Virgin Australia Adds Hotels with New HTS Stays Portal

Virgin Australia has expanded its partnership with Hopper’s B2B division HTS to launch a hotel booking portal powered by HTS Stays, becoming the first airline to integrate this modern accommodation marketplace into its direct channels. The new feature enables customers to book hotels seamlessly through the airline’s website and app, enhancing its ability to offer bundled travel options and improving the customer booking experience.

The integration follows a previous partnership between the two companies in February, which introduced Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) on Economy Lite and Choice fares. The HTS Stays platform is designed to help airlines boost cross-sell capabilities by embedding a modern hotel booking system within their digital ecosystem. Virgin Australia’s loyalty program members will benefit directly, earning three Velocity Frequent Flyer points for every Australian dollar spent when booking through the new portal.

Dakota Smith, president and co-founder of Hopper, emphasized the importance of delivering a modern booking journey. “We pride ourselves on building modern marketplaces that meet the evolving needs of modern travelers,” Smith said. “By pairing our award-winning mobile and web UX with our innovative approach to rewards, we are steadfast in our mission to elevate the travel booking and trip-taking experience for travelers globally.”

Virgin Australia’s general manager of direct and ancillary, Rob Pickering, noted the strategic importance of the partnership. “HTS is a strategic and critical partner for modernizing and enhancing our sales channels,” he said. “By enhancing our accommodations offering with HTS, we are excited for our customers to enjoy a more seamless and personalized booking experience for their whole trip.”

HTS, which now accounts for 75% of Hopper’s business, is continuing to grow with a series of new partnerships. Smith revealed that Virgin Australia’s integration is the first official launch of HTS Stays and that initial results have been strong. The company uses AI-powered travel technology and a data-driven approach to create custom solutions for airlines, banks, and other travel providers.

Last month, HTS also announced a new partnership with Jazeera Airways to roll out CFAR and Disruption Assistance For Any Reason (DAFAR) products. In the financial sector, HTS partnered with Lloyds Bank to launch a travel booking portal exclusively for the bank’s credit cardholders in the UK.

Smith added that several more partnerships are currently in the works as HTS continues to scale its travel fintech products, e-commerce tools, and digital marketplaces globally. The company’s goal is to create flexible, intuitive platforms that not only meet but exceed the expectations of today’s digitally savvy travelers.

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Virgin Australia Adds Hotels with New HTS Stays Portal

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