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Book a nearby trip for the 4th of july long weekend without the long journey., explore stays in trending destinations.

Cabo San Lucas

Last-minute weekend deals

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Suncoast Hotel and Casino

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The Wayfarer San Diego

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Level Los Angeles Downtown - South Olive

Los angeles, image gallery for beacon grand, a union square hotel.

Beacon Grand, A Union Square Hotel

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Hotel Beacon

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Wayfinder Waikiki

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Grand Sierra Resort and Casino

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Sands Hotel and Spa

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ULIV Revolución Tijuana

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Timhotel Opera Blanche Fontaine

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Chaminade Resort & Spa

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Westgate Palace Hotel / Universal / I-Drive

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21c Museum Hotel Chicago

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Bobby Hotel

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NOPSI Hotel, New Orleans

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The Lancaster Hotel

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The Crawford Hotel

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The Sens Cancun By Oasis - All Inclusive

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A Walk in the Clouds - Two Bedroom Cabin

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Kings Castle

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Muddy Creek Mining Company

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Dog-friendly Big Bear Cabin w/ Balcony & Fireplace

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8939 Stinger Drive

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Nana Bear Manor

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The Roost Downtown

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5 Son's Geronimo - Birdhouse Cabin

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Schlafmans Hollow Solar Cabins

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Dungeness Bay Cottages

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Nantahala Outdoor Center

Bryson city, image gallery for grandpa's cabin.

Grandpa's Cabin

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California Adventure Cabin

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La Junta Colorado Cabins

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Idyllic Flagstaff Home w/ Grill: 3 Mi to Downtown!

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Yellowstone Peaks Hotel

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Eagle Cottages at Gulf State Park

Gulf shores, image gallery for secluded escape - one bedroom cabin.

Secluded Escape - One Bedroom Cabin

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Whiskey on the River

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Above It All - Four Bedroom Cabin

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Mountain Fun - One Bedroom Cabin

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Charming 'fox Den' Cabin in Whittier w/ Hot Tub!

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Pine Needles 6 - One Bedroom Chalet

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Windjammer Cottage

Branson west.

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Compare flights from 100s of sites.

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Save money on airfare by searching for cheap flight tickets on KAYAK. KAYAK searches for flight deals on hundreds of airline tickets sites to help you find the cheapest flights. Whether you are looking for a last minute flight or a cheap plane ticket for a later date, you can find the best deals faster at KAYAK.

New York Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Newark (ATL - EWR) $33+
• Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - LGA) $40+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Newark (FLL - EWR) $40+
• Flight Miami - Newark (MIA - EWR) $49+
• Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - LGA) $50+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - LGA) $56+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - LGA) $62+
• Flight Dallas - Newark (DFW - EWR) $78+
• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - LGA) $80+
• Flight Orlando - New York (MCO - LGA) $82+
• Flight Orlando - Newark (MCO - EWR) $86+
• Flight Chicago - Newark (ORD - EWR) $88+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - JFK) $111+
• Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - JFK) $127+
• Flight Los Angeles - Newark (LAX - EWR) $129+
• Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - LGA) $143+
• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - JFK) $159+
• Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - LGA) $207+
• Flight Seattle - Newark (SEA - EWR) $238+
• Flight San Francisco - Newark (SFO - EWR) $246+
• Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - JFK) $267+
• Flight Seattle - New York (SEA - JFK) $267+
• Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - JFK) $277+
• Flight Ontario - New York (ONT - JFK) $287+

Orlando Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Orlando (ATL - MCO) $40+
• Flight Philadelphia - Orlando (PHL - MCO) $44+
• Flight Cleveland - Orlando (CLE - MCO) $50+
• Flight Baltimore - Orlando (BWI - MCO) $53+
• Flight Houston - Orlando (HOU - MCO) $57+
• Flight Houston - Orlando (IAH - MCO) $57+
• Flight Raleigh - Orlando (RDU - MCO) $68+

London Flights

• Flight New Windsor - London (SWF - STN) $372+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LGW) $410+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LGW) $410+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - London (IAD - LGW) $426+
• Flight Newark - London (EWR - LHR) $435+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $438+
• Flight New York - London (LGA - LHR) $440+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LHR) $446+
• Flight Atlanta - London (ATL - LHR) $450+

Fort Lauderdale Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Fort Lauderdale (ATL - FLL) $40+
• Flight Baltimore - Fort Lauderdale (BWI - FLL) $40+
• Flight Newark - Fort Lauderdale (EWR - FLL) $40+
• Flight Philadelphia - Fort Lauderdale (PHL - FLL) $40+
• Flight Detroit - Fort Lauderdale (DTW - FLL) $41+
• Flight Raleigh - Fort Lauderdale (RDU - FLL) $43+
• Flight Atlantic City - Fort Lauderdale (ACY - FLL) $46+

Boston Flights

• Flight Charlotte - Boston (CLT - BOS) $47+
• Flight Chicago - Boston (ORD - BOS) $50+
• Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $53+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Boston (FLL - BOS) $64+
• Flight Houston - Boston (HOU - BOS) $77+
• Flight Houston - Boston (IAH - BOS) $77+
• Flight Atlanta - Boston (ATL - BOS) $85+

India Flights

• Flight New York - Ahmedabad (JFK - AMD) $271+
• Flight San Francisco - New Delhi (SFO - DEL) $330+
• Flight Chicago - New Delhi (ORD - DEL) $347+
• Flight New York - New Delhi (JFK - DEL) $356+
• Flight Newark - New Delhi (EWR - DEL) $369+
• Flight New York - Mumbai (JFK - BOM) $375+
• Flight Newark - Mumbai (EWR - BOM) $378+

Japan Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - NRT) $522+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - NRT) $646+
• Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - NRT) $736+
• Flight Dallas - Tokyo (DFW - NRT) $769+
• Flight Ontario - Tokyo (ONT - NRT) $780+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - HND) $789+
• Flight Houston - Tokyo (HOU - NRT) $798+

Phoenix Flights

• Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $56+
• Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $57+
• Flight Los Angeles - Phoenix (LAX - PHX) $63+
• Flight Salt Lake City - Phoenix (SLC - PHX) $73+
• Flight Portland - Phoenix (PDX - PHX) $79+
• Flight Seattle - Phoenix (SEA - PHX) $83+
• Flight San Francisco - Phoenix (SFO - PHX) $84+

Honolulu Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Honolulu (LAX - HNL) $191+
• Flight San Francisco - Honolulu (SFO - HNL) $225+
• Flight San Jose - Honolulu (SJC - HNL) $225+
• Flight Ontario - Honolulu (ONT - HNL) $239+
• Flight San Diego - Honolulu (SAN - HNL) $264+
• Flight Oakland - Honolulu (OAK - HNL) $283+
• Flight Las Vegas - Honolulu (LAS - HNL) $303+

Los Angeles Flights

• Flight Oakland - Los Angeles (OAK - LAX) $40+
• Flight San Jose - Los Angeles (SJC - LAX) $54+
• Flight Seattle - Los Angeles (SEA - LAX) $61+
• Flight Phoenix - Los Angeles (PHX - LAX) $65+
• Flight Portland - Los Angeles (PDX - LAX) $68+
• Flight San Francisco - Los Angeles (SFO - LAX) $68+
• Flight Chicago - Los Angeles (ORD - LAX) $69+
• Flight Houston - Los Angeles (HOU - LAX) $69+
• Flight Houston - Los Angeles (IAH - LAX) $69+

