I have been using the Google flights search engine for flights for a long time and booking directly with the airline because I know that is the general dictum on this forum i.e. that it is always better to book directly with the airline vs through a third party. But I just checked the Kayak website. I found a really good deal on a flight and it is sending me directly to United for booking. It is not a hacker/third party booking as far as I can tell. Am I missing something here? Do any of you use Kayak for your flight bookings? Is it risky? Thanks for your help.
Posted by
OP
Reno, NV, USA
2547 posts
Thanks, Tom. Now I am wondering about other sites such as Expedia, etc.
Posted by
Freedonia
16274 posts
Expedia and Kayak work differently.
Kayak will redirect you to a site where you can book a flight. Sometimes it is to the airline operating the flight. It adds a cookie to your redirect and if you book they get a commission.
Expedia works differently, It buys the ticket from the airline and then resells it to you. You are buying a ticket from Expedia, not from the airline. If you need to make a change, or there is a problem, you need to deal with Expedia and not the airline.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2006 posts
Just a point of information: Kayak is now owned by Booking Holdings Inc, perhaps best known for its hotel booking website, Booking.com. Booking Holdings Inc. also owns Agoda.com, Priceline.com RentalCars.com and Opentable, the restaurant reservation platform.
Posted by
OP
Reno, NV, USA
2547 posts
Thanks, Frank. I looked at Expedia and figured that one out. Kenko, that’s interesting that booking.com owns Kayak.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2006 posts
I was struck by how the hotel-reservation giant has both absorbed some of its competitors and diversified its reach into parts of the travel industry other than hotels— air tickets, car rentals and even restaurants.
Posted by
Chicago Area
35 posts
Kenko when your stock prices are almost 2000.00 a share you buy up everything remotely having anything to do with travel. If the other things function like Booking. Com get on the bandwagon.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4087 posts
The test is at your fingertips. Go to the airline site through Kayak and run a test booking. Then go to the airline independently. Compare.
This may require going a fair distance into the booking process to see fees etc. not included in the opening figure. And keep in mind the advice you already have read, such as the challenge of depending on an agency when/if things go wrong.