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
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.
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.
Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Kayak vs Expedia for Booking Flights with 141 attributes.
Average Domestic Roundtrip Airfare (Spring 2026)
Year-over-Year Airfare Change (Spring 2026)
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.