Cheapflights
 | |
| Web address | http://www.cheapflights.co.uk |
|---|---|
Type of site | Flight Search Engine and travel information |
| Owner | Momondo Group (formerly Cheapflights Media Ltd) |
Cheapflights is a family of travel websites based in London and Boston owned by the private media company Momondo Group. Cheapflights' sites do not sell flights but publish information and deals online from airlines, low cost airlines and travel operators in the United States, UK and around the world.
History
Founded by travel journalist John Hatt, Cheapflights pioneered the travel Search Engine (TSE) concept in 1996.[1] Following a management buy-in in early 2000 by entrepreneurs David Soskin and Hugo Burge, Cheapflights introduced the pay-per-click (PPC) online advertising remuneration model, the first vertical search travel price comparison site to do so. The then pioneering concept continues to provide airlines and other travel operators with free listings for their flights deals which are then published online. Advertisers such as BA, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and Flight Centre then only pay for the high-quality leads that click through to their sites or telephone call centres. In 2012, Cheapflights had more than 100 million visits to its sites and helped its advertisers to achieve an estimated $3.7 billion sales.
Cheapflights also includes additional travel information for consumers and news on low-cost carriers and major airlines on its websites through a news blog. It also has free weekly newsletters for air-travellers in the United States, UK and Australia, which now have more than 6 million opt-in subscribers.
In 2011 Cheapflights Media Ltd purchased momondo.com and its parent company Skygate International.[2]
In 2012, Cheapflights Media, the company which owns the Cheapflights family of sites, underwent a corporate rebrand, adopting the name Momondo Group, as part of its stated strategy to move into more non-English-speaking markets. The company also announced expansion into South Africa and Australia, and in April 2013, launched a country-specific Cheapflights site in New Zealand.[3]
References
- ↑ Braithwaite, Tom (2006-07-26). "A start-up that took to the skies". Financial Times. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
- ↑ Cheapflights.com Invests in Momondo and parent company Skygate Cheapflights.com 2011-3-29
- ↑ Cheapflights Launches New Zealand Website ASIATravelTips.com 3-4-2013
External links
- Official Cheapflights Site
- Interview with David Soskin and Hugo Burge video
- Cheapflights plans for overseas expansion with corporate rebrand Travel Weekly 12-11-2012
