● One-stop service to search for, compare, and book domestic and overseas trips – all through LINE
● Users can search for the best deals from more than 250 popular travel sites including "JTB"
● Features to be launched in phases, starting with reserving accommodations, followed by flights and domestic/international package tours later this year
TOKYO – June 28, 2018 – LINE Corporation launches "LINE Travel" today, a comprehensive travel service enabling users to search for, compare, and book domestic and overseas trips.
Since 2016, LINE has been advancing the "Smart Portal strategy" under its corporate mission of "Closing the Distance" to enable users to seamlessly connect with people, information, services, companies, and brands through LINE, online and offline, from anywhere and at anytime, 24/7, without leaving the app.
The "LINE Commerce gateway" was introduced last year as a new concept enabling users to start every shopping journey from within LINE. Two new services were launched as part of this concept: "LINE Shopping" (a service that makes shopping for great deals fun for users) and "LINE Delima" (a service that lets users order food from more than 14,000 locations across Japan). By creating new touchpoints between users and businesses, LINE has been providing a unique and seamless shopping experience to users.
LINE Travel (launching today) is the latest service to join the LINE Commerce gateway, and will enable users to search for, compare, and book domestic and overseas trips.
LINE Travel is one of the largest price comparison travel websites in Japan that will enable users to search through more than 250 travel companies and airlines for domestic and overseas hotels, package tours, and flights, and compare prices to find the best deal. Because the service is directly accessible through LINE without the need to install a separate app, this enables users to be more spontaneous when the urge to travel strikes while chatting with friends for instance, and look up hotels and other details right away.
Features will be released in phases, starting with searching for and comparing the prices of accommodations in Japan and overseas launching today. Flight comparison will launch in October, followed by comparing domestic and international package tours in December.
LINE Travel aims to enable users to plan trips seamlessly within LINE by sending them messages from the LINE Travel Official Account about trip recommendations and trending topics featured on travel TV shows, allowing them to use LINE to search for and compare prices of flight tickets and hotels, and enabling them to find the best deals for their trip.
LINE Travel's Features
① Easily accessible within the LINE app
The service is directly accessible through LINE, eliminating the need to install a separate app.
To access LINE Travel
In the LINE app, tap the "Wallet" tab and select "LINE Travel"
② Flights, hotels, and package tours can all be compared using LINE
Users can search for the best deals from more than 250 popular travel sites.
* Feature to compare flights and package tours will be launched sequentially in and after October.
③ Travel recommendations sent to users from the LINE Travel Official Account
From gaining interest to making reservations, planning activities, and sharing memories, users can enjoy a seamless travel experience using just LINE.
* Feature to be implemented around fall 2018.
LINE Travel Website (tentative images)
As was announced at LINE Conference 2018, LINE has set a FY2019 target of JPY 100 billion gross transaction volume for LINE Travel, as with its target for LINE Shopping. LINE will continue to make proactive efforts to upgrade LINE Travel's features and enrich its content to enable users to enjoy traveling more easily and spontaneously.
Additionally, LINE endeavors to accelerate efforts to advance its Smart Portal strategy, and aspires to make LINE Shopping, LINE Delima, and LINE Travel the entry points to all manners of businesses.