Chicago Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - ORD) $50+
• Flight Boston - Chicago (BOS - ORD) $50+
• Flight New York - Chicago (LGA - ORD) $52+
• Flight Dallas - Chicago (DFW - ORD) $57+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - MDW) $58+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Chicago (FLL - ORD) $59+
• Flight Philadelphia - Chicago (PHL - ORD) $74+

Denver Flights

• Flight Austin - Denver (AUS - DEN) $68+
• Flight Minneapolis - Denver (MSP - DEN) $75+
• Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $78+
• Flight Chicago - Denver (ORD - DEN) $86+
• Flight Los Angeles - Denver (LAX - DEN) $88+
• Flight Cincinnati - Denver (CVG - DEN) $98+
• Flight Dallas - Denver (DFW - DEN) $108+

Washington, D.C. Flights

• Flight Boston - Baltimore (BOS - BWI) $50+
• Flight Orlando - Baltimore (MCO - BWI) $52+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Baltimore (FLL - BWI) $56+
• Flight Atlanta - Baltimore (ATL - BWI) $57+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (HOU - BWI) $82+
• Flight Los Angeles - Baltimore (LAX - BWI) $102+
• Flight Dallas - Baltimore (DFW - BWI) $104+
• Flight Chicago - Baltimore (ORD - BWI) $107+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - DCA) $133+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - IAD) $139+
• Flight Seattle - Baltimore (SEA - BWI) $146+
• Flight Miami - Washington, D.C. (MIA - IAD) $156+
• Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - IAD) $169+
• Flight Chicago - Washington, D.C. (ORD - DCA) $184+
• Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - IAD) $197+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - DCA) $200+
• Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - DCA) $207+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - DCA) $216+
• Flight Houston - Washington, D.C. (HOU - DCA) $218+
• Flight San Francisco - Baltimore (SFO - BWI) $225+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - IAD) $227+
• Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - DCA) $260+
• Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - IAD) $277+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - IAD) $294+

Atlanta Flights

• Flight Orlando - Atlanta (MCO - ATL) $34+
• Flight New York - Atlanta (LGA - ATL) $40+
• Flight Newark - Atlanta (EWR - ATL) $40+
• Flight Detroit - Atlanta (DTW - ATL) $46+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Atlanta (FLL - ATL) $46+
• Flight Houston - Atlanta (HOU - ATL) $48+
• Flight Houston - Atlanta (IAH - ATL) $48+

United States Flights

• Flight Newark - Miami (EWR - MIA) $40+
• Flight Los Angeles - Seattle (LAX - SEA) $55+
• Flight New York - Fort Lauderdale (LGA - FLL) $61+
• Flight Newark - Orlando (EWR - MCO) $69+
• Flight Dallas - Las Vegas (DFW - LAS) $73+

Hawaii Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $191+
• Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $209+
• Flight San Jose - Hawaii (SJC - USHI) $225+
• Flight Ontario - Hawaii (ONT - USHI) $239+
• Flight San Diego - Hawaii (SAN - USHI) $264+
• Flight Las Vegas - Hawaii (LAS - USHI) $303+
• Flight Seattle - Hawaii (SEA - USHI) $316+

Tampa Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Tampa (ATL - TPA) $40+
• Flight Baltimore - Tampa (BWI - TPA) $57+
• Flight Raleigh - Tampa (RDU - TPA) $57+
• Flight Cincinnati - Tampa (CVG - TPA) $58+
• Flight Houston - Tampa (HOU - TPA) $67+
• Flight Newark - Tampa (EWR - TPA) $68+
• Flight Richmond - Tampa (RIC - TPA) $74+

Houston Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Houston (ATL - IAH) $45+
• Flight Newark - Houston (EWR - IAH) $52+
• Flight Orlando - Houston (MCO - IAH) $52+
• Flight New York - Houston (LGA - IAH) $60+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Houston (FLL - IAH) $61+
• Flight Philadelphia - Houston (PHL - IAH) $62+
• Flight Chicago - Houston (ORD - IAH) $66+

Las Vegas Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Las Vegas (LAX - LAS) $35+
• Flight Burbank - Las Vegas (BUR - LAS) $39+
• Flight Oakland - Las Vegas (OAK - LAS) $39+
• Flight Santa Ana - Las Vegas (SNA - LAS) $50+
• Flight Denver - Las Vegas (DEN - LAS) $56+
• Flight San Francisco - Las Vegas (SFO - LAS) $58+
• Flight Seattle - Las Vegas (SEA - LAS) $58+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Las Vegas (FLL - LAS) $67+
• Flight Houston - Las Vegas (HOU - LAS) $79+
• Flight Houston - Las Vegas (IAH - LAS) $79+
• Flight Philadelphia - Las Vegas (PHL - LAS) $88+
• Flight Orlando - Las Vegas (MCO - LAS) $105+
• Flight Chicago - Las Vegas (ORD - LAS) $106+

Miami Flights

• Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $40+
• Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $42+
• Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $50+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (ORD - MIA) $50+
• Flight Detroit - Miami (DTW - MIA) $51+
• Flight Dallas - Miami (DFW - MIA) $57+
• Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $60+
• Flight Houston - Miami (HOU - MIA) $61+
• Flight Houston - Miami (IAH - MIA) $61+
• Flight New York - Miami (LGA - MIA) $61+
• Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $75+
• Flight Boston - Miami (BOS - MIA) $87+
• Flight Cleveland - Miami (CLE - MIA) $117+
• Flight New York - Miami (JFK - MIA) $117+
• Flight Minneapolis - Miami (MSP - MIA) $123+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (DCA - MIA) $127+
• Flight Los Angeles - Miami (LAX - MIA) $139+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (IAD - MIA) $156+
• Flight Denver - Miami (DEN - MIA) $168+
• Flight Ontario - Miami (ONT - MIA) $182+
• Flight Austin - Miami (AUS - MIA) $189+

San Francisco Flights

• Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $58+
• Flight Phoenix - San Francisco (PHX - SFO) $58+
• Flight Santa Ana - San Francisco (SNA - SFO) $68+
• Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $70+
• Flight Portland - San Francisco (PDX - SFO) $85+
• Flight Denver - San Francisco (DEN - SFO) $108+
• Flight Seattle - San Francisco (SEA - SFO) $141+
• Flight Dallas - San Francisco (DFW - SFO) $153+
• Flight Houston - San Francisco (HOU - SFO) $155+
• Flight Chicago - San Francisco (ORD - SFO) $160+
• Flight Atlanta - San Francisco (ATL - SFO) $166+
• Flight Minneapolis - San Francisco (MSP - SFO) $177+
• Flight Philadelphia - San Francisco (PHL - SFO) $187+
• Flight Austin - San Francisco (AUS - SFO) $193+

Seattle Flights

• Flight Phoenix - Seattle (PHX - SEA) $78+
• Flight Ontario - Seattle (ONT - SEA) $98+
• Flight San Jose - Seattle (SJC - SEA) $100+
• Flight San Diego - Seattle (SAN - SEA) $101+
• Flight Burbank - Seattle (BUR - SEA) $111+
• Flight Denver - Seattle (DEN - SEA) $113+

Paris Flights

• Flight New Windsor - Paris (SWF - CDG) $324+
• Flight Boston - Paris (BOS - CDG) $336+
• Flight Baltimore - Paris (BWI - CDG) $339+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Paris (IAD - CDG) $341+
• Flight Chicago - Paris (ORD - ORY) $380+
• Flight New York - Paris (JFK - ORY) $382+
• Flight New York - Paris (JFK - CDG) $397+

