Traders were asking whether Lastminute.com had finally come of age yesterday as the company announced the acquisition of travel website Destination Holdings Group for £12m - backed by a placing of shares to raise £8m.

Not only is Destination Group actually profitable but it has over 16 years experience in providing holidays, flights and car hire services.

The deal will immediately boost Lastminute.com's bottom line. It follows a deal announced earlier this week with the travel agency arm of German airline Lufthansa, which has helped the company plug a hole in its operational network.

That deal will greatly help Lastminute.com's German business to join its counterparts in the UK and France in breaking into the black.

Traders who had once dismissed Lastminute.com as a flash in the pan were yesterday admitting that it appears the business will be one of the few dot.com winners. The company's shares closed up 7.5p at 91.5p, just a few pence off the year's high.