For the first time in three years, Booking Holdings-owned
metasearch engine Kayak has unveiled a substantial redesign of the site.
The new features are intended to help travelers make sense
of complex pricing structures that have become commonplace in recent years
across the industry, such as branded fares and baggage fees from airlines and
specialty rates from hotels and car rental companies.
A new baggage fee calculator is now displayed at the top of
flight search results. Users can input how many carry-on and checked bags they
plan to bring and the fares automatically update with any additional fees.
To help travelers make sense of branded fares, Kayak will
now show the price breakdown for each cabin class. For example, users will see
the difference between booking an economy versus a basic economy seat and what
is included with each.
And to create a more personalized search experience, users
that log in will now see their past searches on the home page, with previously
selected choices such as filters and flexible dates saved.
Kayak says updates to its mobile and tablet apps are in the
works.
Booking Holdings bought Kayak in November 2012 for $1.8
billion--the highest amount ever paid for a metasearch acquisition.
Rival brand Skyscanner was purchased by Chinese online
travel agency Ctrip for $1.74 billion in November 2016.
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Source: Phocuswire