Kayak is a metasearch engine that aggregates prices from multiple airlines and booking sites in real-time, while Expedia is a direct booking platform that sells flights through its own inventory and partnerships. Kayak typically shows lower prices by comparing all available options, but Expedia offers more integrated trip planning with hotels and car rentals in one checkout.
Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Meta-search engine for flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages founded in 2004.
Global online travel agency offering flights, hotels, cars, and vacation packages with direct booking capabilities.
Booking Method. Average Price Comparison. Price Guarantee. Customer Support Response Time. One-Stop Trip Booking. Loyalty Rewards Program. Search Results Processing Speed
Choose Kayak if you want the absolute lowest fares and don't mind redirecting to external booking sites for checkout—it's ideal for price-conscious travelers on fixed budgets. Choose Expedia if you value convenience, strong customer support, integrated trip planning with hotels/cars, and reward points that accumulate across multiple bookings—it's better for multi-service trips and travelers who prioritize peace of mind with price guarantees.
Kayak: Price tracking only | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: 200+ booking sites | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Real-time Kayak Insights tracking | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Advanced matrix with multiple filters | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Manual monitoring required | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: 1000+ | Expedia: Direct inventory
Kayak: No (redirects) | Expedia: Yes (on-platform)
Kayak: Superior (iOS/Android) | Expedia: Comprehensive
Kayak: Thursday identified (Jan 2026 data) | Expedia: General trends
Kayak: 700+ airlines and OTA sites | Expedia: Expedia Group properties + select partners
Kayak: No bundling available | Expedia: 5-15% additional savings on combined bookings
Kayak: Not available | Expedia: Available on select mobile app bookings
Kayak: Varies by airline/booking | Expedia: 24 hours on most bookings
Kayak: 100% transparency before booking | Expedia: Hidden details on Express Deal flights
Kayak: Redirects to external sites (3-4 steps minimum) | Expedia: Direct one-platform checkout (1-2 steps)
Kayak: Basic price alerts available | Expedia: Advanced real-time alerts with exclusive app perks
Kayak: Recommended by 78% of flexible travelers | Expedia: Preferred by 65% of fixed-plan travelers
Kayak: Basic 12-month calendar view | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Comprehensive flight+hotel+car bundles | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Yes, completely free | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Access to 1.5M+ via search | Expedia: 2,800,000+ hotels
Kayak: 200+ booking sites aggregated | Expedia: 550+ airlines
Kayak: 80M+ downloads | Expedia: 150M+ downloads
Kayak: 8-18% cheaper | Expedia: Baseline (0%)
Kayak: 3-5 steps (redirect + partner) | Expedia: 1-2 steps (integrated)
Kayak: No rewards program | Expedia: 10% points + elite status
Kayak: Limited; relies on partners | Expedia: 24/7 dedicated support
Kayak: 500+ partner sources aggregated | Expedia: 1.2+ million directly bookable
Kayak: 100+ airlines across all channels | Expedia: Partner airlines + select OTA inventory
Kayak: 0% (no program) | Expedia: 10% average annual return on Expedia Rewards
Kayak: $1.2 billion estimated (2024) | Expedia: $40.2 billion (2024)
Kayak: 4.6 stars (1.2M reviews) | Expedia: 4.5 stars
Kayak: No guarantee offered | Expedia: 24-hour Price Match Guarantee
Kayak: 0% (displays direct prices) | Expedia: 2-8% markup over direct booking
Kayak: Not applicable (comparison only) | Expedia: 10-15% savings on flight+hotel bundles
Kayak: 23+ advanced filters | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: 95% accuracy prediction | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Limited/third-party links only | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: 30+ million downloads | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Economy, premium economy, business, first class | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: 3-8% lower | Expedia: 2-5% higher
Kayak: 4-6 minutes average | Expedia: 2-3 minutes average
Kayak: No guarantee - redirect booking | Expedia: 24-hour Price Match Guarantee
Kayak: 1% cashback on flights | Expedia: 1-5x points, avg 1.5 pts/$1 (~1.2% value)
Kayak: 3-5 seconds | Expedia: 1-2 seconds
Kayak: 5-7 minutes (with redirect) | Expedia: 2-3 minutes (integrated)
Kayak: 500+ airlines and booking sites | Expedia: 50-100 partner airlines
Kayak: 4.6 stars (185K reviews, 2026) | Expedia: 4.3 stars (320K reviews, 2026)
Kayak: 4.6/5 (156K reviews) | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: Customizable thresholds, multi-parameter alerts (price, dates, routes) | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: 45 seconds (checkout to confirmation) | Expedia: N/A
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 1000+ airlines (comprehensive)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 15-35% flight+hotel bundles
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 4-12 hours average
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: AI-enhanced pricing & recommendations
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Good - occasional hidden charges
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Carbon offset programs, sustainable stays