Europe Flights

• Flight Newark - Rome (EWR - FCO) $183+
• Flight New York - Paris (JFK - CDG) $189+
• Flight Newark - Paris (EWR - CDG) $229+
• Flight Newark - Barcelona (EWR - BCN) $241+
• Flight New York - Rome (JFK - FCO) $253+
• Flight New York - Barcelona (JFK - BCN) $257+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $271+

Florida Flights

• Flight Newark - Florida (EWR - USFL) $40+
• Flight Chicago - Florida (ORD - USFL) $50+
• Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $50+
• Flight Dallas - Florida (DFW - USFL) $57+
• Flight Atlanta - Florida (ATL - USFL) $60+
• Flight New York - Florida (LGA - USFL) $61+
• Flight Boston - Florida (BOS - USFL) $64+

Dallas Flights

• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Dallas (FLL - DFW) $40+
• Flight Miami - Dallas (MIA - DFW) $51+
• Flight Atlanta - Dallas (ATL - DFW) $57+
• Flight Chicago - Dallas (ORD - DFW) $58+
• Flight Baltimore - Dallas (BWI - DFW) $68+
• Flight Houston - Dallas (HOU - DFW) $68+
• Flight New York - Dallas (LGA - DFW) $71+

San Diego Flights

• Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $33+
• Flight Oakland - San Diego (OAK - SAN) $50+
• Flight San Francisco - San Diego (SFO - SAN) $58+
• Flight Houston - San Diego (HOU - SAN) $59+
• Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $67+
• Flight Denver - San Diego (DEN - SAN) $78+
• Flight Portland - San Diego (PDX - SAN) $84+

Frequently asked questions

What do i need to know before booking a flight.

There are various factors to consider when booking a flight including cost, fare classes, baggage policies, the complications of flying long haul, and complying with airport regulations. To make your booking journey smoother KAYAK has developed a comprehensive flight guide including insights on finding affordable flights, packing efficiently, and utilizing the best travel tools.

What is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight?

The best day to book your flight depends on a number of factors, but there are general trends that you can follow to increase your chances of cheaper plane tickets. Based on an analysis of KAYAK data for all flights departing from inside United States over the last 12 months, the cheapest day to fly for domestic flights is Wednesday. For international flights, Tuesday had the cheapest tickets on average.

Which month of the year are flight prices lowest?

It’s well established that flights in the low season are generally cheaper than ticket prices during the high season. That means that knowing which month to find the lowest priced plane tickets will depend heavily on seasonality and your destination. While avoiding peak travel times can help you keep costs down, our data shows that the month with the lowest priced plane tickets for domestic flights based on all searches made on KAYAK in the last 12 months was January, while the most expensive was June. If you’re booking an international flight, then January is the cheapest month to fly and June the most expensive.

When is the best time to buy plane tickets - Last minute or in advance?

Last minute flight deals are definitely up for grabs but when exactly to purchase your plane tickets will depend on where you’re traveling to and from. Based on all data for flight searches made on KAYAK over the last 12 months, prices for domestic flights remained below the average price up to 1 weeks before departure. For international flights, deals could still be had up to 1 weeks prior to the departure date, with prices remaining below average. If you’re flexible, KAYAK brings you both advance and last minute one-way and round-trip flight deals.

Can flying international flights with a layover save money on airfare?

For many long-haul international flights, flying non-stop is not possible and you will have to fly with a layover. Some routes will offer both and you could consider flying with a layover for a number of reasons. Firstly, breaking up what would otherwise be a long-haul flight, taking a rest and then completing the journey might make the flight more manageable. Secondly, prices can also be lower than non-stop flights, so while it might take longer for you to reach your destination, you could save money. We’ve looked at prices over the last 12 months for the 100 most popular international destinations for KAYAK users and on average, prices for non-stop flights were cheaper than flights with a layover.

How does KAYAK find such low flight prices?

KAYAK processes over 2 billion flight queries annually and displays results from hundreds of airlines and third party sites, allowing it to find a variety of flight prices and options. It also displays results from 2M+ properties along with rental cars, vacation packages, activities and millions of verified reviews so users can see as many available travel options as possible.

How do I find the best flight deals on KAYAK?

A simple flight search at https://www.kayak.com/flights scans for prices on hundreds of travel sites in seconds. We gather flight deals from across the web and put them in one place. Then on the search results page you can use various filters to compare options for the same flight and easily choose the best flight deal from all of the deals coming straight from the travel sites to your screen, with no extra fee from KAYAK.

How can Hacker Fares save me money?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets on different airlines when it can save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket.

Does KAYAK query more flight providers than competitors?

Yes, KAYAK has access to more data and information than online travel agencies and consistently outperforms the competition in accuracy, globally.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you flights up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. That way, you can see if leaving a day or two earlier will find you a better deal. You can also select the flexible "weekend" or "month" search options to widen your search range and find the cheapest price that works for you.

Search cheap flights with KAYAK. Search for the cheapest airline tickets for all the top airlines around the world, airports around the world and the top international flight routes . KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites to help you find cheap airfare and book a flight that suits you best. Since KAYAK searches many plane tickets sites at once, you can find cheap tickets from cheap airlines and for trains and buses quickly.

KAYAK also helps you find the right hotels for your needs.

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Now Accepting LA Wallet at Select Checkpoints

Louisiana residents can now present their ID on their phone with LA Wallet

TSA is prepared for busiest summer travel season ever

Agency projects it will screen a record number of travelers this summer. Have a question about airport security? Text AskTSA at 275-872

TSA partnered with Stars and Stripes News for special military guide

The TSA special military guide for service members and their families includes travel tips, such as how to prepare, pack and declare a firearm, checkpoint dos and don’ts, and more.

TSA is hiring Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) nationwide

Explore open positions, view upcoming recruiting events and discover what it's like to work in this critical frontline role.

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Best Online Travel Agencies

Booking.com is our top choice for making your trip arrangements

Ligaya Malones is an editor, blogger, and freelance writer specializing in food and travel. Ligaya's work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet and BRIDES.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Planning a trip can be easier through an online travel agency than if you handle each aspect of the planning separately. You can book hotels, air travel, rental cars, and more through a single site, and booking everything together sometimes results in discounts. By inputting a destination, a range of dates, and other preferences, you will see a list of options for each aspect of travel.

The best online travel agencies offer options from the largest number of airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more. Look for sites that offer discounts for combining reservations for different aspects of your trip. For example, the best sites will have lower rates if you book both plane tickets and a hotel through their services. The best sites also provide reviews from customers who actually have booked through the service. These are our top picks.

• Best Overall: Booking.com
• Best Budget: Skyscanner
• Best Price Predictor: Hopper
• Most Innovative: Kiwi.com
• Best for Eco-Conscious: Kind Traveler
• Best for Social Impact: I Like Local
• Best for Design-Forward Homestays: Plum Guide
• Our Top Picks
• Booking.com

Kind Traveler

I Like Local

• See More (4)

Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

 Booking.com

This industry leader offers one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms on the Internet.

Lots of options to choose from

Interface is easy to use

Numerous filters to customize your search

Tricky to tell whether changes/cancellations can be made with Booking.com or the vendor directly

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and has grown into an industry leader that stands out for being one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms out there. From one website, you can compare and book accommodations, flights (including one-way and multi-city flights), sightseeing activities, and even airport taxis. The website lists more than 28 million accommodation options, from hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to vacation homes and luxury resorts—you can browse more choices per destination on Booking.com than other online travel agencies. The website also performs well on cost and typically returns lower-than-average prices for flights and hotels. 

