Kayak has introduced a new feature allowing users to select their origin, and allowing them to see exactly where they can fly to and how much it will cost them. The results are incorporated into a Google map, with tags indicating the locations and price of travel. This feature is obviously not designed for those looking to fly to a particular destination, but rather those leisure travelers who have a fixed budget for a flight and want to see where it will take them. While the online travel industry is considered to be one of the most mature internet industries, it's refreshing to see a company structuring data in an innovative way that is more useful to consumers.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Kayak Introduces Really Cool New Feature
Kayak has introduced a new feature allowing users to select their origin, and allowing them to see exactly where they can fly to and how much it will cost them. The results are incorporated into a Google map, with tags indicating the locations and price of travel. This feature is obviously not designed for those looking to fly to a particular destination, but rather those leisure travelers who have a fixed budget for a flight and want to see where it will take them. While the online travel industry is considered to be one of the most mature internet industries, it's refreshing to see a company structuring data in an innovative way that is more useful to consumers.
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This is a great example of the importance of design and simplicity winning out. Competitors like FareCompare have had tools available for years (I've been using it for at least four years) that allow for this type of dream mapping, without the map. The same useful fare data and ability to plan trips based on price and distance, but not the smooth interface.
Perhaps, however, this is just an example of feature recycling--Yahoo used to have a DreamMaps service that did the same thing...and it was around 7-8 years ago. It has been reincarnated, though now under a travelocity brand.
How much of a feature's adoption is a matter of timing rather than the feature itself? Is Connect with Open Graph that different from Beacon, or was Mark Zuckerberg right all along?
Commenters, what other "big new" features are actually the Web 2.5 (since the originals were probably 2.0 anyway) incarnation?
(And no, please don't mention AIM vs. Twitter...)
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