Travelscape.com and MapQuest.com Ink Promotion Deal

Online travel wholesaler Travelscape.com and leading Web mapping site MapQuest.com are teaming up to help get consumers wherever they want to go.

Under the terms of a deal announced Tuesday, Travelscape.com will become a premier provider of hotel and travel packages on Mapquest.com. Customers will be able to use Mapquest to plan their travel routes, and then make their travel arrangements through Travelscape’s site.

The deal gives Travelscape.com extensive exposure on Mapquest.com, with links on almost every page of the popular mapping site.

“Through Travelscape.com, we have found another way to make our site the ultimate destination for directions and travel,” said Mike Mulligan, president and CEO of MapQuest.com.

Travelscape.com Looks for Piece of Big Pie

Travelscape.com is a privately held, full-service, discount travel agent that is part of a crowded field, which is competing for the estimated $10 billion (US$) that will be spent on online travel services by 2002.

The deal with Mapquest.com comes one day after America Online (NYSE: AOL) launched its business travel center, which is powered by Travelscape competitor Preview Travel (Nasdaq: PTVL).

AOL’s business travel center is also offering services similar to those of Mapquest. Users of the travel center can access interactive street-level maps and driving directions for the United States, Canada and other destinations from Vicinity.

One way Travelscape is attempting to distinguish itself from competitors is its “no risk reservation guarantee.” The company guarantees that every hotel reservation made via its site will be at the lowest possible rate at the time of booking. If a lower rate is later found, Travelscape.com will refund the difference.

About Mapquest.com

According to Media Metrix, Mapquest.com, which also provides the maps on Yahoo!, is the most popular mapping site on the Web, with more than 2.7 million unique users each month.

Mapquest.com sells maps to individuals on its Web site, and also offers free printable maps and driving directions. In addition, the company helps businesses integrate maps into their marketing and customer service functions, and sells maps to various industries for the U.S., Canada, and 300 travel destinations.