Microsoft Expedia said it has exceeded its £2m sales target since it launched its on-line Internet booking product to the UK market three months ago.
The Internet travel agency service, set up in the UK with partner Carlson Worldchoice, allows customers to book flights, hotels and car hire on-line.
Microsoft Expedia UK manager James Vaile said 220,000 people had accessed its Web site since the launch in the UK.
Vaile said: “Registrants are people who have actually gone one step further than browsing and have actually registered with us. That’s the equivalent of going into your high-street travel agency, picking up brochures and asking questions and there are 220,000 of them in three months.”
Vaile refused to say how many of those registrants had been converted to sales but said the £2m sales mark had been passed.
He reported strong demand for long-haul holidays. “Customers tend to be going to the US and the Middle East. This is down to our integration of private and published fares which means they get all fares that are available rather than just the loss leaders they might see in the travel agents’ windows. They are getting the lowest price first so they can go further for less.”
Vail predicts the next major development for Expedia will be e-ticketing, meaning no physical ticket will need to be issued.
“We are hoping we will see it this year. It depends on the global distribution system we use, Worldspan, which has to complete a code change to adapt to it. British Airways has already offered this in the US and hopefully it will happen here soon.”
The site has been modelled and adapted from the company’s US site which has emerged as one of America’s top 20 travel agents since its launch two years ago.