Flight Booking Sites Are Not All the Same

What sites do you use to book your flights? I learned the hard way that booking through Expedia, Travelocity (or similar other third party sites) means that any problems that occur during travel need to be handled by that third party. The short international layover that third party site booked you on that you thought you'd make, but didn't? Want to cancel/reschedule for a family emergency? The flight that has been delayed and needs to be rebooked? Most likely, the airline agent will recommend (or insist) you speak to the third party directly to sort it out. Additionally, it can be difficult to get a booking record number for the actual airline (you may need to call the third party and request it) -- and without that confirmation, you may not be able to book a seat reservation in advance. In general, it is always best to book directly with the airline in case a change needs to be made.

However, I was pleased to find out (and share this newfound knowledge) that flights booked directly through Google flights and flights booked on Kayak (that are clearly being sold directly by Kayak) are not treated as third parties for purposes of booking. I recently booked a Kayak flight because it was nearly $100 less than the same one on the airline's website. I ended up needing to call the airline directly to reserve a seat (Kayak could not process the seat reservation, but did include an airline booking confirmation number for the flight). The agent explained that both Google flights and Kayak purchase blocks of tickets that they later sell off at a rate that may or may not be lower than the airline is offering. So, if you book those flights, they are treated the same as if you had booked it directly with the airline. Good to know!