Kayak

Short description: Travel metasearch engine owned and operated by Booking Holdings

Kayak

Screenshot

Type of site

| Subsidiary
Available in| 18 languages
Founded| January 14, 2004; 22 years ago (2004-01-14)
Headquarters| Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Area served| Global
Founder(s)| Steve Hafner
Paul M. English
Key people| Steve Hafner (CEO)
Giorgos Zacharia (President)
Ko Baryiames (CTO)
Amy Wei (CCO)
Peer Bueller (CFO)
Tore Pein Jensen (CMO)
Industry| Travel
Technology
Products| Travel agency
Metasearch engine
Revenue| US$292.7 million (2012)[1]
Parent| Booking Holdings
Subsidiaries| SWOODOO
Checkfelix
Mundi
Hotels Combined
Website| www.kayak.com
Launched| February 7, 2005 (2005-02-07) (Public)[2]
Native client(s) on| iOS, Android, watchOS, Amazon Alexa, Facebook Messenger

Kayak (styled as KAYAK) is a metasearch engine owned and operated by Booking Holdings.[3]

Kayak's website and mobile apps are currently available in about 20 languages and 30 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom , Canada , India , China , France , Germany , Italy, Spain , Russia ,[4] Switzerland , Norway , Sweden, Finland , the Netherlands, Australia , Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Belgium, Korea, Japan , and Singapore.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Awards
* 3 All-American Muslim advertising
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## History

Kayak was founded in January 2004 by Steve Hafner and Paul M. English.[5][6] Before Kayak, Steve Hafner, Kayak's current CEO, helped found Orbitz in November 1999 and led its business development, advertising sales, marketing, and product marketing activities.[7]

The company was originally named Travel Search Company, Inc. and the name was changed to Kayak Software Corporation in August 2004.[8]

The website launched in February 2005.[2]

In December 2007, Kayak raised $196 million in a new round of financing from a group of investors including General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, and Oak Investment Partners. Using that funding, Kayak acquired SideStep, another online travel agency.[9][10]

On March 5, 2010, Kayak sold certain assets related to TravelPost.[11] In May 2010, Kayak acquired German travel search platform Swoodoo.[12][13]

In January 2011, Kayak shut down SideStep and redirected SideStep traffic to Kayak.com.[14]

In March 2011, Kayak began providing results in the U.S. version of Bing from multiple cities, airports and airlines in Bing's travel search section.[15]

In April 2011, Kayak acquired all of the outstanding shares of JaBo Vertrieb-und Entwicklung GmbH, or JaBo Software, operator Checkfelix, a travel search engine in Austria.[16][17]

On July 20, 2012, Kayak became a public company via an initial public offering. On its first day of trading, Kayak opened at $26 per share and closed at $33.18 per share.[18]

On May 21, 2013, Booking Holdings, then known as Priceline.com, acquired the company for $2.1 billion.[19]

On September 25, 2013, it was announced that Connecticut would assist Kayak with a $2.5 million loan to help facilitate their move to the Harbor Point district of Stamford.[20]

In August 2017, the company acquired a Brazilian flight metasearch company named Mundi.[21]

In July 2018, Kayak assumed leadership of Hotels Combined, which was acquired by parent Booking Holdings.[22]

In September 2018, the company launched a feature to help travelers determine if their luggage fits in the overhead bin of planes.[23]

## Awards

In 2013, Travel + Leisure named Kayak's app in its list of the Best Apps for Business Travelers[24] as well as its list for the Best Apps and Websites for Travelers.

