Amadeus purchases Vacation.com to move into US market

NEWS The deal will provide Amadeus with access to 8,400 travel agencies in the US and Canada to help them offer holiday-makers cruises, accommodation and flights. Under the terms of the deal, Amadeus also takes on Vacation.com's debts worth $27.7m. The acquisition is the latest move in the company's plans to go online. At the beginning of October, Amadeus joined forces with SAS and Swedish Netcom to create an internet travel portal for Scandinavian holidays. It also signed a deal with Terra Networks, the internet arm of Telefonica, to open a Spanish travel site. Air France holds the majority stake in Amadeus, with Lufthansa and Iberia holding 18.28 per cent each.