Booking.com's interface is also easy to use. On the home page, search for a hotel by entering your chosen destination and dates. Then, use the extensive list of filters—such as price range and distance from the city center—to narrow the results down and find the best fit. You can also search for a specific hotel, or seek inspiration by clicking through options grouped by destination or property type or by topic such as the country’s best Michelin-starred hotel restaurants or the top cities for vegan travelers. The flights, car rental, and other tabs are just as intuitive. 

Best Budget : Skyscanner

 Skyscanner

You can compare prices across airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Simple interface

Option to toggle searches between specific dates or by monthly calendars

Search Everywhere button is great for spontaneous planners

Extra clicks are required to make a final purchase

Must read fine print for changes/cancellations—may need to deal directly with the vendor

Ads on the sidebar can be distracting

Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner , which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question. Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click “Cheapest Month.” Searches also include options for nearby airports or non-stop flights only. With hotel searches, you can choose to select only from properties with free cancellation, a cleanliness rating of 4.5/5 or higher, or 3- or 4-starred hotels only. Car rental searches include an option to select “return car to different location.”

Once you’ve found the best rate, click on the link to be redirected to the third-party site to make your booking. Feeling spontaneous? The Search Everywhere button on the homepage offers a list of the cheapest flight deals for destinations both locally and across the world—just plug in your departure airport first.

Best Price Predictor : Hopper

The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting when flights and hotel rates will be cheapest.

Color-coded system makes it easy to determine cheapest days to buy

App is easy to use

Option to track flights and receive alerts when the best time to buy arises

Some have mentioned the app functions better as a research tool than a booking tool

Unclear whether Hopper will price match if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere

Hopper is a travel app available on iOS and Android that aims to help travelers save on airfare by usng historical data and their own algorithm to predict when flights will be cheapest. Just type in where and when you’d like to fly and Hopper will present you with a color-coded pricing calendar indicating how much tickets are likely to cost. (Green is the least expensive, then yellow, orange, and red for most expensive.) Hopper will also recommend you either buy now or wait, or you can choose to watch a trip and receive notifications on the best time to buy. In addition, the app has expanded to offer hotel and car rental price predictions, too.

Some newer features since the app’s inception in 2009 include an option to freeze a price for a limited time—for an extra fee—as well as exclusive app-only discounts. Hopper is free to download, and you can choose to book directly through the app, though some users mentioned they use Hopper as more of a research tool before booking directly with the airline or hotel. The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting flight rates up to a year ahead.

Most Innovative : Kiwi.com

This metasearch engine scours the web to piece together the ideal itinerary using planes, trains, buses, and more.

Creative itineraries get you where you need to go, especially if you’ve got a multi-stop trip

Kiwi Guarantee offers rebooking or cancellation protections

Nomad option appeals to travelers with a lot of flexibility

Creative itineraries mean you may not fly out of the same airport you flew into

Kiwi Guarantee has an additional fee

Charges all-in-one fee for booking flights, trains, buses (though you can always purchase a la carte)

Travelers planning multi-city destinations and seeking a bargain, as well as those looking to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, might consider Kiwi . Kiwi is a metasearch engine that scours and pieces together itineraries from various airlines (even if they don’t have a codeshare agreement), considers multiple airports (even if your arrival airport is different from departure), and offers booking options, whether you’re looking at very specific dates or more general ones (up to 60 nights).

Some will find the ability to make multiple bookings for a particular trip more convenient than going at it manually several different times, though note that you must opt into the Kiwi Guarantee program to access rebooking and refund protections should your reservation change or be canceled. Kiwi’s Nomad option allows you to plug in a bunch of destinations you’d like to visit and the length of your intended stay, and the website will churn out the most affordable itineraries for review.

Best for Eco-Conscious : Kind Traveler

A give-and-get business model means booking accommodations with exclusive perks, a donation to environmental organizations, and more.

All participating hotels include a local give-back component

Exclusive savings and perks

Participating hotels are located in some of the most beautiful places in the world

Inventory is much smaller compared to other booking platforms

Some of the amenities mentioned are based on availability only

In 2022, Kind Traveler (an online trave agency focused on hotel bookings) announced an increase in environmentally and socially conscious hotels, charity donations, voluntourism opportunities, and additional perks like waived resort fees or a welcome amenity.

Unlock exclusive hotel rates and perks from participating Kind Traveler hotels with a minimum $10/night minimum donation to a local charity. For example, stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and receive up to $33 off the nightly rate and perks such as a food and beverage credit and an Earth Lab or Alchemy Bar workshop when you make a donation to Manta Trust. The organization funds coastal research to protect the island nation’s large yet fragile population of reef mantas.

Select from more than 140 participating hotels from the Hawaiian Islands to Bozeman, Montana, and the Maldives. Charities include wildlife, human rights, arts, education, and environmental preservation organizations.

Best for Social Impact : I Like Local

Choose from a host of travel experiences with the peace of mind that 100 percent of the cost goes directly to local partners.

Social impact mission woven into organization’s business model

Immersive experiences led by local guides

Range of experiences offered

May not be best fit for those seeking upscale, luxury experiences and stays

Can’t sort experiences by a list of countries (though an interactive map is available)

No experiences outside of Africa and Asia

For an online travel agency with a booking platform designed to route dollars spent directly to the communities travelers intend to visit, consider I Like Local . Visit the website to browse a host of travel experiences in countries including Indonesia, Kenya, and Cambodia. Experiences include homestays and farmstays as well as wellness and culturally oriented experiences—from cooking and cycling tours to weaving classes.

To search for an experience, select from drop-down items like travel dates and experience categories, or view a global map and click on a country to view experiences that way.

The platform got its start in 2014 and has grown to 4,000 local hosts across nearly 20 countries. As a social impact organization, 100 percent of each booking fee goes to local hosts. To date, 16,000 travelers have booked with I Like Local.

Best for Design-Forward Homestays : Plum Guide

Browse and book seriously vetted, design-forward vacation homes.

Highly curated inventory of vacation rentals across the world

Design-forward

Thorough vetting process

Does not publish guest reviews

Other platforms have homes available across more destinations

When it comes to booking a vacation home, serviced apartment, or condo, travelers are spoiled for choice. Plum Guide is an online travel agency that specializes in accommodations—though not just any home makes its directory. The company claims that each potential home listed on its site must jump through 150 hoops to be included, from internet speed and mattress and pillow quality to the showers’ water pressure and the home’s proximity to dining, shopping, and attractions.

Search by a featured collection on the website such as “ pet-friendly homes ” or “one-of-a-kind homes in Palm Springs.” Scroll to the bottom of its homepage to view its top destinations, as well as a list of all destinations where Plum Guide homes are available, including Barbados, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Turkey. Note: From the top right-hand corner of the site, use the dropdown menu to select currency of choice.

As long as you know what you value most out of your travel experience—such as affordability, social impact, or luxe accommodations—there’s an online travel agency to help plan your next trip. Be sure to read the fine print, as some agencies are third-party websites and not direct vendors. If you're not sure where to start, Booking.com is your best bet for a smooth user experience and hard-to-beat offers on flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

What Is the Biggest Travel Agency?

