At the All Things D conference on Wednesday, Groupon announced a new discount travel service: Groupon Getaways with Expedia.
Works like coupons on Groupon work – get daily deals, but instead of getting half off for Botox, you get a deal on plane tickets, rental cars and so on. Who takes the hit?
According to All Things D: “the daily deals business model stays the same with partnerships, except that the margins will be lower. The merchant still receives about half of what the consumer pays, but the other half will be split between Expedia and Groupon (specific terms were not disclosed).”
You can sign up now, and offers will start filling your inbox later this month. Although, looks like there’s potential for bugs. Again, from All Things D: “Groupon and Expedia are entering a crowded market full of discount travel sites, ranging from Groupon’s next-nearest competitor LivingSocial’s own branded Escapes business to other companies, such as Gilt Groupe’s Jetsetter and even Overstock.com. The two believe the value they are offering is in the fine print and by making it as straightforward as possible. For example, once a customer purchases a voucher, they will be able to redeem it over the next year based on availability, and that they’ll do their best to avoid the dreaded blackout travel dates.”
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