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

NORWALK, CT -- February 7, 2005 -- Kayak.com today announced the consumer launch of Kayak.com, a comparison shopping website that helps users make informed decisions in their travel planning. Started by the “Dream Team of Online Travel,” including the co-founders of Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity, the site launches after four months of extensive consumer beta testing.


Kayak.com is the first travel search engine to integrate user-created reviews and ratings and other relevant travel information with real-time prices and availability. The site accesses over 100 online travel sites with just one click, providing prices and itineraries for more than 550 airlines and 85,000 hotels.

“Online travel has quickly become a $55 billion industry, but the fact remains that most consumers are frustrated by having to look at dozens of sites to find the best deals or itineraries,” said Steve Hafner, CEO and co-founder, Kayak.com. “Kayak.com addresses these frustrations by providing comprehensive and objective prices and information in one clean, easy-to-use display. We hope to help online travel become a $100 billion industry within the next few years.”

Since the beta launch on October 7, 2004, Kayak.com, formerly Kayak Software Corporation, has added a wealth of new content, features, and distribution partners, making it “the best travel site to come along in a long, long time,” according to one Kayak.com user.

Content from Over 100 Travel Websites

Consumers visiting Kayak.com can now access information from a growing roster of travel websites, saving time and providing options and information they might not have seen otherwise.

Kayak.com is announcing new relationships with the following airlines, hotels, online travel agencies, and consolidators: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Best Western International, Choice Hotels International, Continental Airlines, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Frontier Airlines, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, JetAway.com, JetBlue Airways, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, LastMinuteTravel.com, Midwest Airlines, Octopustravel.com, Northwest Airlines, OneTravel.com, ReserveTravel.com, Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, to name a few.

New Filtering and Personalization Features

Kayak.com is the first travel site to use Rich Internet Application architecture, which allows users to refine their search criteria and see immediate results. Kayak.com now makes it even easier for travelers to filter through hundreds of fares/rates and flight/hotel options. Consumers can use interactive sliders to narrow prices and flight times filtered by arrival or departure time. Check boxes and an interactive matrix allow filtering by airports, airlines, and number of stops. Users can also track in real-time which web sites are being searched for relevant information.

The company is also debuting new personalization features. Consumers who elect to register with Kayak.com can select or create profiles that automatically filter travel options by personal preferences, including number of stops and travelers, preferred airlines, airports and home airport. Users can select any profile as their default profile and Kayak.com will automatically search with these parameters in place. In addition, Kayak.com keeps track of “My Reviews” so that users can easily find their favorite hotels and personalized comments.

“Our website will continue to expand functionality in the weeks to come, such as multi-city and one-way itineraries, passenger and cabin-type fares, and new personalization features,” said Paul English, Kayak.com’s CTO and co-founder. “We are committed to providing consumers with the peace of mind that they are seeing all the options and getting the best deal - all in one easy-to-use display.”

New Distribution Partner USATODAY.com Travel

Kayak.com launched its affiliate network with America Online in November 2004. Today, Kayak.com announces that it has entered into a similar relationship with USATODAY.com, the award-winning news and information website with over 8 million visitors per month. Under terms of the agreement, Kayak.com will operate a co-branded travel price comparison tool accessible to visitors to the site.

Keith Melnick, Kayak.com’s vice president, business development said, “We are thrilled to add new partners to Kayak.com’s growing affiliate network. Not only will visitors to USATODAY.com Travel benefit from Kayak.com’s advanced travel search engine, but Kayak.com’s travel suppliers will receive greater exposure to more consumers -- it’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Kayak.com’s affiliate program is targeted at providing comprehensive travel search functionality to websites with more than one million visitors a month. Additionally, websites of any size can implement Kayak.com’s travel search functionality at no cost. Information can be found at http://developer.kayak.com/affiliates.html.

Promotion Kicks Off Consumer Launch

To celebrate its consumer launch, Kayak.com has partnered with Concierge.com, The Islands of The Bahamas and JetBlue to provide a “Winter Escape” for Kayak.com registered users. Throughout the month of February, users who register on Kayak.com will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Winter Getaway to The Bahamas. Each week, one lucky winner will receive a three-night trip for two to the British Colonial Hilton, located on a beautiful private beach within a 5 minute walk of Nassau’s exciting shopping and restaurant district.

About Kayak.com

Created by the co-founders of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, Kayak.com is a comparison-shopping website that helps consumers make informed decisions in their travel planning. The site offers a comprehensive search engine that scours over 100 online travel sites, providing prices and itineraries for more than 550 airlines and 85,000 hotels. Kayak.com displays more choices of available itinerary/price combinations than any other travel site and is the only travel site with MultiBook(TM), a breakthrough technology that lets consumers choose where to purchase their trip. It is also the first travel site to integrate user-created reviews and ratings and other relevant travel information with real-time prices and availability. Kayak.com’s investors include Sequoia Capital, America Online, Inc. and General Catalyst Partners. For additional background, please visit www.kayak.com.

Contact Information

Dana Galin

Media Contact

Kayak.com

Contact via E-mail