Travel sites court unmanaged business users

By Kyle Peterson

CHICAGO (Reuters) - After revolutionizing U.S travel bookings, online agencies now have their eye on a lucrative, but elusive part of the business market.

The so-called unmanaged business travelers have become increasingly valuable to companies like Expedia Inc. spokesman said the company did not have a specific offering for unmanaged business travelers.

PhocusWright's Sileo said efforts by online travel agencies to lure unmanaged business travelers had been strong, but so far no agency has found an effective way to corral the indistinct and fragmented market.

"It's a difficult market to target and isolate," she said. "All of them have tried. They've all developed it. But the trick is to get people to use it."