KAYAK co-founders launch booking solution and loyalty programme Lola

Subscription unlocks centralised travel and exclusive perks

Steve Hafner hasn’t stayed idle for long. The former KAYAK chief executive has unveiled Lola, which he describes as an AI-powered discovery and booking platform. 

By backing the rollout, Booking Holdings is putting more weight behind its “Connected Trip” strategy.

Lola takes the form of an AI interface that learns users’ preferences and surfaces real-time availability and prices for a range of services in one place. 

Beyond hotels, it will book restaurants, tourist activities and premium airport services such as helicopter transfers, alongside a personalised concierge service.

To offer that breadth, Lola has lined up heavyweight partners in the field such as KAYAK as well as Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda and Nuitee for hotels, OpenTable for dining, and SeatGeek, GetYourGuide and FareHarbor for activities. The firms provide its catalogues and member discounts through Lola, with more partners to come. 

“Each new partner gives our members a broader choice and more reasons to join,” said Paul English, co-founder of Lola. 

“Lola learns what each member likes and searches across hotels, restaurants, events, and experiences to find the options worth their time, with member rates and perks attached. We’re building Lola to be comprehensive, and there are many more partners to come.”

This connection to a galaxy of services is undoubtedly helped by the profiles of Lola’s two co-founders, Steve Hafner and Paul English, who also co-founded KAYAK. 

Hafner was among the creators of Orbitz and served as chief executive of OpenTable, while English founded Boston Venture Studio and the Institute for Applied AI.

Lola operates on a membership model. A free tier gives access to conversational discovery, personalised recommendations and direct booking from within the interface. 

Two paid plans at $5 and $25 per month add preferred rates and exclusive benefits, from fast-track access to airport services.

With those premium benefits, Hafner and English appear to be targeting a market historically dominated by high-end credit cards.

Beyond the ability to package complex, personalised trips, Lola is pitching a consumer loyalty programme that is decoupled from payment. 

“We built Lola to give everyone the advantage of being well connected. The next generation of AI assistants should do more than answer questions. 

"They should understand what you’re looking for, help you decide, and make it happen,” Hafner said. 

“Paid membership plans enhance access through preferred rates, sought-after reservations, and human help without requiring a particular credit card.”