A Metasearch Engine is a travel aggregation tool used to retrieve and organize search results from a wide variety of sources, such as Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), supplier websites (airlines, hotels), and other travel aggregators in a single, similar list. Unlike a booking site, a metasearch engine does not own inventory or conduct the transaction itself, but rather it is a specialized search engine that redirects the user to the source to complete the purchase.
Travel metasearch engines (like Google Flights, Skyscanner, KAYAK, and Trivago) are the solution to the problem of market fragmentation. Without them, a traveler would have to go to united.com, expedia.com, and booking.com separately in order to find the best price for the same flight.
The technology is based on the Availability and Rate caching in real time. When a user makes a query to a destination, the metasearch engine sends queries (via API) simultaneously to hundreds of partners. It then ranks the results based on price, duration, or rating.
The basic difference between a metasearch engine and an OTA is the revenue model.
Suppliers and OTAs bid against one another for ad placement. For instance, if a hotel room is advertised for $100 on Booking.com and the hotel website, both of them might bid to have their link at the top of the list. When the user clicks the link, the metasearch engine charges the fee (e.g., $0.50), regardless if the user actually books the room.
Recently, the distinction between metasearch and OTAs has become blurred because of Facilitated Booking (e.g., ‘Book on Google’ or TripAdvisor’s ‘Instant Booking’).
To enhance the user experience (UX) on mobile devices, metasearch sites now allow users to input their payment details without switching out of the metasearch app. However, legally and technically speaking, the transaction is still processed by the supplier or OTA in the background. The metasearch site is simply performing the function of the user interface layer (UI) to the partner’s booking engine.
Metasearch sites don’t set prices, but they provide them. However, they are frequently the best tool for finding the cheapest price, as they compare the supplier’s direct price with many OTA prices side-by-side.
This is a common pain point. The travel metasearch engine (e.g., Skyscanner) has no record of your ticket and cannot change your flight. You need to call the company that you actually purchased from (either the airline or the OTA where Skyscanner redirected you).
Google Flights is a metasearch engine. It displays you flight options and sends you to the airline’s website to pay. An OTA (like Expedia) accepts your money and issues the ticket themselves.
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