lastminute.com and
Alitalia have signed a pan-European
marketing deal, with immediate effect.

Caption: Martha Lane Fox, lastminute.com`s co-founder and Group Managing
Director
The agreement will give lastminute.com
customers access to all of
Alitalia`s leisure fares worldwide and in all its European markets
(the UK, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany and
Sweden).

Besides ticket distribution, the deal also involves extensive joint
marketing activities including the use of lastminute.com email
newsletters to more than 6.8 million registered subscribers.

Martha Lane Fox, lastminute.com`s co-founder and Group Managing
Director said: “In the first week of March, lastminute.com
experienced its highest ever flights sales volume on the UK site. We
feel this achievement is a result of our continued commitment to
delivering the best value deals to customers. With its fantastic
product in Italy, the marketing agreement with Alitalia is integral
to this development - enhancing relationships with key partners to
offer both suppliers and customers the best and most reliable
service. As people are becoming increasingly flexible about their
travel plans, with emphasis on short haul and late notice impulse
buys, it is great to be developing our relationship with Italy`s
number one airline Alitalia.”

Says Francesco Milazzi, Alitalia
Vice President and Area Manager
Northern Europe, France and Benelux: “We are delighted with this
agreement. E-business opportunities with commercial partners are high
on Alitalia`s priority list and this new cooperation will harness
both lastminute.com`s and Alitalia`s superb range of holiday and
flight products to Italy.”

Related stories on ITN:

(03/04/2003) BCP Gets into Lastminute.com`s Shopping Basket

(31/03/2003) Lastminute Selects Amadeus Reservation System

(27/03/2003) Lastminute Announces Proposed Acquisition of Holiday Autos

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