On this page12 sections
- Ratings and complaints
- Kayak vs. competitors
- Step by step
- KAYAK legitimacy and licensing
- KAYAK pricing and how it makes money
- KAYAK Price Alerts, Price Forecast and Hacker Fares
- KAYAK complaints and how to avoid problems
- Cancellations, changes and refunds
- Who should skip KAYAK
- What customers say
- Alternatives
- FAQ
KAYAK's price alerts, seven-day price forecast and Hacker Fares are useful for finding a lower fare. It is legitimate and free to use: it is a Booking Holdings brand that searches hundreds of travel sites and earns money when partners pay for clicks, bookings and ads. The tradeoff is support. Your contract is with the provider you choose, and KAYAK says it cannot change, cancel or refund bookings, so pick a provider you trust over the cheapest unknown agency.
- Owner
- Booking Holdings Inc. (also owns Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda and OpenTable); KAYAK has operated since 20041
- Headquarters
- Norwalk, Connecticut; available in more than 60 countries and territories1
- Cost to you
- Free; travel providers pay KAYAK when you click through or book2
- Who you book with
- The airline, hotel, car company or travel agency you select; it sets the price and fees and handles changes, cancellations and refunds2
- Price Alerts
- Free with an account; daily emails or real-time alerts when a price moves about 10%3
- Price Forecast
- Predicts whether a round-trip fare will rise or fall over the next 7 days, with a confidence level; not guaranteed3
- Disputes
- US terms include an arbitration clause (section 7.4); terms last updated August 17, 20262
Pros
- Free to use, with no booking fee from KAYAK
- Searches hundreds of travel sites in one place
- Price Alerts and a 7-day Price Forecast for round-trip flights
- Hacker Fares can pair two one-way tickets for a lower round-trip price
- 4.8 App Store rating from about 497,700 ratings
Cons
- KAYAK can't change, cancel or refund your booking
- Some listed agencies are small sellers with weaker support
- Displayed prices aren't guaranteed and can change at checkout
- Hacker Fares are two separate tickets; a cancellation on one doesn't protect the other
- US terms require arbitration for disputes with KAYAK
Best for: Travelers who want to compare prices across many sites, track fares over time and book with a provider they choose.
Skip it if: You want one company to call when plans change, in which case booking directly with the airline or hotel is simpler.
Kayak vs. competitors
| Company | What it is | Who you book with | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAYAK | Metasearch for flights, hotels, cars and packages | The provider you pick | 4.1 (4,909 reviews) |
| Trivago | Hotel price comparison | The booking site you pick | 3.8 (2,372 reviews) |
| Expedia | Online travel agency | Expedia, which manages the booking | 3.5 (23,902 reviews) |
| Priceline | Online travel agency, also a Booking Holdings brand | Priceline |
Kayak, step by step
Search
Enter your trip and KAYAK scans hundreds of airline, hotel, car and agency sites, then lists the offers side by side.
Filter and check the provider
Filter by price, stops, cancellation policy or provider. Note who is selling each offer, since that company will hold your booking.
Set a Price Alert if you can wait
Sign in and turn on Track prices for flights or Set Price Alert for hotels. For round trips, check the Price Forecast's buy or wait advice.
Book on the provider's site
Clicking an offer sends you to the provider, where you pay. Confirm the final price, fees and rules before paying.
Manage changes with the provider
For changes, cancellations or refunds, contact the company you booked with. KAYAK's booking receipts and your card statement show who that is.
KAYAK legitimacy and licensing
Yes. KAYAK has run since 2004 and is one of the five main consumer brands of Booking Holdings, alongside Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda and OpenTable. Booking Holdings’ 2025 annual report describes KAYAK as a meta-search service headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, available in more than 60 countries and territories.
KAYAK itself is safe to search. The part that needs care is the seller you pick: results can include airlines and hotel chains as well as smaller online agencies, and your money, ticket and refund rights sit with that seller.
KAYAK pricing and how it makes money
KAYAK is free for travelers. Its terms say travel providers may pay KAYAK a fee when you click through or complete a booking, and Booking Holdings reports that KAYAK earns revenue from referrals and advertising placements. The provider sets the price and any fees, taxes or surcharges you pay.
Because prices come from many sites and change quickly, KAYAK says it doesn’t guarantee the prices it shows. Always check the total, including bag and seat fees, on the final checkout page.
KAYAK Price Alerts, Price Forecast and Hacker Fares
Price Alerts track a flight, hotel or car search. Most alerts arrive once a day, and you can choose real-time alerts that trigger on a change of about 10%. Alerts expire after the travel date or if you stop opening them.