Time (magazine) named Kayak to its list of the 50 Best Websites of 2009.[25]

Mashable included Kayak in first place for the website's list, "10 Budget Airfare Tools Every Traveler Should Know in 2012".[26]

Kayak won the following Webby Awards:

* 2008: People's Voice award in the travel website category[27]
* 2009: The Webby Award in the travel website category[28]
* 2011: The People's Voice award in the mobile travel app category in 2011[29]
* 2012: 3 awards: both the Webby and People's Choice awards in the travel website category, and the People's Voice award in the mobile travel app category.[30]
* 2013: Nominee for Best Travel Mobile & App for Handheld Devices[31]
* 2014: both the People's Voice and Webby Award in the Travel category for Tablets.[32]
* 2015, Kayak Mobile won again the People's Voice Award in the Travel category.[33]

The World Travel Awards presented Kayak with the World's Leading Flight Comparison Website award in 2013 and the World's Leading Travel Search Website award in 2011.[34]

## All-American Muslim advertising

In December 2011 Kayak announced that it would not renew a contract to advertise on the TLC reality television show All-American Muslim. The decision followed a campaign by the Florida Family Association, a one-man fundamentalist organization focused on “defending American values".[35][36] In a statement posted to the Kayak website, Kayak chief marketing officer Robert Birge wrote that TLC “was not upfront with us about the nature of the show”.[37]

