By Kelly Arellano //
When it comes to booking a flight for your next big trip, there are several factors that you need to consider. These include things such as travel times, dates, fare class, price, airline, and much more. And while booking a flight directly to an airline is an option, there are tons of booking websites that you can leverage to ensure that you get the best deal.
Unfortunately, there is no single booking site that offers the lowest prices consistently. Therefore, it can be overwhelming to know how to mix-match various booking sites to get affordable deals. To solve this problem for you, we have scoured through the internet to bring you the top Online Travel Agencies.
1. Momondo
Momondo is our top pick when it comes to finding the cheapest airfares, especially for those looking for last-minute tickets. Since it premiered in 2006 as a pure aggregator, it has transformed into a fully-fledged OTA with a crisp and crystal clear website that allows you to view price trends for various travel dates. The site features a price tracker, robust filtering options, and a nifty fare calendar graph shows average prices on multiple days.
Pros
- The site allows you to searches for fares from other OTAs, which can lead to a better deal
- Features great price tracking tools
- The trip finder feature will enable you to search for the top flights to a particular destination across the globe based on your budget.
Cons
- Its mix and match fares mean that you have to make two separate reservation on other websites
2. Booking.com
Coming second in our list is Booking.com, a website that impresses with its low airfare prices and clear labeling of various offers. It boasts top-tier filtering tools that make it easy to find, filter, and compare different flights so that you can select the one that resonates with your unique needs. The site also allows you to customize the offers — you can filter your search by the preferred airport, number of stops, airline, and departure and arrival time.
Pros
- Outstanding filtering tools
- Lowest prices
- It comes with clear labels for more transparency
Cons
- Flexible dates feature is comparatively basic
3. Skyscanner
Famed for being the first search engine to incorporate low-cost airlines, Skyscanner is an excellent site for those looking for the best flight deals. It boasts a fantastic search feature and filters that allow you to compare prices from almost every airline. Their cutting-edge interface enables you to view prices for an entire month. Its ability to search destination for a whole country rather than just a city and flexible dates and graph on every search makes it the best place to find the best flight deal.
Pros
- Displays prices for multiple OTAs and airline sites
- Boasts vacation packages
- Can provide a calendar of fares for the entire month
Cons
- It can clutter organic results with sponsored results
- Not ideal for last-minute flights
4. Kayak
Kayak is a top-notch meta-search engine that helps you find the best available deals by putting vast tools at your disposal. It boasts a high-end flexible fare tool that lets you search as far as ten months out with its interactive price graph. Additionally, the site allows you to set up alerts for your preferred fares and analyzes past and current prices so that they can predict whether average fair prices will surge or plummet.
Related: Skyscanner vs Kayak API
Pros
- Can track prices over time
- Boasts flexible flight searches
- Features excellent filters
Cons
- Provides average rates
- The site’s interface can be annoying due to adds
5. Google Flights
Like Kayak, Google Flights is not an OTA but rather a meta-search engine. It is a robust search engine developed on the ITA Matrix, which was primarily designed for travel. This site displays price trends and shows how much your ticket will cost based on your flight date on a map. It also boasts analytical tools that help you track the prices of a particular route. This allows you to find the lowest prices when they popup.
Related: Google Flights vs Skyscanner API
Pros
- It free of ads and other distractions
- Offers flexible rates on a calendar
- “Search by map” function allows you to view fares on the map in case you haven’t decided on your destination.
Cons
- You can’t book flights directly on this platform
6. Hipmunk
Hipmunk is another impressive site whose strength is in its presentation. It provides remarkable displays for airfares and competitive pricing on all travel categories. By providing you with thorough and comprehensive information, the site allows you to fine-tune results and compare options with visual overloads. Besides, it also offers low price fares, although it can’t be ranked among the cheapest sites.
Related: Skyscanner vs Hipmunk API
Pros
- Intuitive and fun to use filters
- Outstanding visuals for comparison purposes
- Includes fares alert feature
Cons
- Prices are average
7. CheapOair
Feted with several prestigious awards for their unparalleled customer service, CheapOair is a top-class booking site that provides quality fares for hotels, air travel, and car bookings. Its prices are well organized on a calendar, and the website is attractive and user-friendly. The booking site prioritizes nonstop flight prices over itineraries with stops.
Pros
- It is ideal for last minute flights.
- It boasts vacation packages
- Has alternative date fares
Cons
- Not so appealing when it comes to flights booked ahead of time
- Their booking fees are not as cheap as advertised
8. Expedia
Though it is one of the oldest airline sites, Expedia hasn’t lost its allure, and it is still one of the respected air travel websites. It boasts a unique tool known as “My Scratch Tool” which allows you to compare deals on itineraries that you are considering. It also offers an Expedia Voyager MasterCard that can earn you points, which can be used to purchase airline tickets.
Pros
- Boasts several rewards
- It double-checks that you understand the fare you are choosing before you
- hit the select icon again.
- It displays baggage fees
Cons
- Provides fair prices only on routes that are outside the usual routine
- Limited filters
4/5 - (3 votes)
