As Leisure Travel Recovers, Australia's Qantas Will Acquire The Bulk of TripADeal

Australia's Qantas Airways announced on Tuesday that it will acquire a 51 percent stake in online travel operator TripADeal for an unknown sum in an effort to capitalize on the revival of demand for packaged vacations.

In recent months, easing COVID-19 and a revival in leisure travel have fueled a boom in the internet holiday booking business.

The agreement contains a provision for Qantas to acquire full ownership of TripADeal in four years and is expected to contribute to the national flag carrier's 2024 earnings targets.

It would enable regular fliers in the airline's reward program to redeem their points for any TripADeal vacation package, according to the Sydney-based company.

It said that Qantas Loyalty aimed for a return to double-digit growth in 2022 and underlying earnings before income tax of $500 million to $600 million by fiscal 2024.

Qantas said earlier this month that it would acquire the remaining ownership in Alliance Aviation Services for A$610.8 million to increase its footprint in the charter industry.