Research google Flights on Kayak Kayak's largest competitor for booking flights is Google Flights. Both search engines use the same ITA Matrix software that looks at the airline carrier metadata to find the best combinations and prices. Both sites are extremely fast, but Kayak still takes a few extra seconds to load compared to Google. The results are nearly identical and the website layout isn't much different with the exception of the sidebar placements. One downside of Kayak is the sponsored advertisement that appears above each search result. But, it's not too much of a distraction. Besides speed, the primary advantage of researching flights on Kayak is the price transparency. One of the latest pricing gimmicks the airlines use is selling "Basic Economy" seats where you don't receive your assigned seat until check-in and you do not have overhead bin access. Some airlines will still award the lower prices and waive these restrictions if you belong to their frequent flyer program (which you should always do). Kayak will show you the Basic Economy and Main Cabin fare in the same search result box. Google Flights only shows the basic economy price and you might not realize you have to spend more until after you are routed to the carrier website to book the flight. Booking Hotels and Rentals Kayak checks the prices of a hotel and short-term rentals (think Airbnb) from third-party booking sites. If you want to book directly from a national brand like Marriott or IHG, it's a wise idea to open a search in a separate window to book directly from the hotel to ensure you can earn rewards points on the stay and your room doesn't get overbooked (hotels can get funny sometimes on third-party reservations). Searching for hotels on Kayak can be beneficial because you can potentially find an independent hotel or short-term rental that's cheaper than a national brand. source : google flights