Kayak launches in France

Kayak is increasing its presence in the European market by launching a standalone site for the French market. The US-owned travel search engine unveiled Kayak.fr this week, seven months after the launch of a dedicated site for UK & Ireland. Around ten million French consumers book their holidays via the web, according to the Benchmark…

Kayak is increasing its presence in the European market by launching a standalone site for the French market.


The US-owned travel search engine unveiled Kayak.fr this week, seven months after the launch of a dedicated site for UK & Ireland.


Around ten million French consumers book their holidays via the web, according to the Benchmark Group.


The development marks another step in the expansion plans of US meta search sites since late-2006.


Both Kayak and Sidestep are believed to be targeting as many markets in Europe as possible as they look to gain a foothold outside of the US.


Kayak co-founder Steve Hafner said: “The French market has previously suffered from biased results, service fees tacked on by online travel agencies and the primitive functionalities of current travel search engines.


“Kayak’s launch in France will simplify the booking process by providing a comprehensive search function and the tools needed to narrow in on the best itinerary and price.”