SAN FRANCISCO — Orbitz for Business and Limos.com are giving road warriors the ability to book chauffeured vehicles and limousines through the online travel agency’s corporate booking tool.

The deal adds chauffeured vehicles and limousines from some 2,000 chauffeured transportation and limousine vendors to the Orbitz for Business ground transportation mix, giving corporate travelers an alternative to car rental firms, the companies say. Orbitz is the third largest online travel agency by traffic volume.

The service is available in some 370 destinations in 62 countries. Corporations have access to negotiated discounts of up to 40% on the chauffeured vehicles and limousines, and can take advantage of integrated reporting and policy controls, the companies say.

This is not the first time that Orbitz for Business has offered chauffeured vehicles and limousines. In 2005, for example, Orbitz for Business struck a similar deal with GT3 (Ground Travel Transportation Team).

T.J. Clark, CEO of Limos.com, claims its negotiated rates and policy controls make such vehicles a cost-effective alternative for corporations. However, whether they beat negotiated rates from rental car companies on a consistent basis is an open question.

Limos.com says Orbitz for Business customers get access to “all-inclusive pricing” at the time of booking. The corporate travel market is a key potential growth area for San Francisco-based Limos.com, which launched its own Limos.com for Business nearly a year ago.

Related LCT article: GETTING BIG BIZ: Limos.com Launches “For Business” Product

Source: tnooz.com (talking travel tech)