Kayak Founders Team Up for Booking Holdings AI Startup: Scoop
Photo Credit: Kayak co-founders Steve Hafner (left) and Paul English speaking at Skift events in London and New York in 2017 and 2018. Skift
Skift Take
In addition to other Booking Holdings' brands, Seat Geek is listed as a partner. Users would presumably be able to use conversational AI to get "insider access" and discounted rates from Booking brands and partners.
Kayak founders Steve Hafner and Paul English are collaborating on an AI startup for Booking Holdings called Lola, according to English and a source familiar with the plans.
Booking Holdings purchased the Lola.com and Lola.ai URLs from English in early April.
A new splash page for Lola.com and Lola.ai went up Wednesday: "Welcome to Lola. Insider access to the world's leading travel brands. Better rates, better options, better everything. Just ask."
The "just ask" verbiage is an apparent reference on conversational AI on the site to come.
