Yahoo! Travel to roll out new search technology

Yahoo! Travel is rolling out new search technology that it believes will improve conversion rates and better engage potential customers.
The technology, called ‘assisted filtering’, will provide shoppers with a more flexible mechanism that will initially keep the search broad before drilling down to specific offers.
Using a combination of traditional drop down boxes, holidaymakers without fixed plans can select the month of departure – rather than specific dates – destination country, duration, city of departure and accommodation board.
As the user selects the favoured options, search options are automatically and instantly updated to ensure users are only presented with relevant options.
A spokeswoman explained: "In most website searches for example, customers have to insert specific dates and departure airports only to find there is nothing available. They must then start all over again. Assisted filtering will only bring up what is available."
The technology will initially feature on the Yahoo! ski and snow site with plans to extend it to other markets across Europe by the end of the year
Yahoo! Travel European general manager Tim Frankcom said: "This search is designed to offer the flexibility to address the needs of all users from those who know they have a free week in a particular month and want to find what options are available to them, to those who know exactly where they want to go and when.
"By putting the user in the driving seat, users become more engaged in their search and can be confident that the offers they view are relevant to their personal requirements.
"We are confident this combination of engagement and relevancy will improve conversion rates form our advertisers."