Auction Site Broadens Offers - thedailyauction.com not offers Deutsche Lufthansa airfares and other booking services - Brief Article

Brandweek, March 12, 2001 by Mike Beirne

Travel Web site thedailyauction.com will broaden its international focus next month by expanding offerings of Lufthansa airfares, Hilton hotel rooms and Hertz car rentals, with long-haul products, such as trips to Australia, cruises and vacation packages. The site will also link to search engine Mama.com.

The site lets users bid on air travel within two to three weeks of departure. Visitors can track auctions and learn within a few hours whether they've landed the winning bid. New offers come online every 15 minutes each day with schedules and carrier information. Lufthansa and AeroMexico have used the site since its June launch and US Airways recently signed on.

Unlike many air travel Web sites, thedailyauction--run by Montreal-based Plan I--doesn't dump distressed inventory. Instead, it solicits premium tickets and ties them to promotions.

Recent efforts have dangled gift certificates from American Express and jewelry from ice.com. "We take advantage of strong branded promos rather than flush their tickets to a no-name," said Eve Howse, Plan I president.