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.
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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.