The Erasmus Student Network, Europe’s largest student-led organisation with over 190,000 members, will offer a £15 (€20) discount to members who book their first flight through the StudentUniverse website.

“If you can make it affordable and accessible, I think you’re assisting this international experience”

The students will also receive special flight sales and promotions throughout their time abroad as part of the partnership.

Oscar Boije, partnership manager at the Erasmus Student Network said the collaboration between the two platforms carries mutual benefits.

“[StudentUniverse] has services and offers that you cannot find in other places, particularly for students,” he told The PIE News.

“This is one of the additional ways we can help students save money and experience more things during their time abroad.”

ESN will also be holding competitions for its members to receive flight credit for any future travel, in order to motivate them to get involved with their partners.

“I think there are a lot of factors of course that inspire young people to go abroad,” he added. “But if you can make it affordable and accessible, I think you’re assisting this international experience.”

Dan Baker, UK marketing manager at StudentUniverse, said the collaboration with ESN will allow the company to expand its reach into the European international student market.

Headquartered in Boston, the company also has offices in New York City, Toronto, London and the Philippines.

“It’s enabling ESN members to go further and to do more and to really make the most of their Erasmus experience,” he added.

StudentUniverse is also working with targeted UK universities which have a high number of international students, including Edinburgh University and London School of Economics.

Baker said that the model of StudentUniverse was fundamentally built on the international student market.

“They travel multiple times a year, they have the largest spending power and they’re truly global explorers and that’s what StudentUniverse is,” he told The PIE News.