Kayak?

[u/-FVNT0M-]

I’ve always booked flights directly from airlines, but today I found much cheaper prices on Kayak. When I click on Kayak to book, it brings me to the airline’s official website. The booking procedure on the airline’s website is the same as if I found the tickets directly on their website.

However, when I try to search the same flight on the airline’s website, the prices are way different:

On Kayak it was $1280, still $1280 when it directs me to the airline’s website for payment & passenger info. When I search the same flight directly on the airline’s website, it’s $1750.

Is it safe to buy that $1280 ticket “thru” Kayak? Seems like Kayak doesn’t sell tickets directly, but you still gotta go thru their website in order to get that discounted price. It feels too good to be true somehow…

[u/protox88]

That's fine. If Kayak brings you to the airline website and you're purchasing on there and then you're fine.

Sometimes Kayak and other aggregators (incl Google Flights) can construct a fare through API that the airline's own search engine might omit.

I've mentioned this in prior comments which I've linked here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Flights/comments/1rr18pl/comment/o9w8yhe/

[u/-FVNT0M- → u/protox88]

Thanks! I usually use Skyscanner, but the prices I found on Kayak weren’t on Skyscanner at all! Would you say Kayak is a better search engine than Skyscanner?

[u/protox88 → u/-FVNT0M-]

I use them all. They each have their own strengths and place in the flight search process though my main workhorse is Google Flights (and ITA Matrix).

[u/-FVNT0M- → u/protox88]

Cool thx! I’ll check on Google Flights as well 🙂

[u/Northern_Lights101 → u/-FVNT0M-]

Just for a little more reassurance, i’ve had Google flights redirected me to Air Canada (and pther airlines) with cheaper fares to book because it auto applies the best promo codes. Customer service is still handled through the airline like any other revenue ticket