KAYAK lets travelers publicly shame uncommitted friends on city billboards

KAYAK introduced a marketing stunt called “Bookboards” that allows travelers to nominate a flaky companion and potentially see their name on prominent digital billboards across New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Participants submit a personalized note and trip information at no cost, with the deadline set for August 4, though the company cannot guarantee every entry will be displayed. The campaign follows internal data showing that 84 % of travelers have seen a group trip fall apart during planning, often because a single friend refuses to commit.

To ease group-travel hassles, KAYAK also unveiled AI tools that generate itineraries from simple prompts and a “Group Trip” filter that showcases cost-effective destinations with average round-trip airfare and hotel rates below $500. These additions aim to reduce the back-and-forth in group chats and help users save on rising travel costs, including a 23 % year-over-year increase in domestic airfare and a 3 % rise in hotel prices. KAYAK is part of Booking Holdings.