Expedia, Nokia partner on hotel booking functionality

November 17, 2009 | Online Travel

The co-operation will allow the complete spectrum of Expedia’s hotel locations to be viewed on Nokia’s Ovi Maps mapping and navigation technology, and allow users to click on them to view hotel details, availability and prices as well as Expedia customer review scores.

Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) together with mobile phone giant Nokia have today announced details of a new co-operation that will see the unique integration of Expedia’s hotel booking functionality with Nokia’s Ovi Maps mapping and navigation technology.

The co-operation will allow the complete spectrum of Expedia’s hotel locations to be viewed on Ovi Maps, and allow users to click on them to view hotel details, availability and prices as well as Expedia customer review scores. The first phase of the co-operation will enable a call-to-book functionality direct from the present Ovi Maps mobile service, meaning Nokia users can book hotels via Expedia call centres in hundreds of destinations across the world.

As the co-operation develops, a click-to-book functionality is also planned to become available enabling users to view live availability and prices and book directly online from their handsets. The co-operation represents a new move for both EAN and Nokia, a development into the mobile space by EAN and the first hotel booking service for Nokia.

Henrik Kjellberg, president, EAN Worldwide, comments: “This is a landmark partnership for EAN, representing a move into the mobile space. Our technology makes it easy for partners to offer travel across different consumer interfaces whether it be desktop or mobile and we are pleased to be an enabler for Nokia’s innovative Ovi Maps mobile service. This represents the coming together of two experts in their field to develop a programme that will truly benefit consumers as well as create incremental revenue stream for both parties.”

Robert Rogers, senior product manager for Social Location, Nokia, comments: “Travel and mobile services go hand in hand. The hotel booking service we have developed with Expedia Affiliate Network complements the growing ecosystem of services Nokia already offers its users. The fact that the service will be available on both the mobile device and the desktop computer means interaction can be had with the user at various points of the travel lifecycle, not just at the time of booking.”

Expedia currently works with more than 10,000 private label partners across the globe. In EMEA these include Red Bull Air Race, The Guardian, FIM Superbike World Championship, Greenbee, Avis, Tiscali, Eurostar, Lonely Planet, Moto GP, Sky, Ab-in-den-Urlaub.de, Travelpartner.se, Weg.de, eDreams and 20 airline partners including Alitalia, Pegasus and SAS airlines. EAN global partners include Radisson Hotels & Resorts, American Airlines, JAL, Jet Airways, Air Pacific, The New York Times, LA Times, Miami.com and Foxnews.com.