Looking to get away? Maybe you should just add a trip to your Wish List in the hope someone buys it for you. At least, that’s what you might be able to do soon, if reports of Amazon branching out into travel are accurate.
The travel news site Skift reports that Amazon has been working with independent hotels and resorts near major cities to kickstart a new Travel department. The report claims that the new service could launch as soon as January 1, 2015, initially providing hotel options around New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
The model sounds pretty simple: hotels would list rooms, availability, pricing and photos into on Amazon, then pay 15 per cent commission to Amazon on any bookings. Hoteliers tell Skift that Amazon has been approaching them to join the scheme over the past weeks, using TripAdvisor ratings to target the best places to get on board.
The report suggests that the initial focus of Amazon Travel would be on places to stay rather than transport, though the offering will be “rounded out” with “editorial about attractions and other things to do in the destination.” It sound much like Amazon’s other early-stage dabbling, which start small in an attempt to see if they’re viable at scale.
Obviously, it’s tough to say how accurate this report is. But with Amazon increasingly looking to provide services for every facade of your life, it’s certainly believable. Let’s wait see. [Skift]
Picture: Nic Taylor/Flickr