Expedia Inc. , the largest U.S. online travel agency, said on Wednesday it will start to offer corporate travel services through its purchase of Metropolitan Travel Inc., a Seattle agency specializing in business travel bookings.
Expedia, which sells most of its airline, hotel and other products to leisure travelers, did not disclose terms of the deal, which is expected to close later this month.
The acquisition is expected to boost Bellevue, Washington-based Expedia's earnings slightly in the third quarter.
As more people flock to the Internet in search of detailed travel planning information and lower prices, Expedia and other online agencies such as Priceline.com Inc. have started to look beyond leisure travel services to meet growing demand.
By acquiring Metropolitan Travel, a closely held corporate travel agent in Seattle that recorded more than $150 million in gross bookings in 2001, Expedia can tap into a list of present and past clients that includes Nordstrom Inc. , Starbucks Corp. Corp. and Washington Mutual Inc. .
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