Kayak Fires More Than 50 As It Eliminates Brand Marketing in London and Berlin


Skift Take

Kayak is looking to get leaner and more efficient. The restructuring, though, doesn't exactly mesh with the upbeat picture about the metasearch company that parent Booking Holdings described during its fourth-quarter earnings call this week.
Kayak has laid off more than 50 employees as it eliminated brand marketing operations in London and Berlin and consolidated them into a Europe, Middle East and Africa team based in Copenhagen, Skift has learned. The company, part of Booking Holdings, also consolidated its tech team's quality assurance efforts with a goal of "less manual testing and closer alignment with product and development," according to a note that co-founder and CEO Steve Hafner sent to the company Thursday. The 50 jobs represents 6 percent of Kayak's total workforce. Hafner also told employees Kayak is restructuri