Lastminute.com Looks To U.S. For Metasearch Growth
Photo Credit: Lastminute.com states its Jetcost metasearch arm is profitable and it is hoping to expand in the U.S. Jetcost
Skift Take
It seems odd and a stretch that such a European-focused brand would be gaining traction in the U.S. Will Lastminute.com now be able to scale its business and compete with the sector’s heavy hitters?
Lastminute.com, or the name, at least, is one of the great survivors of the dotcom age.
Since it was founded in 1998 -- and under various owners -- it has struggled for profitability. In 2015, Bravofly Rumbo Group bought Lastminute.com for just $1.24 (£1).
But, the newly renamed and enlarged Lastminute.com Group appears to have turned things around.
The company reversed a pre-tax loss of $24 million (€22.3 million) into a profit of $9.5 million (€8.9 million) during 2016. Revenues increased by 4.7 percent to $281 million (€262 million).
While the group’s online travel agency business took a slight step b