Our choice for best overall, Booking.com, is known as an industry leader with listings for all major hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and more. It boasts more choices for accommodations per destination than any other site, and we found its interface to be user-friendly.

Are Online Travel Agencies Worth It?

This depends on your needs and priorities. The best online travel agencies certainly can save time by booking everything all at once. However, if you're someone who is good at haggling and enjoys the details of planning a trip, you might be able to find better deals by reaching out to hotels or other destinations and speaking to someone personally.

Is It Cheaper to Book Online Than With a Travel Agent?

Not always. A travel agent you know and trust should have the experience and connections to find deals that can match or surpass what you'll find online. Additionally, if something goes wrong, travel agents provide you with an actual person you can use as an advocate to correct the problem . But if you don't have access to a good travel agent, online sites still provide plenty of ways to streamline planning and save money .

We considered dozens of online travel agencies and narrowed down the options based on user experience, volume and quality of inventory, unique offerings and specials, and customer reviews. We also assessed travel companies’ environmentally and socially conscious policies.

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Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation

The Good Consolidator.

Over 40 years of serving travel agents and tour operators.

Founded in the USA.

Tickets. Technology. Service.

Picasso Travel is one of the largest airline consolidators in the United States serving both, travel professionals and airlines.

2019 had been our 40th year in business in the USA.

Our expert team is committed to provide efficient and friendly service to all our customers.

For leisure and corporate travel agencies, tour operators, business travel agencies and incentive agencies, we offer seamless service from 6 U.S. offices and a 24/7 customer support center.

Picasso Travel offers  the best B2B solutions, allowing easy comparison of discounted airfares on most airlines operating worldwide. Special offers and discounts on net and published airfares are always available.

Cockpit - A Revolutionary & Advanced Booking Experience

Book flights in a flash!

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Travel plans sometimes change and you may want a refund for a purchased airline ticket or other related services such as baggage or seat fees.  This page contains useful information to determine whether you are entitled to a refund for air fare or services related to a scheduled flight. 

Am I Entitled to a Refund?

In the following situations, consumers are entitled to a refund of the ticket price and/or associated fees.

• Cancelled Flight – A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel.
• DOT has not specifically defined what constitutes a “significant delay.”  Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors – including the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances.  DOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund following a significant delay on a case-by-case basis.
• Class of Service Change - A consumer is entitled to a refund if the consumer was involuntarily moved to a lower class of service.  For example, if the consumer purchased a first-class ticket and was downgraded to economy class due to an aircraft swap, the consumer is owed the difference in fares.  
• Note : In situations where you have purchased an optional service and that amenity either does not work or is not available on the flight, you may need to notify the airline of the problem to receive a refund.
• Airlines may have different policies to determine when a bag is officially lost.  Most airlines will declare a bag lost between five and fourteen days after the flight, but this can vary from one airline to another.   
• If an airline unreasonably refuses to consider a bag lost after it has been missing for an unreasonable period of time, the airline could be subject to enforcement action by the DOT.  
• Learn more about lost, delayed, or damaged baggage .
• Fully refundable ticket - Consumers who purchase fully refundable tickets are entitled to a refund when they do not use the purchased ticket to complete their travel

In the following situations, consumers are not entitled to refunds except under very limited circumstances: 

• Non-refundable tickets - Consumers who purchase non-refundable tickets are not entitled to a refund unless the airline makes a promise to provide a refund or the airline cancels a flight or makes a significant schedule change.      
• Personal Issue - Consumers who purchase nonrefundable tickets, but are unable to travel for a personal reason, such as being sick or late to the airport, are not entitled to a refund.  
• Unsatisfactory Service - A consumer who willingly takes a flight but has a bad experience with the airline or the flight is not entitled to a refund.  
• Incidental Expenses – A consumer who incurs incidental expenses such as a rental car, hotel room, or meal due to a significantly delayed or cancelled flight is not entitled to a refund of the incidental expenses. 

Note : While airlines are not required to issue a refund for non-refundable tickets, they are free to do so or they may issue a credit or travel voucher for future use on the airline.  Airlines must also comply with the promises they make, and in some instances, they may be willing to offer passengers accommodations or other benefits that they are not required to provide.  Contact the airline directly to inquire about additional accommodations or benefits. 

What if I purchased or reserved my ticket through a travel agent or online travel agency?

• Ticket agents and online travel agencies are required to make “proper” refunds when service cannot be performed as contracted on a flight to, within, or from the United States.
• (i) an airlines cancels or significantly changes a flight;   
• (ii) an airline acknowledges that a consumer is entitled to a refunds; and  
• (iii) passenger funds are possessed by a ticket agent.

What should I do if I am entitled to a refund and would like to receive one from an airline or ticket agent?

• You should proactively request a refund in writing from an airline or a ticket agent if you believe that you are entitled to a refund.
• If you contact the airline or ticket agent to obtain a required refund and you are refused that refund, you should file a complaint against the airline or ticket agent with the Department at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint .

Cancelling a Ticket Reservation or Purchase within 24 hours of Booking

For airline tickets that are purchased at least seven days before a flight’s scheduled departure date and time, airlines are required to either:

allow consumers to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty for 24 hours , or

allow consumers to reserve a ticket (place it on hold) at the quoted prices without paying for the ticket for 24 hours .

• Airlines are not required to offer both a hold and a refund option. Check your airline’s policy before purchasing a ticket. However, if an airline accepts a reservation without payment, it must allow the consumer to cancel the reservation within 24 hours without penalty. If an airline requires payment with a reservation, it must allow the consumer to cancel the payment and reservation within 24 hours and receive a full refund.

Although airlines must hold a reservation for 24 hours or provide a refund to consumers at their request within 24 hours of making a reservation, airlines are not required to make changes to a ticket free of charge (for example - change your ticket to a different date or correct a misspelled name on the reservation).

In some cases, instead of paying for a change fee and a potential difference between the original ticket price and the current ticket price, it may be cheaper to request a refund for the ticket and rebook. However, please keep in mind that ticket prices can change quickly.

Does the 24-hour refund/reservation requirement apply to tickets purchased or reserved through a travel agent or online travel agency?

No, the 24-hour refund/reservation requirement for airlines does not apply to tickets booked through online travel agencies, travel agents, or other third-party agents.  However, these agents are free to apply the same or similar procedures to provide equivalent or similar customer service.

If you purchased your ticket through an online travel agency (or other agent), you should contact the travel agent directly to obtain a refund before contacting the airline.

How quickly are airlines, travel agents, and online travel agencies required to process a refund?

Airlines and ticket agents are required to make refunds promptly.

For airlines, “prompt” is defined as being within 7 business days if a passenger paid by credit card, and within 20 days if a passenger paid by cash or check.

For ticket agents, prompt is not defined.

This may be addressed in a future DOT rulemaking. More information can be found here: 

Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections

Air Transportation Consumer Protection Requirements for Ticket Agents

DOT Relaunches Air Consumer Website

The Complete Guide to Booking Travel Online

What is an online travel agency, and what are the best sites and apps to use to search for hotels and flights we break it all down for you..

• Copy Link copied

There’s a lot to navigate when researching and booking travel online.

Photo by Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

My first travel adventure was to Venezuela. I booked the ticket with a travel agent over a pay phone. The agent searched a dozen flight itineraries over a few days, all so I could save $15.

