Richa Bamb, Senior Quality Manager, KAYAK
This case study highlights how KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, transitioned from using a conventional local device lab for their app testing, which presented some challenges such as maintenance and availability issues, to adopting cloud-based testing with LambdaTest, improving efficiency and reliability.
Since 2004, KAYAK has been revolutionizing the travel industry. Today, the travel search engine operates a portfolio of 7 global travel brands; KAYAK, SWOODOO, checkfelix, momondo, Cheapflights, Mundi, and HotelsCombined.
Every year, KAYAK generates billions of queries across its platforms, helping millions of travelers around the globe make confident travel decisions. With every query, the travel search engine searches hundreds of travel sites to show travelers the information they need to find the right flights, hotels, hire cars, and holiday packages. KAYAK was acquired by Booking Holdings, the world’s leading provider of online travel and related services, in 2013.
KAYAK’s reliance on multiple device labs in various locations presented some difficulties like connectivity issues, node failures, and unpredictable downtimes, disrupting both mobile and automation testing.
As KAYAK expanded, scalability concerns arose, emphasizing the limitations of the local device lab for maintaining an extensive device pool. This became more apparent with the company's push for frequent releases, prompting the need for a more robust testing solution.
Given KAYAK's rapid release cycles, the search for a robust testing solution initially led them to explore a cloud-based testing solution. To choose the right solution for their testing needs, they evaluated cloud providers based on billing models, detailed reporting, performance, and support. Despite all providers being willing to meet KAYAK's needs, LambdaTest stood out in terms of performance, pricing, and support.
The key factors driving this transition were Lambdatest's performance, concurrency model offering, exceptional support, and responsiveness through communication channels like Slack. This allows any user to communicate directly with Lambdatest and get almost instant support, without needing to raise tickets or escalating things through managers. Additionally, the solution proved to be a cost-efficient alternative by eliminating the need for extensive device and OS purchases, resulting in significant time savings on maintenance tasks.
LambdaTest emerged as a great solution for KAYAK, resolving their testing challenges and introducing a level of efficiency that significantly impacted their release cycles.
LambdaTest's integration brought about transformative benefits for KAYAK, notably streamlining user management processes, and freeing up valuable time and resources. The platform's user-friendly features led to increased adoption across the organization, fostering a more cohesive testing environment. Furthermore, the shift resulted in substantial cost savings, allowing KAYAK to allocate resources strategically, ultimately enhancing the digital experience for its users.
Company name
KAYAK
Industry
Travel and Hospitality
Company Size
1K to 5K
Location
Germany
LambdaTest Products used
Manual Automation on Real Devices
Native App Automation