Cheapflights closes three sites

Cheapflights is to shut three of its websites as part of an effort to concentrate operations on its main business of flight search. Cheapholidaydeals.co.uk, Cheapaccommodation.co.uk and Cheapshortbreaks.co.uk will all be closed with immediate effect and at least one senior figure is also leaving the company. David Soskin confirmed that cuts would be made in the…

Cheapflights is to shut three of its websites as part of an effort to concentrate operations on its main business of flight search.


Cheapholidaydeals.co.uk, Cheapaccommodation.co.uk and Cheapshortbreaks.co.uk will all be closed with immediate effect and at least one senior figure is also leaving the company.


David Soskin confirmed that cuts would be made in the company but Cheapflights would commit to its relationships with accommodation providers in its three newest areas, a newsletter, Hand Picked Deals and elsewhere within the booking engine.


He said: “Our flights business is doing exceptionally well both here in the UK and in the USA.  We have decided therefore to focus on the flights area and on our core Cheapflights brand.


“We will cease to publish our accommodation, short break and holiday websites as stand-alone publishing operations. 


“As a consequence of this decision, there will be some departures from the company and we are currently in discussions with those concerned.”


The news comes just days after the company celebrated its best ever month in terms of traffic across the portfolio.


In January 2005 Cheapflights attracted 5.25 million unique users to its sites, a massive increase of 31.25% year-on-year.


Earlier this week Soskin said: “Growth in the USA has been particularly encouraging, especially as we have only spent minimal sums on off-line advertising.”


The company said users building their holidays around flights, rather than packages, had helped fuel the recent growth levels, with increased broadband rates and more online bookings also playing a key role.


“All this implies a fast-growing market for our existing and planned products as well as continuing organic growth at Cheapflights,” Soskin added.