Metasearch is supposedly becoming much more than simply providing a list of fares from the cheapest to the most expensive.
And now websites specialising in meta search or price comparison are starting to build tools which display results and data in a different way, especially new kid on the block Hipmunk.
The simplest way of doing this is by using the reams of data a site has been collecting in order to give another interpretation of fares, allowing the user to select based on other factors besides price, such as convenience, time, etc.
Taking a lead prhaps from Kayak and its Buzz tool, Travelfusion has also headed down the fare calendar route, creating a new service called Price Trends.
The tool currently works only from the homepage of Travelfusion, but automatically monitors the parameters entered in the main search area, including departure, destination and dates.
The system then produces a graph to indicate how fares will change over the same period. The user can select a particular date and be redirected to the relevant page on the system.
This is the first incarnation of the system, released this week, but it sis hoped return legs will be added soon as well as a dedicated channel within the site for the tool.
Travelfusion, like Zoombu, has spent much of recent months developing its door-to-door system, where users can get results based on various forms of transport, but this latest move shows there is still life in the development of tools to enhance traditional air search!
Related posts:
- TravelFusion plugs maps into door-to-door metasearch
- New website for TravelFusion, plots Twitter streams and trip scoring system
- TravelFusion building point-to-point tools, start of a giant leap for metasearch
- Amadeus introduces fare-merchandising tool for travel agencies
- Airlines Reporting Corp adds some pop to settlement tool
If I am not mistaken Travelfusion has pioneered door-to-door multimodal search, starting many years ago, not months. Hence their name…
I think they do themselves a serious disservice by hiding what makes them so interesting. At first, the search results looked extremely simplified list that I couldn’t interact with. I had to click on an unassuming “Refine” button in order to see their very cool interface.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for the feedback on our refine results feature. We are constantly planning and working to make our UI more useful and interactive and this is definitely something I’ll take back to the team.
Cheers,
Kathryn @Travelfusion