Price Forecast uses KAYAK’s search data to predict whether a round-trip fare will go up or down over the next seven days and shows a confidence level. KAYAK says it is right more often than not but can’t guarantee it.
Hacker Fares combine two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines, into a cheaper round trip. Each ticket has its own rules, so if one flight is cancelled the other airline doesn’t have to refund or rebook you.
What customers say about Kayak
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- Fast, easy searches across many sites at once
- Price tracking and alerts that catch fare drops
- Filters, including one to hide third-party sellers
- Well-rated mobile app
Common complaints
- Prices that change or disappear at checkout
- Third-party agencies that don't honor a fare or are hard to reach
- Airline seat and bag fees that weren't clear in search results
- KAYAK can't fix bookings made with partners
KAYAK complaints and how to avoid problems
KAYAK holds a 4.1 on Trustpilot from 4,909 reviews and an A- with the BBB, with 35 complaints in three years. Most negative reviews involve prices that changed at checkout, small agencies that didn’t honor a fare or were hard to reach, and extra airline fees.
To avoid these, favor offers sold by the airline, hotel or a large agency, read the change and refund rules before paying, and report a price that didn’t match using KAYAK’s price feedback form.
Cancellations, changes and refunds
KAYAK’s terms say it is not a party to your booking and cannot process refunds, changes or cancellations. Contact the provider that took your payment. If you’re not sure who that is, check your card statement, the booking receipts in your KAYAK account or your browser history, or rerun the search to see where the offer pointed.
Who should skip KAYAK
If you value one point of contact over a small saving, book directly with the airline or hotel, or use an online travel agency that manages your whole trip. Travelers on tight schedules may also want to avoid Hacker Fares, since a delay on one ticket isn’t protected by the other.
Alternatives to Kayak
- Book directly with the airline or hotel Free and simplest when something goes wrong: one company holds your booking, your loyalty points and the refund.
- Expedia Better if you want one company to manage changes and customer service for the whole trip. Read review
- Trivago Another free comparison site focused on hotels, worth a second search before you book a stay. Read review
- Priceline Same parent company as KAYAK, but you book with Priceline, which can help with changes. Read review
Kayak reviews
Written by readers, read by our moderators, never edited by the company.
No reader reviews yet. If you have used Kayak, yours will be the first.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to book through KAYAK?
Searching KAYAK is safe, and you pay the provider you choose, not KAYAK. Safety depends on that provider, so prefer airlines, hotel chains and well-known agencies over unfamiliar sellers with unusually low prices.
Is KAYAK really free?
Yes. KAYAK doesn't charge travelers. Travel providers may pay it when you click through or book, and it also earns money from ads.
Who owns KAYAK?
Booking Holdings, which also owns Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda and OpenTable. KAYAK is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Can KAYAK refund or cancel my booking?
No. KAYAK's terms say the provider you booked with handles confirmations, changes, cancellations and refunds. Contact that airline, hotel or agency directly.
Why did the price change when I clicked through?
KAYAK shows prices gathered from other sites and doesn't guarantee them, so a fare can change or sell out before you pay. You can report a mismatch with KAYAK's price feedback form.
How accurate is KAYAK's Price Forecast?
KAYAK says its buy or wait advice is right more often than not and shows a confidence level, but it can't guarantee the prediction. It only appears for round-trip flight searches on routes with enough data.
What is a KAYAK Hacker Fare?
Two one-way tickets that together cost less than a round trip, sometimes on different airlines. Each ticket has its own bag, change and refund rules, and a cancellation on one doesn't change the other.
Do KAYAK Price Alerts cost anything?
No. You need a free KAYAK account. Alerts usually come once a day, or in real time if you choose, and expire after your travel date.
Is KAYAK cheaper than booking direct?
Sometimes. KAYAK shows the airline or hotel's own price next to agency prices, so you can see whether the direct price is close enough to be worth the easier support.
How do I contact KAYAK customer service?
Use the help center at kayak.com/help, the chat option labeled Ask your question, or the feedback form. For booking problems, KAYAK directs you to the provider you booked with.
Sources (10)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- SEC: Booking Holdings 2025 Form 10-K (accessed October 12, 2026)
- KAYAK: Terms of Use (accessed October 12, 2026)
- KAYAK Help: Pricing and Price Alerts (accessed October 12, 2026)
- KAYAK Help: Booking and checkout (accessed October 12, 2026)
- KAYAK: About us (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: KAYAK (accessed October 12, 2026)
- BBB: Kayak.com (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Apple App Store: KAYAK (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: trivago (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Expedia (accessed October 12, 2026)
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