lastminute.com group N.V.
TypePublic
SIX: LMN
IndustryTravel
Technology
Founded2006 (2006)
HeadquartersChiasso, Switzerland
Key people
Fabio Cannavale
(CEO & Co-Founder)
Marco Corradino
(COO & Co-Founder)
ProductsTravel agency
Metasearch engine
BrandsLastminute.com
Volagratis
Rumbo
Bravofly
Jetcost
Hotelscan
Crocierissime.it
weg.de
Number of employees
Over 1,400
Websitewww.lastminutegroup.com

Lastminute.com Group owns several travel brands including lastminute.com, Volagratis, Rumbo, Bravofly, Jetcost, Crocierissime.it, weg.de, and Hotelscan.

The company operates websites and mobile apps in 17 languages and 40 countries and has 43 million monthly unique users.

It was called Bravofly Rumbo Group until May 2015.[1]

History

Lastminute.com Group was founded in 2006 but traces its roots back to 2004, when Fabio Cannavale[2] and Marco Corradino launched Volagratis, a search engine for low cost flights in the Italian market.

In 2006, it was organized as a Group, the headquarters were moved to Chiasso and it began its international expansion by introducing localized websites in Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.[3]

In November 2012, it acquired Rumbo, a Spanish online travel agency.[4]

In December 2013, it acquired Jetcost, a French travel metasearch engine.[5]

On 15 April 2014, the company was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich.[6]

In March 2015, the company acquired lastminute.com from Sabre Holdings, owner of online travel agency Travelocity.com, the for £76 million, and in May 2015 it changed its name to lastminute.com group.[1][7]

In 2016, the company launched Travel People, an advertising platform.[8]

In September 2016, the company acquired WAYN, a social travel network, for £1 million.[9][10]

In November 2017, it acquired Hotelscan.com, a hotel metasearch engine.[11]

In December 2017, the company acquired German Comvel GmbH, founded 2004 in Munich, which operates weg.de.[12]

In April 2019, the company created Forward, a media company.[13]

For a number of years even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bravofly and other Lastminute.com Group brands have had a high percentage of negative reviews relating to customer service. This has earned Bravofly a 2.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.com,[14] 1.55 stars out of 5 on sitejabber.com,[15] 2.0 stars out of 5 on mamma.com[16] and 1.2 out of 5 on their own Facebook[17] page. Common problems include customer service telephone numbers that are no longer connected, requested flight changes not being made in a timely manner, refunds not being processed, and the optionally purchased Service Package not being honored.

Main Brands

  • lastminute.com is an online travel and leisure retailer. The company was founded by Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman to offer late holiday deals online. The company was sold in 2005 to Sabre Holdings, parent of online travel agency Travelocity.com, for £600 million.
  • Volagratis.com was launched Italy in 2004. It offers a range of services including hotels, flights, city breaks, holidays, cruises and car rentals.
  • Rumbo, launched in Spain in 2000, operates websites in other European countries as well as in South America. Rumbo is a full-service travel website, with its offering comprising hotels, flights, city breaks, package holidays and cruises.[18]
  • Jetcost is a metasearch engine that focuses on airfares in 38 countries.
  • Hotelscan is a metasearch engine for lodging. Its daily updated database of around 1.3 million properties with data from over 100 online booking website.
  • Bravofly is a full-service travel website. Founded in 2006, Bravofly websites are available in 17 languages in 40 countries.
  • weg.de is a German travel website operated by Comvel GmbH, which was founded 2004 in Munich. weg.de focuses on package holidays and all-inclusive vacations.
  • Crocierissime.it is an Italian travel website.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bravofly Rumbo Group announces change of name to lastminute.com" (Press release). Lastminute.com Group. 19 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Fabio Cannavale". Bloomberg L.P.
  3. ↑ "Bravofly eyes acquisition to build presence in UK dynamic tour operating market". Travolution. February 21, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Telefonica Sells Online Travel Agency Rumbo to Bravofly". Bloomberg News. November 2, 2012.
  5. ↑ May, Kevin (December 23, 2013). "Bravofly acquires Jetcost as OTA-meta lines continue to merge". Phocuswire.
  6. ↑ "lastminute.com N.V." SIX Swiss Exchange. June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Bravofly completes acquisition of Sabre's lastminute.com". Travolution. 2 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Gill, Rob (July 12, 2018). "lastminute's Travel People builds up suite of marketing products". Phocuswire.
  9. ↑ Whyte, Patrick (October 13, 2016). "Lastminute Bought WAYN's Assets for Just $1.2 Million". Skift.
  10. ↑ May, Kevin (September 20, 2016). "WAYN travel social network bought by Lastminute.com Group". Phocuswire.
  11. ↑ Whyte, Patrick (November 8, 2017). "lastminute.com group announces the acquisition of hotelscan to expand its metasearch business". Skift.
  12. ↑ Whyte, Patrick (December 21, 2017). "Lastminute.com Group Speeds Pivot With Purchase of Germany's Weg.de". Skift.
  13. ↑ Fox, Linda (April 15, 2019). "Lastminute.com Group now also a media company, offers out marketing services". Phocuswire.
  14. ↑ "Bravofly is rated "Poor" with 2.4 / 5 on Trustpilot". Trustpilot. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  15. ↑ "Bravofly Reviews - 1.6 Stars". www.sitejabber.com. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  16. ↑ "Bravofly Reviews - Read Customer Reviews of bravofly.com Before You Buy". Trust Mamma. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  17. ↑ "Bravofly". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  18. ↑ "Quiénes somos" [About us] (in Spanish). Rumbo.
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