Frommer’s, your go-to site for travel expertise, just released its Best Airfare Search Site list for 2024 – and guess what. KAYAK landed the #1 spot.
Our winning tactic? A one-two punch of reliably sourcing low flight prices and helping travelers filter down those options until they find the best one for their needs. Here’s what Frommer’s said we do best.
Strongest in meta (aka digging up the best prices).
After putting 15 travel search sites through the wringer and testing search results on 32 varying flight scenarios, Frommer’s reported that KAYAK had outperformed the others in securing the lowest or second-lowest prices. It’s our “search hundreds of sites at once” mantra put into practice. With hundreds of airline, OTA (online travel agent) and travel site partners around the globe, our powerful search engine scours and gathers all the relevant options, presenting them by quickest, cheapest and best.
Full set of powerful filters.
Frommer’s gave KAYAK big points on this one. While some of the competitors in this ranking only offer three to eight filters, according to Frommer’s, our 14 filters allow fliers to quickly whittle down their options according to their priorities. Want to avoid layovers, have wi-fi, depart from a specific airport and only fly a certain airline? Sure, we’ll find it for you. We even let you choose where you book – directly with the airline or through another site.
This year, Frommer’s had a strong focus on search sites’ filter sets. They took more notice of sites with unique, varied and multiple filters than those with limited options.
No unexpected bag fees.
Frommer’s also gave an extra star for our Fee Assistant. Since many airlines now charge for carry-ons, this filter lets you add however many carry-on or checked bags you’ll bring and calculates any extra fees into your total price – no surprises when you’re about to book.
Convenient onsite booking.
A newer feature that Frommer’s took notice of is our “Instant Book” functionality. Displayed as a lightning bolt in search results, it lets you make your flight booking without leaving our site.
A slew of helpful insights.
Frommer’s is a big fan of useful data and insights that drive travelers to find the best prices available. So they gave a shout-out to our results page, which is full of data to help travelers book their perfect flight. Right off the bat, the bar graph at the top gives an immediate indicator of whether the departure and return dates you chose are the cheapest we can find, or if you could save some money by choosing dates a bit earlier/later.
Customer rating scores.
Flight provider credibility is another issue that many travelers struggle with. What if the provider charges extra fees or is hard to get a hold of if something goes wrong? Frommer’s is well aware of this pet peeve and pointed out the rating scores next to each provider on our site as a way to tell who you can trust with your booking.
We provide these scores according to how well each provider adheres to our provider guidelines. If they consistently show what’s included in their prices, give us the most up-to-date prices possible, maintain good customer service, etc – they’ll get a high score. This makes it easier for users to go with a company that will give them a great experience.
Like having your own travel agent.
Frommer’s also appreciated some of our other features, including our color-coded Price Calendar that shows you the cheapest, average and more expensive departure and return dates for your destination before you search.
One last thing…
Frommer’s did miss one thing that we’re especially proud of: if we think taking a bus or train will actually save you money instead of (or in combination with) flying, we’ll show you those options within our results. Because hey, the journey is part of the experience.
Want to see what Frommer’s thought of the competition? Check out the full article here.
And if you’re interested to know what else we’re capable of, start planning your next trip.
