How does KAYAK get prices?

KAYAK is a travel search engine that scans hundreds of travel sites in seconds to gather prices and deals in one place. Here’s how it works.

Where prices come from.

  • KAYAK searches across hundreds of travel sites at once to find prices and availability
  • For hotels, KAYAK processes results from 5M+ hotels and properties and hundreds of third-party sites
  • When you book, you’re booking with the provider (airline, hotel, car agency, or travel site), not with KAYAK

How KAYAK presents prices.

  • Aggregation and comparison: Results from multiple providers are consolidated so you can compare options for the same flight, hotel, or rental car and decide where to book
  • Price Calendar and Price Alerts: Use historical and real-time data to forecast whether prices will rise or fall over the next seven days. KAYAK analyzes over a billion travel information requests each year and monitors prediction accuracy daily

Why prices may differ or change.

  • KAYAK compiles price data from many travel sites, while each provider sets its own prices
  • Prices for airline seats, hotel rooms, and car rentals change frequently
  • Multiple people may try to book the same option at once, so some prices may no longer be available when you click through
  • Occasionally, problems in the price and availability data from travel sites can lead to mismatches between a provider’s website and KAYAK
  • KAYAK does not guarantee prices for these reasons

What to do if you find an inaccurate price.

Please report it to KAYAK so they can address the issue as soon as possible.

For more information.