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 1.5+ million properties
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: ~18-25% with One Key
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Free entry (paid tiers available)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Positive sustained growth
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Fully transparent (complete details)
Average Domestic Roundtrip Airfare (Spring 2026)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Market competitive
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Expansive/comprehensive
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 24,000+ global travelers
Year-over-Year Airfare Change (Spring 2026)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Full customization available
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Flexible control-focused travelers
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Expedia: 50M reviews
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Flights, Hotels, Cars, Activities, Packages
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 24/7 phone, chat, email
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Expedia: Direct pricing (0% markup)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Full integration with 500+ airlines
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 22% of OTA bookings
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 1-2 hours (24/7 chat)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Fixed 10 points per $1
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Limited offline features
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Full native integration with bundling
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 4.6 stars (380k+ reviews)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 10% One Key points
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Flights, hotels, cars, activities, packages
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: ~340 million reviews
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: 10% Expedia Rewards
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Direct OTA (no external redirects)
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: Full flight booking on-platform
Kayak: N/A | Expedia: ~5.5 million properties
Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights. Contains 141 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights.
Will I get a lower price on Kayak or Expedia?
Kayak typically shows 3-8% lower prices on average because it searches 500+ airlines and booking sites simultaneously. However, Expedia's 24-hour Price Match Guarantee can offset this gap if you find a better price elsewhere after booking. For budget travelers, Kayak usually wins; for convenience, Expedia's integrated booking saves time and frustration.
What happens if I have problems after booking on Kayak?
Kayak redirects you to the airline or third-party booking site for checkout, so customer support comes directly from that provider—not Kayak. This means you bypass Kayak's support team for post-booking issues like seat selection, cancellations, or refunds. Expedia handles all support directly, which is why many prefer it despite slightly higher prices.
Can I book hotels and cars on both platforms?
Expedia offers integrated one-stop shopping: book flights, hotels, cars, and activities together in one transaction, often with bundle discounts of 5-15%. Kayak focuses exclusively on flights; you'd need separate searches for hotels and cars, making it less convenient for multi-service trips but potentially offering better prices by comparing each service independently.
Which platform's rewards program is better?
Expedia Rewards is generally superior: you earn 1-5x points on flights and hotels that stack together, with points valued at ~0.8 cents each. Kayak offers simple 1% cashback on flights. Over a $500 flight, Expedia can net 5-7.50 in rewards (with hotel stacking), while Kayak offers only $5 cashback.
Expedia is 2-3 times faster: checkout takes 2-3 minutes in an integrated system. Kayak requires 5-7 minutes because after searching and comparing, you're redirected to an external site for booking. For business travelers on tight schedules, Expedia's speed advantage is significant, though Kayak's time investment may pay off with lower fares.
Booking Method: Kayak has Metasearch aggregator - redirects to airline/third-party sites, while Expedia has Direct booking platform - completes purchase on Expedia.
Average Price Comparison: Kayak has Typically 3-8% lower due to aggregation of all sources, while Expedia has Often 2-5% higher but includes exclusive Expedia Rewards.
Price Guarantee: Kayak has No price guarantee - redirects to booking site, while Expedia has Price Match Guarantee: refunds difference if lower price found within 24 hours.
Consider: Customer Support Response Time
Customer Support Response Time: Kayak has 24/7 chat support with average 4-6 minute response, while Expedia has 24/7 support with average 2-3 minute response.
One-Stop Trip Booking: Kayak has Flights only - separate searches needed for hotels/cars, while Expedia has Integrated flights, hotels, cars, activities in single checkout.
Loyalty Rewards Program: Kayak has Kayak Rewards: 1% cashback on flights booked, while Expedia has Expedia Rewards: earn points on flights + hotels (stackable benefits).
Consider: Search Results Processing Speed
Search Results Processing Speed: Kayak has 3-5 seconds to aggregate results from 500+ sources, while Expedia has 1-2 seconds using proprietary inventory database.