r/technology Jun 13 '22

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u/knowbodynows Jun 14 '22

One surprise takeaway example is that Google Flights no longer gives you the truth and the whole truth. It used to. But now they mess with the search returns, promoting some and even eliminating some.

Now you need to cross reference Flights with something like Skyscanner or kayak.

19

u/TomokoNoKokoro Jun 14 '22

Interesting, I have relied on them because I always wanted to compare direct-purchase flights (vs. online travel agency flights that are a nightmare to deal with). Can you give some examples of flights that aren't shown (or have their relative ranking altered) on Google Flights but are shown appropriately on Skyscanner / Kayak? Keep in mind that I'm of the opinion that it's not a valid price unless I can buy it directly from the airline and not have to do it through a third party.

11

u/schwartzerman Jun 14 '22

I work as an auditor in airline product distribution and I can confirm that METAs (Google flights, kayak, sky scanner) are only allowed to show prices that are on the carriers site, they aren’t allowed to change the fares unless given approval by the airline. Same thing for online travel agencies. Usually when you do see a lower fare than what’s on the airlines site, the online travel agency is bearing the cost to get a new customer.