Times have changed. Today, flight searches start online , often on your mobile device. Passengers book either directly with the airline or hotel or with online travel agencies. Rarely do we get on the phone. In fact, American Airlines and United Airlines charge $25 to make a domestic flight booking by phone. And pay phones hardly exist anymore.

So, what is the best way to book online? Here is our complete guide to online travel agencies, search tools, and the variety of booking options available on both mobile devices and desktops.

What is an OTA?

An online travel agency, or OTA, is a website or mobile app that allows users to search for and book travel services such as flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities. The booking is made directly with the online travel agency but confirmed by the service provider, such as an airline or a hotel. As a customer, your relationship is with the OTA.

What are the main OTAs?

Many online travel agencies nowadays are owned by two main companies: Expedia and Priceline. The Expedia Group is the largest online travel agency in the United States with 70 percent market share, according to travel data firm Phocuswright. Expedia Group operates Expedia.com , Orbitz, Hotels.com , Trivago, CheapTickets , Hotwire , Vrbo , and Travelocity .

Priceline is a major competitor to Expedia, with global revenues larger than the Expedia Group. The company owns Priceline.com, Booking.com, Cheapflights, Momondo, and Kayak—the latter two being metasearch engines (more on that below).

There are also independent newcomers such as Hopper (a mobile-only booking tool) and Kiwi.com (which allows you to book flights on air carriers that don’t normally have a commercial relationship).

Are OTA fares lower than booking directly?

Generally, no. The fares that are displayed by an OTA will be similar if not slightly more expensive when compared to an airline’s website. They’re usually only a few dollars higher or lower. The OTAs charge a booking fee to the airlines, and often that fee is passed directly to consumers. For example, Lufthansa tacks on an additional $18 to any booking made through an OTA for Lufthansa flights. The same flights are exactly $18 cheaper on the airline’s website.

Where you can score a good travel deal through an OTA is when booking a last-minute hotel and flight package. Many OTAs have cut agreements with airlines allowing last-minute travelers to access lower rates than are typically available when passengers book a flight alone.

Are all airlines available to be booked through OTAs?

No. Many OTAs do not display flights from some of the low-fare leaders. For example, Southwest and Allegiant flights are not available through OTAs; the same goes for Ryanair in Europe. And, earlier this year United Airlines threatened to pull out of Expedia altogether, only recently signing a multi-year agreement to stay in. The airlines would rather not lose any margin to online travel agencies in an already low-margin industry and would rather maintain a direct relationship with the customer.

Are smaller OTAs safe to use?

Expedia and Priceline are the two largest players in the online booking space, but there are dozens of independent OTAs, such as CheapOAir, OneTravel, JustFly, and SmartFares. Confusingly, you might actually stumble on ads for these OTAs while using Expedia or Priceline sites. That’s because the larger OTAs earn revenue through advertising, sending passengers to smaller OTAs and charging those OTAs for the favor.

Buyer beware: some of these lesser-known OTAs are masters at hidden fees. For example, a flight search on JetBlue allows for free seat selection in many instances. If you perform the same search on FlightNetwork, an independent OTA, and select a seat, you will be charged an additional $25—despite the fact that JetBlue doesn’t charge a seat selection fee if you book directly.

What if you need to change your itinerary?

Itinerary changes are often a pain. If your plans change, it won’t matter whether you’ve booked directly with an airline or with an OTA—you’re going to pay fees for the privilege, if you can even change your ticket at all.

For example, CheapTickets.com, which is part of the Expedia Group, charges $25 to change or cancel a ticket if that change is requested after 24 hours of making the booking—it is free if you do so within 24 hours of booking. However, the fees go up from there. JustFly, an independent OTA, charges a $75 fee for changes to domestic flights in addition to airline change fees, plus the difference in fare, for tickets that can be changed. For an international trip, the fee rises to $200. That means to change an international flight with Delta (which charges a $100 change fee) booked through JustFly, you’ll be assessed $300 in fees, plus the difference in fare. At that rate, you may as well book a new flight. FlightNetwork indicates in its terms of service that changes may incur a change fee but doesn’t specify what those fees are. That hardly makes the few dollars you saved by booking with the OTA in the first place worth it.

What is an OTA price match policy?

To assure travelers that they are getting the lowest fare possible, many OTAs have a price match policy. The rules vary and so do the benefits.

For example, if you book with Orbitz and find a less expensive flight, car rental, or activity on any U.S.-based website within 24 hours of your booking, Orbitz will refund you the difference you paid. And it works: I have personally found a flight in the same class, on the same airline, for the same origin and destination cities, and requested Orbitz to refund the difference of around $35. Within a few weeks, I received a check in the mail. A similar program applies for CheapOAir, but there’s a catch—the price difference must be found on a major OTA such as Expedia or Travelocity.

Expedia has a particularly good price match policy, but you have to pay extra for it at the time of booking. Expedia offers the price match option as an add-on that costs between $5 and $30 when you book. With the price match applied, if the airfare on Expedia drops between 120 days of the flight and up to six hours before the flight, Expedia will automatically refund you the difference in fare. Unfortunately, fares generally do not drop substantially as the travel date approaches, so while this might give you peace of mind, it’s probably not worth the expense.

How do Google Flights and other travel metasearch engines work?

Frequent fliers are likely familiar with websites such as Google Flights, Kayak, Momondo, or Skyscanner. On these websites, passengers search on the site but are redirected to the service provider to complete the booking, such as an airline, rental car company, or hotel.

Metasearch started with a product called ITA Matrix, which is a tool for searching airfares online but not for actually booking online. ITA Matrix allows for multi-city searching, such as setting two different departure or arrival airports, and for offering a calendar view of fares for easier comparison. That company was acquired by Google in 2011, and savvy travelers swear by it to help find the least expensive fares online. Most consumers are more familiar with Google Flights, which has gained traction more recently not least because it has the benefit of being displayed first in search results on Google.

Metasearch engines receive distribution fees from the airlines for sending traffic to the supplier websites. There are no additional hidden fees for using a metasearch engine because you’re booking directly with the airline or hotel.

A major benefit of the metasearch engines is their price tracking tool, which lets users know whether the displayed fares are low, average, or high for the flight, allowing travelers to make a more informed decision on whether to book a flight or not . Google Flights and Kayak, for instance, both have price tracking tools.

Why not just book directly?

The airlines would definitely much rather you book directly with them. Over the past five years, they have gotten much better at marketing and selling their product directly to consumers online and through mobile sites and apps. But in the past, they weren’t so good at it. In fact, Delta, Northwest, United, American, and Continental got together to invest $145 million to launch Orbitz in 1999 to counter the threat from Expedia. Now Orbitz is owned by Expedia.

The airlines also try to encourage customers to book directly so that they can maintain a closer relationship with them. It allows carriers to connect bookings with loyalty programs and create special offers and discounts catered to individual passengers.

There is another benefit to booking directly. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires carriers to hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment or allow a reservation to be cancelled within 24 hours without penalty, so long as the booking is made at least seven days before travel. The law applies, however, only to U.S. and foreign air carriers that have websites marketed to U.S. consumers. This means that, in theory, an online travel agency does not have to offer such a policy, although most OTAs do.

What are the options for booking on your mobile device?

Airlines and the major OTAs all have apps to help you book and manage your trip on your mobile device, but their functionality is lacking compared to these websites’ desktop editions. For example, Expedia’s app doesn’t allow you to view flights on a month-view calendar. Kayak has an app with more bells and whistles and a better user interface, including a month-view calendar with color-coded pricing. It also has a handy “augmented reality” function to help you see if your carry-on bag will fit in the overhead bin (a feature originally developed by KLM). Point your phone’s camera at the luggage, and it’ll give you the dimensions.

