one-stop Internet shop for travel information, tips and bookings. It follows a new regional alliance between Priceline and MSN, a world leader in delivering Internet services to consumers.

Travellers can find the innovative service at http://www.msn.com.sg/travel/default.asp. MSN is currently hosting Priceline's Name Your Own Price booking engine for quality air tickets and hotel rooms around the world, meaning travellers can book their trips directly through MSN's travel channel.

Priceline gives travellers the opportunity to buy the excess capacity of airlines and hotels - the thousands of seats and rooms that go unsold every day - thereby delivering year-round savings of up to 20%-30% off typical market rates. Hot-deal holiday destinations this month include Hong Kong, Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Bali, Xiamen and Tokyo.

MSN and Priceline plan to upgrade the service later this month by launching an Expert Zone forum for travellers to share their Priceline experiences. Both companies will support the new partnership with a range of promotional activities, making travel even more affordable. The MSN-Priceline alliance also embraces MSN's Chinese-language website in Hong Kong.

Said MSN's Regional Business Development Director Rajesh Sambwani: "This agreement underlines the confidence of both companies in the extraordinary growth of e-travel in the region. We believe Priceline will be a great boost to our Singapore travel offerings, presenting our Singapore customers with the opportunity to get the best deals from the travel industry. Priceline's customers are smart, professional and independent, while MSN's community-building services provide a wide range of information with direct benefits for the independent traveller."

Added Hutchison-Priceline CEO Alfredo Gangotena: "This is exactly what Singapore's leisure travellers have always wanted: an integrated site with comprehensive travel information plus the significant savings that Priceline's Name Your Own Price service provides. MSN is a great new distribution channel for Priceline - it's hard to beat for sheer convenience."

Mr Gangotena said Priceline always encourages it customers to do some homework about pricing and destinations before they make an offer through Priceline. "Now, with just one stop on the Internet, MSN users can save both time and money by getting information and booking their trips," he said.

Priceline already has added seven new airline and more than 850 hotel partners since its May 29 launch in Singapore. Mr Gangotena said this underlines the efficacy of the Priceline model, which provides incremental revenue for airlines and hotel by being the only sales channel for their excess inventories. Priceline's 32 airline and 8,000-plus hotel partners allow travellers to make offers for air fares to Asia, Europe, North America, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and for hotel rooms in more than 1,300 cities around the world.

MSN is available in 34 markets and in 18 languages - a broader global presence that any other portal. The network of MSN services for Asia includes msn.com.my in Malaysia, msn.com.tw in Taiwan, msn.co.kr in South Korea and msn.co.in in India.

About Hutchison-Priceline

Hutchison-Priceline (Travel) Ltd was formed with investments from Hutchison Whampoa Ltd (65%) in Hong Kong and priceline.com Inc (35%) in the United States. Hutchison brings to the alliance its unparalleled brand, huge customer pool, vast management experience and deep knowledge of Asia. Priceline.com also boasts an extremely strong brand. It adds unique technology to the mix, plus outstanding e-commerce experience.

Hutchison-Priceline (Travel) Ltd operates a unique Name Your Own Price^TM Internet travel service for airline tickets and hotel rooms. It offers great savings for flexible travellers. For airline tickets customers choose their destination, dates of travel and desired price, then agree to fly on a major airline at the times when the airline has empty seats. For hotel rooms customers specify their dates, the star rating, the area of a city and, of course, the price. Priceline then picks an international-brand or boutique hotel.

Hutchison-Priceline (Travel) Ltd works with one of the travel industry's largest collections of travel suppliers. These include 32 Asian and international airlines and more than 8,000 hotel properties around the world.

For further information, please contact:
Grayling Asia
Polly Steeds/Michelle Owen
Tel: 6325-4606
Fax: 6325-4616
E-Mail: pollys@graylinggroup.com.sg / michelle@graylinggroup.com.sg

© Copyright 1996-2024 irasia.com Ltd. All rights reserved.

DISCLAIMER: irasia.com Ltd makes no guarantee as to the accuracy or completeness of any information provided on this website. Under no circumstances shall irasia.com Ltd be liable for damages resulting from the use of the information provided on this website. TRADEMARK & COPYRIGHT: All intellectual property rights subsisting in the contents of this website belong to irasia.com Ltd or have been lawfully licensed to irasia.com Ltd for use on this website. All rights under applicable laws are hereby reserved. Reproduction of this website in whole or in part without the express written permission of irasia.com Ltd is strictly prohibited. TERMS OF USE: Please read the Terms of Use governing the use of our website.