Lastminute.com highlights late booking trend

Lastminute.com has become the latest travel company to highlight a trend towards late bookings.

 

The European OTA saw 2025 net profits fall by a quarter to €11.6 million despite package sales growing by 11% year on year.

 

However, gross profit was up by 10% to €144.6 million and adjusted earnings [ebitda] grew by a third to €54.9 million as annual revenues increased by 15% to €361.1 million.

 

Revenues and adjusted ebitda growth of about 10% is projected for 2026.

 

“The group expects year-over-year comparisons for Q1 and Q2 2026 to reflect the shifting timing of Easter, again impacting seasonal booking patterns,” lastminute.com said.

 

“This, alongside a continued trend toward later booking behaviour, makes half-year results the most meaningful basis for financial assessment.”

 

The flights and hotels segments maintained “strong momentum”, growing 31% and 21% respectively in the full year, “supported by refined pricing and an expanded ancillary offering”. 

 

A focus on building a high-value customer base is delivering “tangible results”, demonstrated by a 27% year on year increase in bookings from repeat customers.

 

The introduction of a new AI-powered assistant in the UK has streamlined post-sales customer service, “marking a significant step in the group’s broader automation strategy which will continue to roll out in 2026”. 

 

App downloads increased 12% to reach 1.63 million, active users rose 31% to hit 640,000 while the share of app bookings reached 21%, up three percentage points versus 2024.

 

“Effective execution throughout the year, alongside a sustained leisure travel demand, enabled the group to close 2025 with solid results,” the company noted.

 

Chief executive Alessandro Petazzi said: “In 2025, we didn’t just benefit from resilient travel demand; we outperformed the market and decisively beat our targets through strategic focus and effective execution.

 

“The strong performance achieved validates once again the success of our holiday packages, which keep serving as our primary contributor to growth.

 

“The step-change in our cash generation and capital discipline is a key milestone in our journey, and we’re committed to carrying this powerful momentum forward.”

 

He added: “We are building a company designed to thrive and be resilient in an environment where technology moves at the speed of light – with AI being a key part of this change.

 

“By progressively shifting towards a product-led model with unique, proprietary packages at its core, we keep differentiating ourselves.

 

“While AI excels in inspiration, we remain the partner that delivers the actual holiday and manages the complexity of the journey.“