Using the Kayak Travel Search Engine
Kayak is a travel search and booking engine. Unlike Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz—where several of its top executives hail from—the Kayak site does not sell travel directly. Kayak is an independently managed subsidiary of The Priceline Group.
How Kayak Works
When you request information about a flight or hotel, Kayak searches hundreds of major airline, hotel, and travel sites. It accesses prices and itineraries on more than 550 airlines and 85,000 hotels, consequently providing users with options to book directly through their preferred travel supplier.
The Kayak Advantage
Kayak co-founder and CEO Steve Hafner said, “We created the site to meet the needs of today’s consumers who are frustrated at having to search multiple sites to find the best deal. With just one click, visitors at Kayak.com will be able to see prices and services in real-time.
“Kayak.com’s reach is so comprehensive that consumers will often find an itinerary on Kayak.com that they may not have found on their own. Moreover, Kayak.com provides consumers with more travel options than any other site while granting them freedom to choose where to purchase their travel.”
Kayak Launch
Since its beta launch on October 7, 2004, Kayak has continually improved content, features, and distribution partnerships. Launched to consumers on February 7, 2005, Kayak featured a simplistic interface that produced quick search results, filterable by airports, airlines, and stop counts. “Our website will continue to expand functionality, such as multi-city and one-way itineraries, passenger and cabin-type fares, and new personalization features,” said Paul English, Kayak CTO and co-founder.
Now fully operational, Kayak has become a go-to site for savvy travelers. In addition to comparative prices on hotels and flights, Kayak enables users to search for rates on rental cars, vacation packages, home rentals, cruises, and even Amtrak trains.
First Look at Kayak
The early version of Kayak, with its clear and simple interface, resembles Orbitz. Like Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity, it may not cover all options users desire. For instance, it seems to favor major airlines and may not cover all low-cost carriers, such as Southwest. Nevertheless, JetBlue flights are accessible through Kayak.
One test from Kayak to Onetravel.com yielded prices lower than those returned on the Kayak search. This reinforces the idea that it remains necessary to explore more than one site to find the best price.
Kayak’s Coolest Feature Today
If you’re unsure where to go on your honeymoon or next romantic vacation, Kayak’s Explore page features a world map displaying round-trip economy-class travel prices. You can filter results by travel month or season, budget for plane tickets, and preferences for non-stop flights or stopovers.
Kayak Affiliates
Kayak.com’s affiliate program is designed for websites with more than one million monthly visitors. Kayak initiated its affiliate network with America Online and operates as a Commission Junction advertiser.
The Kayak App
In addition to mobile searches and exclusive rates, the Kayak app offers free flight-status updates, terminal maps, and TSA waiting time info. It is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Kayak also provides an Apple Watch app.
Post-Kayak Search Products
Kayak has proven useful to travelers, resulting in the proliferation of similar services. For instance, Momondo compares fares from over 700 travel sites, focusing strongly on European travel brands alongside those in the United States.
