Amazon.com and Priceline Group Inc. are partnering to offer travel deals during Amazon’s Prime Day event on July 11 and July 12. This is the first time that an online travel agency has participated in Prime Day.
The deal will offer Amazon Prime members an additional 20 percent off Priceline’s Hotel Express deals, which already offer discounts of up to 60 percent off hotels. The partnership is an effort by Amazon to broaden its offerings and boost sign-ups for Prime, while Priceline is looking to fill empty hotel rooms.
“We want to meet customers where they are,” said Lesley Klein, senior vice president of marketing at Priceline. “We know travelers are shopping on Amazon and booking travel with Priceline.”
Travel spending has been strong in recent months, but hotel demand has waned in recent weeks. The U.S. Travel Association said that hotel demand in May fell below pre-pandemic levels for the third consecutive month. Booking Holdings, Priceline’s parent company, has several other travel brands, including Booking.com and Kayak. The company has worked with Amazon on Prime deals in Germany and Austria.
Amazon also has tried to build its own hotel booking service, but it closed Amazon Destinations a few months after launching.
The partnership between Amazon and Priceline is a sign that the two companies are looking to work together to offer more comprehensive travel offerings to consumers.
How the Partnership Works
Amazon Prime members will be able to see a banner on the Prime Day website that links to Priceline’s Hotel Express deals. When they click on the banner, they will be taken to a page on Priceline’s website where they can see the discounted hotel deals.
If they choose to book a hotel, they will receive an additional 20 percent off the Priceline rate.
The Benefits of the Partnership
The partnership between Amazon and Priceline has several benefits for both companies.
For Amazon, the partnership is an opportunity to broaden its travel offerings and boost sign-ups for Prime. Amazon has been trying to expand its travel offerings for several years, but it has had limited success. The partnership with Priceline could help Amazon to reach a wider audience of travelers. It also can attract more people to sign up for Prime.
For Priceline, the partnership is an opportunity to fill empty hotel rooms. The partnership with Amazon could help Priceline to fill some of its empty rooms and boost revenue.
The Future of the Partnership
The partnership is a sign that the two companies are looking to work together for more comprehensive travel offerings. If the partnership is successful, it could pave the way for more cooperation between Amazon and Priceline in the future.