Travel booking websites rated by Which? – Google Flights is the number 1 flight comparison site. But for the best deals… book directly

Do you want to save on your next holiday? Avoid booking websites and go straight to airlines and hotels to get the best deal.

That is the advice of Which?with the consumer watchdog noting that some booking websites offer poor customer service and rarely, if ever, find the cheapest prices.

Which? surveyed its members about their experiences using both comparison sites (who scour the internet for the best prices) and booking sites (which allows travelers to search for and book flights and accommodation on the same platform).

In addition, it has also conducted research into the cheapest booking methods for both flights and hotels. The findings were based on 275 flight bookings and more than 3,000 accommodation bookings.

FLIGHT BOOKING AND COMPARISON SITES

Of the flight booking sites, Expedia was the highest scoring platform in the consumer watchdog's survey, with a customer score of 70 percent. Respondents gave it three stars for value for money, the ease with which flexible rates can be found, the transparency of the rates and the functionality of the site.

However, the research also found that this was the site consumers were least likely to find the cheapest flights. When which one? Expedia checked ten different air travel options on nine websites (including four booking sites and five comparison sites) and recorded the price shown for bookings one week, six weeks and six months before the departure date. Not once did Expedia manage to return the cheapest option.

Which? noted that this may be because Expedia does not offer flights from some budget airlines, such as Ryanair and Wizz Air.

Meanwhile, Opodo returned the cheapest flights more often than any other site. Which? viewed – 11 out of 30 times.

Conversely, Opodo received a one-star rating for customer service and a customer score of just 28 percent, making it the lowest-ranked flight booking site in the study. Difficulty reaching customer service representatives was a common complaint. One respondent said the site offers “zero customer service.”

Previous Which one? Research has also shown that although some online travel agencies (OTAs), such as Opodo, often offer the cheapest main fare, the final price will often be significantly more expensive when extras such as baggage or seat selection are added. when you book directly with the airline.

Booking direct is not only likely to prove cheaper in the long run, but also ensures you know where responsibility lies if something goes wrong, according to Which?.

To this end, the consumer champion has discovered that comparison sites can be a useful tool in finding the airline with the best price.

With a customer score of 64 percent, Google flights was the top-performing flight comparison site, with respondents awarding four stars for the site's functionality – the highest of all comparison sites rated in the study.

It found the cheapest flights six times out of thirty – comparable to Kayak and Cheap Flights, which each found the cheapest flights five times.

Since no flight comparison site far outperforms the others in their ability to find the cheapest flight, the consumer champion recommends checking at least a few platforms before making a booking decision.

However, it's worth remembering that comparison sites don't check which site they send you to, whether that's an airline or a booking site.

HOTELS

When which one? conducted a similar price analysis for hotel bookings, a clear winner emerged. The consumer champion compared the cost of thirty nights in ten hotels on nine different websites and found that booking direct rather than through a booking site offered the cheapest price half the time.

Comparison sites again proved useful, but delivered the best or joint best price several times. Kayak and Trivago were the most successful, finding the lowest or jointly lowest price twelve times, while Skyscanner was close behind eleven times.

Hotel booking sites, on the other hand, were more likely to have the highest prices.

Agoda returned the most expensive price 14 out of 30 times, while Expedia and Booking.com each had the highest price 13 out of 30 times.

Many of the booking sites also had little distinction in terms of customer satisfaction. Booking.com received the highest customer score, with a 73 percent rating, and achieved a four-star rating for both site functionality and rate transparency, beating Airbnb (71 percent) and Hotels.com (70 percent). ) just leave something behind. cents).

Expedia received 67 percent in this category, while Agoda and HomeAway came in last, with customer scores of 66 percent.

Naomi Leach, Deputy editor of which one? trip, said: 'Comparison sites can be an excellent starting point, scouring the internet to take the hard work out of your decision-making. We recommend checking a few different platforms so you have the best possible chance of finding the right option for you.

'If you have narrowed down your choice, book immediately. Booking with the airline will usually be cheaper than using an Online Travel Agent (OTA), and means you know exactly who is responsible if something goes wrong. If you call a hotel directly, you can often get the best price, or at least get a freebie like a bottle of wine or a room upgrade.”

An Opodo spokesperson said: 'This survey was based on responses from just 44 customers, which represents 0.0002 percent of the 20 million travelers who book through our platform annually. We care passionately about every single Opodo customer and we are always looking at how we can make our customer service even better, but consumers should also be aware that surveys based on such small samples are not robust or representative.

'We receive feedback every year from the millions of people who book through Opodo and nine in ten tell us they are satisfied or very satisfied with the service they receive. Since the pandemic, through significant investment in technology and our customer service team, we have supported millions of people experiencing travel disruptions and reduced our average response time to just 60 seconds, while expanding the range of options available to consumers. help them keep costs down, make travel easier and discover new destinations and experiences.

'Like all businesses we get it wrong sometimes, but consumers need to be reassured that the vast majority of people who book with us have a positive experience.'