Booking A/B/C/D Tests And Detects A Better Calendar Widget

Leak #95 from Booking.com   |   Jul 12, 2023 Listing

Booking has been testing at least 3 variations of their calendar widget - a key component that affects availability and prices of rooms. In a nutshell, the variations explored ways of letting users express more flexible date inputs in at least two ways: using day ranges and wider months. The concept looks very similar to what Airbnb has rolled out over a year ago. Interestingly the more flexible variations with numerous inputs seems to be working best for both companies. The experiment is also a great example of a cascade variation where the last variation (D) combines elements from both B and C together into a compounded one - possibly checking for interaction effects.

A - May 3, 2023 Screenshot
B - May 3, 2023 Screenshot
C - May 3, 2023 Screenshot
IMPLEMENTED Confirmed Jul 12, 2023
D - May 3, 2023 Screenshot

Highlighted UI Changes From This Leak

  1. Extra Tab With Flexible Monthly Inputs

    In the B and D variations we can see an extra tab was added. Once clicked, it would unfold into a different state where users could enter the trip duration as well as select longer monthly durations.

  2. Day Ranges

    In the C and D variations we can see more forgiving day ranges that allow users to express a wider search more flexibly. 

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