We’ve set up a separate web address for you to use for your API calls. It’s (oddly enough) api.kayak.com.

The idea is to insulate you from shifting load between clusters which can confuse your API sessions.

Just change your API code from “www.kayak.com” to this new address and everything should work as before. Note that if you have a private other host that you currently use, you needn’t change anything.

If you have questions, contact your personal API consult (wink, wink, that’s me) or send feedback.

We’ve had Kayak Mobile for a while, a really bare bones hotel and flight search application. It’s basically designed with the idea that you are either at an airport and need a one-way flight, or you are in a city somewhere away from home and you need to find a hotel for tonight.

But more modern phones, like the iPhone, can do more with the web, so we created a UI that is somewhere in between for them. The basic idea is that you can do normal round-trip flight searches, and normal hotel searches. The biggest differences are:

• many UI elements have been dropped to fit the smaller screen
• while booking links are still present, the phone numbers for the airlines are more prominent. On an iPhone, for example, you can touch the phone number, start dialing, put it on speaker, then return to the web browser to read the flight details to the airline rep.

This is just our first cut at this. As always, we welcome your thoughtful feedback for improvements.

Now that holiday shopping is done, it’s time to stress about New Year’s Eve plans. Sure, you can head to your local “First Night [insert city here]” for a sober community party (B-O-R-I-N-G). Or then there is a shindig at the boss’s house where his daughters will perform songs from the Sound of Music while you fume over the lavish spread paid for with your bonus money. Why not try something new this year- start the year someplace else!

New York flights | hotels | cars
Nothing says New Year’s like Dick Clark, B-List bands and of course Times Square! Everyone should be able to say they braved the cold, crowds and Ryan Seacrest at least once. Claim your plot (aka one square foot of space in Times Square) by 3pm. Bring food, drinks and chamber pot because you’ll be there until the ball drops. Or for an alternative, race into the New Year with the 3.3 Mile Fun Run around Prospect Park in Brooklyn or with New York Road Runners’ 4-mile Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in Central Park. For something less strenuous, take a leisurely walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and ohhh and ahhhh over fireworks from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Central Park and New Jersey simultaneously. If you’re the flexible and quiet type, then check out Jivamukti Yoga Center’s Annual New Year’s Eve Mauna where you’ll yoga in silence until midnight, when the instructor will welcome the New Year with chants of “lokah samasta sukhino bhavantu” or “May all beings everywhere be happy and free.”

New quirky New York lodging on Upper West Side from from $63/nt

Las Vegas flights | hotels | cars
Instead of gambling with the outcome of your New Year’s Eve experience, head to Las Vegas for a guaranteed payout. Tell the blackjack dealer to hit you with great values on flights and hotels at Kayak.com (Book early). Then welcome the New Year with champagne (it’s legal to drink on the street) and a hundred thousand people on The Strip, while fireworks explode above you in the desert sky. But make sure you’re there by 8:00 p.m. because The Strip will be stacked with partiers, and it will be hard to keep your poker face while trying to get through the crowds. If you plan to have dinner that night, make reservations early because restaurants will fill up quickly. If you still have energy on New Year’s Day, go to a sports book like the one at the MGM Grand Hotel (with just under a hundred TV’s), and bet on the big game and almost every other sporting event happening around the world. Regardless of how you plan to spend New Year’s in this roulette table of a city, get ready for an adventure that will spin round and round and land on a great time.

Orbitz Package Deal: Flight + 3-nts Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino only $399pp

Barcelona, Spain flights | hotels | cars
If you want to bring in the New Year by competing in a party triathlon, then head to Barcelona where only the fit and ambitious cross the finish line of an amazing night. Prepare yourself that afternoon with a siesta and then carb up that evening with a great meal at one of the city’s many restaurants like the Mediterranean inspired Taxidermista. Make sure you’re at the starting gates, (Placa Catalyuna, Placa Real) a few minutes before midnight, armed with twelve grapes. The first stroke of midnight is the starter’s pistol so you’ll want to begin eating your grapes (one for each stroke of the clock), and make sure they’re all gone before the last stroke, for a year of good luck. If you’re still in the game, race into one of the bars and nightclubs in the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas. Dance and socialize and keep hydrated with plenty of the Spanish sparkling wine, cava. The last leg of the race will be heading to the beach to drink hot chocolate and snack on churros. You’ve crossed the finish line when you see the sun rise.

Find the Best Fares from your home airport to Barcelona

Bangkok, Thailand flights | hotels | cars
If your idea of a perfect New Year’s Eve destination is one which offers events featuring world-class entertainment, imported DJ’s spinning at swanky clubs and dazzling firework extravaganzas, then how about one night in Bangkok? OK, it’s a long trip, so you might want to spend more than one night but that’s how the song goes. There are three official venues in the city offering music and stage performances so choose between the newly revamped CentralWorld, the National Stadium, or at Sanam Luang near the Grand Palace. If you’d prefer something more intimate and within stumbling distance, many hotels including the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Millennium Hilton and The Shangri-La Hotel host private dinners and parties. Or float into the New Year on a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River which offers great views of the spectacular fireworks display. Finish up your celebration with a Thai tradition and head to a temple on New Year’s Day to ensure happiness, health and good fortune for the year to come.

Find the Best Fares from your home airport to Bangkok

Want Search Results in Another Currency?
Live outside the U.S. or simply want to see your search results in another currency? If you’re logged in to Kayak, simply click on the “My Profile” link in the upper right corner of the homepage. (Not a member? Click here to register) Then click on the “edit” link under Global Preferences. Finally, using the drop-down menu, choose Euros, Pounds, Baht or any of our 40 different currency choices. The almighty dollar isn’t what it used to be, right?

Happy New Year!