## References

1. ↑ King, Danny (April 3, 2013). "Kayak turns 2012 profit". https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Online-Travel/Kayak-turns-2012-profit.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Kayak.com Launches Consumer Online Travel Site; Company Announces New Content, Features, and Distribution Partner; Plus, Kayak.com to Award Winter Getaways for Registered Users" (Press release). Kayak.com. February 7, 2005 - via Business Wire. `{{cite press release}}`: External link in ``|via=`` (help)
3. ↑ "Kayak.com: Private Company Overview". https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/KYAK:US.
4. ↑ Perez, Sarah (July 20, 2012). "Kayak Is Headed To Russia". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/20/kayak-is-headed-to-russia/.
5. ↑ "The Billion-Dollar Travel Agent". January 9, 2018. https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2018/01/09/paul-english/.
6. ↑ "The Way I Work: Paul English of Kayak". https://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/the-way-i-work-paul-english-of-kayak.html.
7. ↑ Timmins, Beth; Cox, Josie (26 April 2017). "A View from the Top: Steve Hafner, founder of travel comparison site Kayak". The Independent (London). https://www.independent.co.uk/Business/indyventure/kayak-founder-steve-hafner-startup-online-price-comparison-travel-company-priceline-group-a7691571.html.
8. ↑ "Kayak Software Corporation 2012 Form 10-K Annual Report". https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1312928/000131292813000005/kayakq4201210-k.htm.
9. ↑ Arrington, Michael (December 20, 2007). "Breaking: Kayak Raises $196 Million, Buys Rival SideStep". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2007/12/20/breaking-kayak-raises-196-million-buys-rival-sidestep/.
10. ↑ Luzadder, Dan (December 21, 2007). "Kayak.com, SideStep to merge in $196 million deal". Travel Weekly. https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Online-Travel/Kayak-com-SideStep-to-merge-in-196-million-deal.
11. ↑ Schaal, Dennis (February 11, 2011). "Kayak has stake in TravelPost rollout". Phocuswire. https://www.phocuswire.com/Kayak-has-stake-in-TravelPost-rollout.
12. ↑ Zinnagl, Lukas (May 6, 2010). "Kayak swoops on German travel search engine Swoodoo [Updated"]. https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/06/kayak-swoops-on-german-travel-search-engine-swoodoo/.
13. ↑ "KAYAK acquires swoodoo, Germany's leading travel search site" (Press release). Kayak.com. May 6, 2010.
14. ↑ Rao, Leena (May 27, 2011). "in-front-of-its-ipo-kayak-reports-growth-in-revenue-but-income-down". https://techcrunch.com/2011/05/27/in-front-of-its-ipo-kayak-reports-growth-in-revenue-but-income-down/.
15. ↑ Duryee, Tricia (March 4, 2011). "Bing Picks Kayak for Travel Search Partnership". All Things D. http://allthingsd.com/20110304/bing-picks-kayak-for-travel-search-partnership/.
16. ↑ Taylor, Colleen (May 27, 2011). "Poised for IPO, Kayak Reports Sales Boost and Global Growth". Gigaom. https://gigaom.com/2011/05/27/kayak-ipo-global-growth/.
17. ↑ May, Kevin (April 5, 2011). "Kayak buys Austrian travel search engine Checkfelix". Phocuswire. https://www.phocuswire.com/Kayak-buys-Austrian-travel-search-engine-Checkfelix.
18. ↑ Empson, Rip (July 20, 2012). "That'll Fly: Kayak Closes IPO Day With Shares Up Nearly 30% And Market Cap Over $1.2B". Techcrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/20/kayak-ipo-first-day/.
19. ↑ "PCLN Form 10-Q". https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1075531/000107553113000045/pcln6301310q.htm.
20. ↑ "Gov. Malloy: Kayak to Expand and Create 50 Jobs in Stamford" (Press release). Connecticut. September 25, 2013.
21. ↑ O'Neill, Sean (August 4, 2017). "Kayak Acquires Assets of Struggling Brazilian Metasearch Company Mundi". Skift. https://skift.com/2017/08/04/kayak-acquires-struggling-brazilian-metasearch-company-mundi/.
22. ↑ Schaal, Dennis (July 9, 2018). "Booking Holdings Buys HotelsCombined as Kayak Expands Into Asia Pacific". Skift. https://skift.com/2018/07/09/booking-holdings-buys-hotelscombined-as-kayak-unit-expands-into-asia-pacific/.
23. ↑ Perez, Sarah (September 18, 2018). "kayaks-new-ar-feature-will-tell-you-if-your-carry-on-bag-fits-the-overhead-bin". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/18/kayaks-new-ar-feature-will-tell-you-if-your-carry-on-bag-fits-the-overhead-bin/.
24. ↑ Brown Hunt, Katrina; Samiljan, Tom (October 14, 2013). "Best Apps for Business Travelers". Travel + Leisure. https://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/best-apps-for-business-travelers#8.
25. ↑ Fisher, Adam (August 24, 2009). "50 Best Websites 2009". Time. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1918031_1918016_1917940,00.html.
26. ↑ "10 Budget Airfare Tools Every Traveler Should Know". Mashable. July 26, 2012. https://mashable.com/2012/07/26/cheap-airfare/#gallery/10-websites-for-finding-the-most-affordable-airfare/520bdab6519840701200079d.
27. ↑ "2008 People's Voice: KAYAK.COM". https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2008/web/general-website/travel/kayakcom/?/.
28. ↑ "2009 Webby Award Winner: KAYAK.COM". https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2008/web/general-website/travel/kayakcom/?/.
29. ↑ "Kayak Mobile For Iphone". https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2011/mobile-apps/handheld-devices/travel-handheld-devices/kayak-mobile-for-iphone/.
30. ↑ "We Won Three Webby Awards – Thanks to You". May 1, 2012. https://www.kayak.com/news/won-three-webby-awards-thanks/.
31. ↑ "2013 Nominee: KAYAK - MOBILE SITES & APPS". https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2013/mobile-apps/all-devices/best-user-experience/kayak/?/.
32. ↑ "2014 People's Voice / Webby Award Winner: KAYAK Technology Team". https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2014/mobile-apps/tablet-and-all-other-devices/travel-tablet-all-other-devices/kayak/?/.
33. ↑ "2015 People's Voice: KAYAK - MOBILE SITES & APPS". https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2015/mobile-sites-apps/handheld-devices/travel-handheld-devices/kayak/?/.
34. ↑ "Kayak". http://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-27419-kayak.
35. ↑ Freedman, Samuel G. (December 16, 2011). "Waging a One-Man War on American Muslims". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/us/on-religion-a-one-man-war-on-american-muslims.html.
36. ↑ Diaz, Johnny (December 14, 2011). "Kayak won't renew ads on Muslim TV show". The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2011/12/14/kayak-com-stop-advertising-tlcs-all-american-muslim/WvFBwiSdzNKHnQdxr6Zh1H/story.html.
37. ↑ Elliott, Stuart (December 14, 2011). "Kayak Defends Cutting Ties to 'All-American Muslim'". The New York Times. https://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/kayak-defends-cutting-ties-to-all-american-muslim/.

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