It’s probably the nightmare of everyone who likes to go on board an airplane only with hand luggage – the suitcase doesn’t fit in the luggage rack of the airplane. The travel search engine KAYAK now offers a solution to avoid the embarrassing moment on board the plane. With its new Augmented Reality application, the KAYAK-App can now measure the piece of luggage and announce in advance whether it fits into the rack or whether it should be checked in.
The AR application is practical precisely because the dimensions of the permitted hand luggage can vary greatly from airline to airline. It is only through intensive research that one sometimes finds out whether the bag or the small trolley fits into the aircraft at all. KAYAK’s patent-pending tool is designed to help passengers determine whether or not their hand luggage complies with airline regulations.
“A pain point in the travel experience is that moment you begin to worry if your bag will fit in the overhead bin and now we’ve got a tool that can help,” – Giorgos Zacharia KAYAK Chief Technology Officer
How does the KAYAK AR application work?
In order to measure the selected piece of luggage, the floor must first be scanned. This procedure helps to calibrate the measurements. The camera is then moved around the bag to measure its size. Then the KAYAK algorithm calculates whether the bag is suitable to be taken into the passenger compartment or should rather be checked in in order to avoid an embarrassing situation. The video shows again the process in detail…
KAYAK Bag Measurement Toolpost (Source: KAYAK)
The algorithm of the app compares the baggage guidelines of all airlines, so that the information in the app is tailored to each individual passenger, depending on which airline he or she flies with.
KAYAKS The way to innovation
The new KAYAK AR app is the result of the so-called SWAT week. This is an in-house design competition that promotes the rapid and innovative development of new app and website functions. KAYAK thus promotes the culture of innovation in its company and ensures that it always has the latest developments, close to the needs of its customers. In the near future, according to the travel search engine, augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence will be particularly relevant topics for the expansion of the company.
The app introduced in mid-September, which is initially only available for iOS, shows that the travel portal has understood something that many companies still have to discover for themselves. They have empathized with their customers and identified their problems. This not only makes it easier for them to book the trip, thanks to their wide range of services and offers, but also provides them with useful tools to accompany them on their further journey. With its AR App, KAYAK has succeeded in integrating its services even more deeply into the customer’s travel experience in order to increase customer loyalty.