Steve and Paul, Kayak Founders

OK ladies, since we covered trips for men last week, it’s your turn to grab a bunch of gals and your favorite bum-slimming jeans for a girls’ weekend away from work, men and kids. Ever wonder why celebs such as Jennifer Aniston and Eva Longoria look so good? That glow is more than the effects of Botox and Tae Bo, but the afterglow of frequent getaways from the stress of being a millionaire adored by the masses. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? So take a page out of Nicole Kidman’s book before you stress yourself into the pages of Britney’s never-ending story. And men, before you roll your eyes and stop reading, score points with your significant other by suggesting she take one of these trips. We’ll even let you take credit for the idea.

St. Barths flights | hotels | cars
Whether you want to call it Saint Barthelemy, St. Barths, or St. Barts, this island is the getaway to gain that golden brown tan you’ve admired on frequent visitors Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and Kate Moss. If you hate tan lines, start by showing off your celebutante body on Grande Saline Beach. Slip back into your skivvies and scuba dive along Lorient Beach or Petit de Anse to catch a sea turtle sighting or make friends with the parrotfish. After a hard day of relaxing on the beach and beating off the paparazzi, have your personal assistant book a reservation at the exquisite Carl Gustav Restaurant for fine dining fit for a star or a spa treatment at Hotel Guanahani and Spa. But celebrities are just “normal” people too, so join them for a cold one at Le Select or enjoy some live entertainment at Bar de l’Oubli. For a little fun, introduce yourself as Nicole Kidman’s best friend’s cousin’s babysitter. Tabloids, here you come!

Namibia flights | hotels | cars
Assuming you don’t live under a rock, you’ve heard of the Southern African country of Namibia made famous by Brangelina. Of course, you don’t have to be pregnant with Brad Pitt’s baby (a girl could hope!!) to visit this beautiful country known as a top spot for eco tourism. Namibia offers it all, including unspoiled coastline, desert, grass savannahs, rugged mountain ranges and lush sub-tropical green space. Start in the northwest, and enjoy some hiking along the Kaokoland mountains which run along the coast. Next, go further inland to explore the The Etosha National Park & Game Reserve, one of the finest and largest in Africa. If you want to live like star, book a room at Burning Shore luxury resort where the Jolie-Pitts camped to await the birth of Shiloh. While you live like a star, take advantage of the resorts offerings of tours including safaris, trips to Bird island, Walvis Bay Lagoon, Sandwich Harbour, pelican watching at Point Seal Colony and dolphin-sighting excursions. Check out of Burning Shore and check into Okonjima, a luxury bush camp home to The AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit organization, committed to long-term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores, especially cheetahs and leopards. Spend several days on safari, learn how to track these large cats and take a photography class so you can capture all these amazing memories to the envy of all your friends back home.

Lake Como, Italy flights | hotels | cars
Going from one Sexiest Man Alive to another, what woman wouldn’t want George Clooney to rub sunblock on her while exploring the waters of Lake Como on his boat (pause to enjoy mental picture). Since purchasing his mansion away from mansion, celebrities have flocked to Clooney’s Lake Como villa including Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon and TomKat who reportedly considered tying the knot at the villa. With two or more friends sharing a room, the celebrity-studded Villa d’Este is a steal. Pretend you’re on the set of Ocean’s 14 as you enjoy the resort’s vast acreage and luxurious amenities including a helipad for a quick getaway. If you don’t make a celebrity’s paycheck, there are plenty of hotel options under $200. We recommend the Hotel Orso Bruno which is located near Laglio on a quiet corner of the lake. You’ll want to get the lay of the land with a tour of the lake via boat or seaplane. There are tons of charming towns to explore, so hop the ferry Gestione Navigazione Laghi which stops at each of the towns along the lake. We recommend extended stays at Como, Bellagio and Varenna. Lake Como isn’t known for nightlife, so budget a few hours for a long dinner and many bottles of delicious wine. If you can still move after a four hour meal, the town of Bellagio is your best bet for bars, just walk along the Lungo Lario Manzoni on the water’s edge and cafe hop among the rich and beautiful.

Sun Valley flights | hotels | cars
Are you an avid skier or a ski bunny? Either way, join Paul Newman, Oprah, Brooke Shields and a few celebrity prancing pooches in Uggs at America’s first ski resort Sun Valley. Unlike other celebrity ski resorts, you won’t break the bank on room and board (can’t promise the same for your leg) and you won’t need designer ski suits to fit in. Beginners will want to hit Dollar Mountain, known as one of the finest teaching mountains in the world. With over 200 experienced instructors, there might even be a hot ski instructor romance in your future. Don’t worry Picabo, there are plenty of slopes for wanna-be Olympians. Take the Mayday chairlift (even sounds scary, doesn’t it?) to Little Easter Bowl for the most difficult run. Revive those aching muscles with a sports massage at Solavie Spa Resort where you can rub elbows with elite Hollywood refugees. Try Kneadery for brunch and see if the Schwarzeneggers are scarfing down eggs at the table next to you. When you’ve had enough of your famous peers, opt for seclusion with a bike ride along Trail 142 for spectacular views. Or for a true celebrity work out, visit Sun Valley Resort Horsemen’s Center for some riding or play a round of golf at Sun Valley Resort Golf Course. Reflect on your journey to fame and wander into Duchin Lounge for a cold one and a little jazz for your celebrity epiphany.

Europe’s Cool Capitals flights | hotels | cars

Visit the cool capitals of Europe and find out what’s cool, new, hip and trendy: Art and architecture in Amsterdam; Food and design in Vienna; Fashion and shopping in Antwerp; Restaurants and nightlife in Zurich. These cool capitals have it all and can help you save on newly reduced vacation packages.

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Staying home with the kids,

Steve and Paul, Kayak.com founders