A website launched this week is claiming to offer cheaper flights than existing online travel companies on 17 of the 20 most popular routes from the UK.

Opodo is a joint venture by nine European airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France.

As well as selling tickets for the nine member airlines, the site will also offer fares for over 450 scheduled airlines worldwide, but not lowcost carriers or charter airlines.

Opodo chief executive Giovanni Bisignani claims its low prices are the result of a deal struck with 45 major airlines to send their cheapest fares immediately to the website.

Opodo will also sell hotel rooms and car hire and feature 30,000 pages of information on flight destinations, maps and airport guides.

Online travel sales increased by 69 per cent in 2001 with UK browsers spending £1 billion, and some forecasters expect the annual expenditure to rise to £6 billion over the next five years. Leisure travel is now the most lucrative sector on the internet, garnering 26 per cent of all e-commerce revenues in Europe.

Alitalia, Iberia, Finnair, KLM, Aer Lingus and Austrian Airlines are the other shareholders in Opodo.