Lastminutecom

Lastminute.com is a European online travel agency known for offering discounted travel products and experiences, particularly last-minute deals. The platform sells flights, hotels, holiday packages, cruises, car rentals, and activities in multiple languages and currencies, targeting consumers looking for competitive prices with short lead times.

The service was launched in 1998 in the United Kingdom by Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox, becoming one of Europe’s early successful online travel startups. It expanded rapidly and went public on the London Stock Exchange in 2000. In 2005, Sabre Holdings completed the acquisition of lastminute.com for about a billion dollars, integrating it into its travel network.

Following the acquisition, lastminute.com remained a significant European brand within Sabre and continued to develop its digital offerings. Over the 2010s and into the 2020s, the business broadened its portfolio beyond core flight and hotel bookings to include additional brands and services, emphasizing mobile access and a wider range of travel products and experiences.

Today, lastminute.com operates as part of a European online travel group that markets the lastminute.com brand alongside other regional brands. The group focuses on multilingual customer support, localized pricing, and a mix of last-minute travel deals and traditional bookings to serve diverse European markets. As an enduring name in online travel, lastminute.com continues to compete with other major OTAs by emphasizing value, convenience, and on-the-go booking.

---