While apps are improving and gaining in popularity, you still might find it easier to locate the best deals on flights and hotels by using your desktop, where you can have multiple tabs open and have all the available search tools at your disposal. Apps are fine for booking directly with an airline once you know which flights you want to book.

If you’re determined to use your mobile device, you may want to look into Hopper. Hopper is a mobile-first flight booking tool that has a solid price prediction tool. You can research travel options and book directly on the app. Another benefit of Hopper: Of its team of 300 employees, nearly half are dedicated to customer support and are based in Canada versus some OTAs and airlines that outsource much of their customer service further afield.

The bottom line?

Like many travelers, I enjoy a flight deal as much as the next person, but I also don’t like any added hassle. I typically start my travel searches using the ITA Matrix or Google Flights to get a general sense of the fares. It helps to know what is a good deal and what is expensive for a particular route. I do my research, typically on a desktop computer. When I’m ready to book, I’ll book directly with the airline. I’ve found that customer service is better when booking directly with the service provider. But I’ve also saved money by using OTAs and have booked with them, too. Whichever way you choose to book, you can be safe in the knowledge that finding and purchasing travel online is a lot easier today than searching for a deal with a travel agent on a pay phone.

>> Next: How to Get the Best Last-Minute Travel Deals

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Commentary | Another View: Automatic refund policy for air…

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Commentary | Another View: Automatic refund policy for air travel could do more harm than good

Unfortunately, what the agency has proposed may hurt, not help, travelers at the very time when travelers need airlines to get them to their final destination.

The DOT issued a fact sheet outlining an extensive list of new requirements that affect what air travelers can expect from airlines the next time their flight is canceled or delayed.

Many of the changes make sense, like automatic refund of fees for checked baggage, in-flight internet connection and preferred seating. The cost to the airline would be processing such refunds, including credit card fees, which will likely lead to higher fees to absorb those costs.

The new policy gets problematic when a flight is canceled or delayed. If the airlines are required to issue a refund to the traveler, and the flyer unwittingly agrees to the refund, then they may be left to rebook their own flights, placing them in a precarious position. For example, this could involve paying a last-minute fare on another airline, rather than a lower advance-purchase fare, ultimately costing the traveler more money.

Airline interline agreements can be used to avoid these situations; they allow an airline to transfer a ticket to another airline. This effectively means that your original airline uses the money you initially spent to buy you a ticket with another airline. The cost to you is nothing, even if your new ticket costs more than the original ticket. Most importantly, traveler interests are protected, and their immediate needs fulfilled — namely, reaching their final destination.

Each situation, however, may need to be managed differently. If the flight cancellation or delay is due to a mechanical problem, then alternative flights would likely be available. If it is weather-related, then all airlines would be affected, with alternative options likely to be very limited or nonexistent. Of course, if such disruptions occur during peak travel periods, such as around the Fourth of July or the late-year holiday season, all such efforts are further complicated, given the limited availability of seats on most flights.

The solution that serves the best interests of travelers is to give them the choice of how they wish to be accommodated when a flight is canceled or delayed. However, many leisure travelers are ill-equipped to make good choices in real time during a flight cancellation or crisis, simply because they lack the necessary experience. That is why the primary objective should be to expeditiously get travelers to their destination, with the burden placed on the airlines to make this happen.

No matter what changes are made, the airline will incorporate any new policies in their contract of carriage, a voluminous discussion of rules and procedures governing every ticket issued. Delta Air Lines offers a 12,000-word “plain language” version, while United Airlines has a 37,000-word version. Few travelers, let alone airline gate agents, have digested its finer details. Such documents provide no practical value for travelers, mostly giving airlines a legal backstop when flights do not go as planned.

There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to helping air travelers when their flights are disrupted. At the same time, the DOT must continue to improve the national air system with fully staffed and modernized air traffic control systems. Introducing artificial intelligence will go a long way to better manage increased air traffic volume over limited airport runway capacity and air space.

The DOT’s one-size-fits-all effort to protect travelers will not work. Giving the airlines the opportunity to spell out what they can offer and providing an environment to reach an amicable compromise will ultimately help travelers get what they need — namely, to reach their destination and be taken care of by airlines when circumstances disrupt their trip.

Travelers deserve no less, and airlines should work to deliver as much.

Sheldon H. Jacobson is a professor in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research as a data scientist on risk-based security informed the design of the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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American Airlines Backtracks, Will Allow Travel Agency Customers to Keep Earning Miles

Dennis Schaal , Skift

May 29th, 2024 at 3:23 PM EDT

American Airlines tried to drag an entrenched industry toward the airline's vision of a more productive distribution future. But the financial hit stung.

Dennis Schaal

Online and offline travel agencies had faced a July 11 deadline: That’s when flyers buying American Airlines tickets on certain booking sites would have no longer been able to earn AAdvantage Miles.

But American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said Wednesday that the airline has dropped the idea. It was part of an overall retreat in American’s direct-booking strategy as it faces softness in close-in bookings and a weaker financial outlook.

“Next month, we were going to differentiate who earned AAdvantage Miles and who didn’t, based on where they booked. That’s off,” Isom told investors and analysts at a Bernstein conference. “We’re not doing that because it would create confusion and disruption for our end customer, and we’re going to make sure that we take care. We’re listening to feedback.”

The plan had been that the airline would designate “preferred agencies” — who were required to book at least 30% of their flights through American’s New Distribution Capability — and customers of these online and offline travel agencies would have been able to continue to earn AAdvantage miles when buying tickets on these third-party sites.

Travel agencies that didn’t get the airline’s stamp of approval faced the prospect of losing lots of customers who would have had to book American flights on AA.com or a preferred agency.

The airline initially said it would designate preferred agencies by May 1, and later moved that deadline to July 11.

Travel Agency Reaction

Many agencies had no clue if they were going to make the cut.

Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors, had fought the airline’s distribution policies, and applauded the airline’s reversal.

“I’m grateful for American Airlines’ renewed recognition of the essential role that travel advisors play in facilitating air travel for our shared customers,” Kerby said. “I want to extend my thanks to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom for acknowledging its previous approach was flawed. Reversing the decision to withhold AAdvantage points and miles for agency bookings is a testament to the firm position that travel agencies hold in the airline distribution channel.”

Kerby said he welcomed the opportunity to work with American Airlines on a “responsible implementation of its NDC program.”

When the news came, ASTA was coincidentally conducting it annual national conference in Dallas, in the airline’s Fort Worth headquarters back yard.

American hasn’t definitively given up on direct distribution, however.

“We’re learning and adapting,” Isom said. “We know that NDC, modern retailing provides a better experience for the end customer. And we know that we will get there over time, but we have to go about it differently. We’re going to make it easier, we’re going to execute better and we’re going to do a lot more to try to bring people along with us.”

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Tags: aadvantage , american airlines , asta , business travel , distribution , loyalty , ndc , new distribution capability , online travel newsletter , per diem

Photo credit: The tail of an American Airlines aircraft. Airbus / Airbus

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MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 20: An American Airlines plane takes off from the Miami International Airport ... [+] on July 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. The company reported a record quarterly revenue of $14.1 billion, a 4.7% increase from the prior year. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Record-breaking numbers of passengers are traveling this summer. On the Friday before Memorial Day, universally considered the kick-off to summer, almost 3 million people were screened at U.S. airports.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said May 24 beat the previous airport-packing record set last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, screening 2.95 million people “Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!” the TSA tweeted triumphantly. “We recommend arriving early.”

