Qantas Holidays has launched a new online accommodation booking facility - ReadyRooms - to compete with third party operators like wotif.com and hotelclub.com.au.

ReadyRooms was designed and built by Sydney company Viator Systems and allows consumers to book ‘last-minute’ Australian hotel rooms through the Qantas website.

Viator introduced a similar facility for British Airways and has been working with Qantas Holidays on the ReadyRooms project for the past six months.

Viator Systems CEO Rod Cuthbert said technology licensing was an important part of Viator’s business that might soon rival its core activity - selling destination activities on the web.

QH ceo Simon Bernardi said ReadyRooms was the first of a number of web projects the company planned.

The company said travel agents who booked through ReadyRooms would be paid commission.

In other news, the local online travel segment continued to grow last month, accounting for 4.53 per cent of all internet usage, according to Hitwise.