Kayak.com is a search engine that began in 2005 as a service that scours other Web sites for low fares. It should not be mistaken for a travel agency, but it does provide links to places where you can book travel online.
Kayak has just launched a new service called Buzz that is worth a look if you're shopping for airfares. Buzz is a chance to see what people are paying, not what is advertised.
With airfares constantly on the move, it's nice to know the range for the past three days before you start shopping. Buzz allows you to see this.
The platform for Buzz is Google Mapping. You enter an origination airport and destination continent. You may also factor in the theme of your trip (skiing, golfing and gaming are included as of this writing). Push the "Get the Buzz" button, and up to 25 of the most popular destination searches from that airport are displayed, along with the lowest fare for each city.
On the Google-generated map, you'll see icons color-coded in four ranges of price. This makes it possible to pick out the lowest-priced destinations at a glance.
A text box drops onto the map when you click a destination. It tells you price, date, airline, and the time when that fare was found on Kayak.
One drawback: Just because someone found a good airfare on Thursday morning does not mean you will find the same fare Thursday afternoon. But this look does give you a good basis for further exploration.
"Consumers can see a quick snapshot of where people are going and how much they're paying to get there," says Kayak CEO Steve Hafner in a news release. "This tool can be used to estimate vacation budgets for an upcoming trip or to inspire ideas for a last-minute getaway."
What are some ways to use this tool to your advantage? Click "next" below.