For this summer, estimates are that 271 million travelers will fly US airlines between June 1 and August 31, smashing the record of 255 million set last summer.

World-wide, airlines are projected to carry 4.7 billion passengers in 2024, finally breaking the pre-COVID 2019 record of 4.5 billion. Airline revenue is expected to rise 7.6% to a record $964 billion in 2024, something that won’t surprise anyone who has priced airline tickets this year.

So with all this good news, why did American Airlines plunge 14% in the stock market this week? For that matter, why are US airline stocks still far from their five-year highs, mostly reached in 2019 and early 2020?

The same IATA report that noted that world airline revenues would reach almost a trillion dollars ($964 billion) in 2024 said that airline profits would reach only a tiny fraction of that. Airline net profits for 2024 were projected at just $25.7 billion, or 2.7% of the net profit margin.

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“While the recovery is impressive, a net profit margin of 2.7% is far below what investors in almost any other industry would accept,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General in December 2023. “The average airlines will retain just $5.45 for every passenger carried. That’s about enough to buy a basic ‘grande latte’ at a London Starbucks. But it is far too little to build a future that is resilient.”

An Airbus A350-941 belonging to Delta Air Lines is preparing to take off on the runway at ... [+] Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain, on May 1, 2024. (Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Walsh pointed to “onerous regulation, fragmentation, high infrastructure costs and a supply chain populated with oligopolies.” This was clearly a dig at the Boeing/Airbus airliner manufacturing duopoly. While Boeing’s manufacturing problems with the 737MAX are well-known, Airbus also has a significant backlog for its A321 family.

We spoke with Savanthi Syth, CFA, Managing Director for Global Airlines & Advanced Air Mobility at Raymond James this week. She noted, “At the heart of the matter is that costs have risen sharply, and fares haven’t kept up despite strong demand recovery, [with leisure travel above 2019 and business travel back to 2019 levels] due to oversupply relative to the new cost structure.”

Ms. Syth added, “Airline labor costs have risen dramatically, and fuel is higher than 2019. These are the two biggest cost components for U.S. airlines, accounting for more than half. In addition, air traffic control (ATC) staffing shortages have led to operational inefficiencies and aircraft parts supply chain issues have led to delivery delays and extended maintenance times that are also driving up costs.”

American Airlines, for example, posted record-breaking revenues of $12.6 billion dollars in the first quarter of 2024, but still recorded a loss of more than $300 million, primarily driven by operational costs.

This week, American stock plunged 14% after the airline changed guidance to reflect a unit revenue cut.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 12: Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, speaks at the U.S. Chamber of ... [+] Commerce's Global Aerospace Summit on September 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. The summit brings together industry experts and government leaders to discuss topics affecting the aviation industry. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom noted on a webcast that American’s unit revenue cut was from a “combination of softer domestic environment and American’s performance within that environment,” according to a Raymond James note.

After the revenue cut announcement, CEO Robert Isom fired the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, Vasu Raja. A Bain & Co. report pointed to issues with his "modern retailing" strategy, which sought to move customers away from booking through travel agencies and towards direct bookings on American's website and app.

American cut back its sales department, as part of this strategy, but the urge to trim travel agencies out of the picture was apparently not a success. The Bain report commissioned by American highlighted concerns from corporate travel advisers about the impact of the shift. As Simple Flying put it, “American Airlines Shot Itself In The Foot” with its distribution strategy.

Stockholders of many US airlines are unhappy, with most US airlines nowhere near their five-year highs. American Airlines stock has suffered since the pandemic, dropping from a high of 33.79 on July 17, 2019, to just 11.44 on May 30, 2024. Southwest Airlines also trades at less than half of its five-year high. Southwest reached 63.42 in April 2021, and closed at 26.84 on May 31, 2024. Even industry darling Delta, trading around 50 this week, has yet to reach its January 2020 high of 59.

As Helane Becker, managing director and senior research analyst at TD Cowen puts it, “The issue isn't one of demand.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 24: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-752 arrives at Los Angeles International ... [+] Airport during Memorial Day weekend on May 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

According to Becker, “In American's case, they are managing costs well, but the revenue is weaker because of excess capacity in a lot of their markets. They are the smallest of the three largest airlines in international travel. They focus on domestic, and that's an issue for them right now, when there are too many seats in markets they fly.”

Becker believes that “people travel differently now than they did prior to 2020.” For the airlines, which means “strong demand during the peaks but demand during off-peak periods is less robust.”

“Summer will be strong, but there is a shift away from domestic travel to international travel,” Becker predicts. She says that in Latin America and Europe, a lot of new industry capacity has come in . “European airlines have restored capacity on the North Atlantic and LATAM and Avianca emerged from Chapter 11 and are growing again. This has resulted in more choices for consumers and the result has been lower fares” internationally.

Norse Atlantic , for example, is offering non-stop flights from the US to Europe starting at $239, which also drives down the fares of competitors.

Ms. Syth of Raymond James notes, “Strength in premium demand (due to better yield improvements in that segment as well as increase product availability and merchandizing by airlines) is helping airlines that have a premium offering relative to those that do not.”

So airlines with significant investment in First and Business Class products like Delta and United, which recently reiterated its profit guidance, are doing relatively well in the stock market, while all-economy class Southwest currently trades at less than half of its five-year high.

Passengers sit in first class aboard a United Airlines flight to Houston, Texas from San Francisco ... [+] on May 11, 2020. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Will continuing strong demand ultimately translate to airline profits and smiling stockholders? The third-quarter post-summer report card may reveal if the profitless recovery will come to an end.

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US Screens Record 2.95 Million Airline Passengers in Single Day

Newark Liberty International Airport, May 24, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 2.95 million airline passengers on Friday, the highest number ever on a single day.

The record travel coincides with the Memorial Day weekend that marks the beginning of the U.S. summer travel season. Last week, a group representing major U.S. airlines forecast record summer travel with airlines expected to transport 271 million passengers, up 6.3% from last year.

The TSA said Friday's travel broke a record set in November of nearly 2.91 million air passengers screened. Five of the 10 busiest ever travel days have been since May 16, the agency said.

Airlines for America said U.S carriers plan to fly more than 26,000 daily flights this summer, up nearly 1,400 over 2023, or 5.6%, when they carried 255 million passengers. The summer travel season forecast is for June 1 to Aug. 31.

American Airlines said it will boost flights by 10% this summer expects 10% higher passengers over the May 23-May 28 Memorial Day travel period -- nearly 3.9 million passengers on 36,000 flights.

United Airlines is forecasting it will handle 3 million travelers during the Memorial Day travel period, up nearly 10% and its highest number ever during the period.

Delta Air Lines said it expects a 5% jump in Memorial Day weekend customers to nearly 3 million customers between May 23-27.

The forecast comes as the Federal Aviation Administration is struggling to address a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers. Some airlines voluntarily trimmed New York flights last summer to address congestion issues and have raised new concerns about the lack of controllers.

Airlines can lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they do not use them enough.

The FAA extended cuts to these minimum flight requirements at New York City-area airports through October because of staffing issues, and major airlines last month asked for those cuts to be extended through October 2025.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jane Merriman)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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