Kayak.com has introduced Trip Ideas, a community-based forum that encourages users to create and share travel destination "wish lists" with other users.
Unlike static lists found on the Internet, Kayak.com is the first travel site to provide real-time fares and availability for every destination listed, which makes the leap from research to booking just a simple click away, stated the company.
"Trip Ideas is the first phase of what we call `Kayak Alive', which emphasises user-generated content that can be shared with friends and other Kayak.com users," said Dean Harris, CMO of Kayak.com.
"Similar to popular hotel review sites, Trip Idea lists are third party endorsements of destinations, hotels, events and more. Consumers will use Trip Ideas to research vacation options, share favorite destinations, or discuss travel plans with friends and family."
In order to create a personal Trip Idea or view those created by others, one needs to go to the Fare Buzz tab on Kayak.com. Users can create an original list or use an existing list found elsewhere on the Web. To add a new Trip Idea, consumers complete a simple form with Trip Idea name, category and a list of three or more destinations. Fields for additional content, URL and photos are optional. In addition to user-generated lists, Kayak.com aggregates destination lists from key web sites, states a release.
In addition to Trip Ideas, Kayak.com announced enhancements: Consumers searching for flights can now more efficiently book hotel and rental car or register the itinerary for a Fare Alert with the new "Also on Kayak" section. Links are located on the top right corner of the search results pages; and Users can now book one-way rental cars on Kayak.com.
