Agoda Is Starting to Offer Flights to Take On Rivals in Asia
Skift Take
Flights are the next big thing for all of Booking Holdings’ accommodation platforms, not just Booking.com but Agoda and Priceline in Asia. In the region, where super-apps have taught consumers they can book everything on one app, and where even airlines want to be online travel agencies, it isn’t surprising Agoda is offering flights.
Booking.com’s Asian sister Agoda is also moving beyond selling just accommodations to selling flights. But unlike Booking.com, which has just introduced air in Europe through a partnership with eTraveli, Agoda has built its own flights product where travelers can book airfares on its site without having to leave the platform.
The move pits Agoda against the likes of Expedia and Asia’s well-rounded online travel agencies such as Traveloka, a Southeast Asian online travel unicorn that touts itself as “the number one solution for all your travel needs” by offering flights, accommodation, and even lifestyle products.
Agoda CEO John Wroughton Brown casually mentioned the introduction of a new flights product during a session at the Web In Travel conference in Singapore this week, saying the accommodation platform previously offered flights through Kayak, another brand of Booking Holdings, but it was an
