Kayak Explore – Love at First “Site”

While I was doing a spot check of airfares to Europe for yesterday’s article, Europe is on Sale – Euro Continues to Drop, I went as I usually do to Kayak’s Buzz site. But here I was told, “Use Explore to view best prices on an interactive map”. Explore? What’s that? So I checked it out and I am in love. Kayak has introduced what is now my new favorite trip planning tool.

Kayak’s Explore is a google maps mash-up. That is to say, it uses the familiar Google maps interface but puts on top of it a way to tell Kayak:

• what is your nearest airport
• when do you want to travel (or anytime)
• how much you would consider paying
• what language would you want to hear
• whether you want to spend time on the beach, gambling, golfing, or skiing
• what you would like the temperature to be

Then Kayak tells you what areas match your request. You can very quickly see what your budget will do for you. I love the addition of temperature because while there are beaches near St Thomas in the Virgin Islands where English is spoken and there are beaches near London where English is spoken… one of them will go better with a drink with an umbrella in it. Perhaps that is the next thing Kayak needs to be able to specify.