Lastminute.com to relaunch site in Q1 2009

A new-look lastminute.com, including design of its website, logo and branding, will be unveiled to consumers in the first quarter of 2009. The main thrust will be a redesigned online presence early next year to tap into the online travel agency’s lifestyle offering. The new approach will draw together the brand’s travel and lifestyle products…

A new-look lastminute.com, including design of its website, logo and branding, will be unveiled to consumers in the first quarter of 2009.

The main thrust will be a redesigned online presence early next year to tap into the online travel agency’s lifestyle offering.

The new approach will draw together the brand’s travel and lifestyle products in much closer way than in previous designs of the site, officials told Travolution when early design work for the site was showcased this week.

The new homepage also includes a stronger focus on inspiration for products and services for travellers rather than the existing navigation on the site.

Lastminute.com UK managing director John Bevan unveiled the new-look as the company celebrated its tenth birthday this week at the ABTA Travel Convention.

In a market report to coincide with the event, chief executive Ian McCaig dismissed suggestions that the economic situation would see a return to traditional package holidays.

He said: “The demise of mid-sized airlines and travel companies has been accelerated by the state of the financial markets, but it was inevitable anyway because without either scale or differentiation benefits you simply don’t have enough to offer the customers of today.

“The sun is setting on a model where consumers accept being force-fed narrow combinations of products that happen to allow travel companies to make the most money they can them. Consumers are lot smarter and demanding than that.”