How Kayak Fared 10 Years After Priceline’s Offer to Buy It
Photo Credit: Kayak co-founders Steve Hafner and Paul English speaking at Skift events in London and New York in 2017 and 2018. Skift
Skift Take
Kayak isn't as muscular today in metasearch, as some would have forecast years ago, given the impact of Google. But Kayak hasn't folded, either.
Dennis' Online Travel Briefing
Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.Ten years ago this week, on November 9, 2012, the Priceline Group (today's Booking Holdings) announced a deal to acquire Kayak, the Connecticut-based metasearch engine, which had been a public company for less than four months.
"A bomb just dropped in the online travel world: Priceline the world’s largest travel company, has agreed to acquire travel meta-search company Kayak, for about $1.8 billion," wrote Skift founder Rafat Ali, adding, "Priceline will gain a great online and mobile team to build its portfolio and will put muscle behind the Kayak brand." After regulatory scrutiny, Priceline welcomed Kayak into the fold on May 21, 2013.
To understand the context, Kayak was among the hottest things in U.S. online travel in those days, although Google had acquired flight-tech company ITA Software in 2011.
When Kayak, which was co-founded in 2004 by Steve Hafner and Paul English, went public on Nasdaq on July 20, 2012, Skift
