KAYAK’s top tools to help travelers get ready for future trips
Coronavirus’s impact on travel cannot be understated. Almost overnight, trips were cancelled, vacations were rescheduled, business travel was put on permanent TBD. And while this is necessary in the face of a global pandemic, we know that it left travelers with more questions than answers. To help travelers around the world navigate a new normal — and plan for the future — we wanted to arm them with the information and tools they need to make smart travel decisions.
Whether you need to travel right now or months from now, our Flexible Options filter shows travelers our partners offering free cancellations (in the form of travel credits) and those waiving their change or cancellation fees. Days after the coronavirus outbreak put travel plans around the world on hold, our Flight and Hotels teams acted quickly to work with our providers and showcase the most relevant policy information directly in our search results. Check out how Anthony Salomone (Team Lead, Product Management) worked with his team to create the filter.
Another project off the ground just days after travel restrictions were put in place, was the KAYAK COVID-19 Guide. Here, travelers can find the latest airline, hotel and rental car policies. They can also access information about travel restrictions and find resources for essential workers (including a list of partners providing free and/or discounted accommodation for those on the frontline). A true team effort among our marketing teams around the globe, this page has been translated into 20+ languages and is continuously updated as things change.
Seeing the need for travelers to access more in-depth country-by-country, and state-by-state, travel restrictions, our Marketing and SEO teams saw the potential for making an interactive map. Together with the KAYAK Creative Team and Product, we were able to pull together information on over 160 countries, and create state-by-state deep dives for the US. Now, you can get a look at travel around the world — and track progress as countries and states flex their policies. Plus, coming soon, you’ll also be able to set alerts for specific countries and states — that way we’ll let you know when restrictions lift on the destinations you’re interested in.
As we navigate the world through a new lens, at KAYAK we’ll continue to see every challenge as an opportunity to improve our site and app. Because, at the end of the day, we’re travelers too. And our passion for exploring the world has only been magnified by our current reality — and we can’t wait to get out there again.
