Travel planning can be stressful. With so many sites to choose from, how do you know where to book? Travelocity and KAYAK are two of the most popular online travel agencies. But which one is better for booking flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare and contrast Travelocity and KAYAK to help you decide which site best fits your travel needs.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Feature | Travelocity | KAYAK |
| Site Type | Online travel agency | Metasearch engine |
| Flights | Book directly | Compare prices, book externally |
| Hotels | Book directly | Compare prices, book externally |
| Cars | Book directly | Compare prices, book externally |
| Packages | Book directly | Compare prices, book externally |
| Price Comparison | Limited | Searches across sites |
| Advanced Filters | Minimal | Robust filtering |
| Flexible Dates | No | Yes |
| Direct Booking | Yes | No |
| Cancellation Policies | Travelocity policies | Varies by vendor |
| Changes | Via Travelocity | Contact vendor directly |
| Customer Service | 24/7 support | No support |
| Loyalty Program | Yes | No |
| App | Travelocity app | KAYAK app |
| Price Match Guarantee | Yes | No |
Overview of Travelocity
Travelocity is one of the largest online travel agencies. It was founded in 1996 and acquired by Expedia Group in 2015. Travelocity offers the following services:
- Flights: Search and compare airfares across hundreds of airlines. Flights can be booked directly on Travelocity.
- Hotels: Browse hotel listings and reviews. Rooms can be booked directly on Travelocity.
- Vacation Packages: Bundle flight + hotel + car rentals to save money. Packages are customizable.
- Cars: Reserve rental cars from major providers like Avis, Budget, Hertz.
- Cruises: Search itineraries and cabins from top cruise lines. Cruises can be booked directly.
- Activities: Book skip-the-line tickets for theme parks, attractions, tours.
- Deals: Search for sales on flights, hotels, packages, and more.
Travelocity’s website and mobile app make it easy to search, compare, and book all your travel. User accounts store booking information for faster checkout.
Overview of KAYAK
KAYAK is a metasearch engine launched in 2004. It searches other travel sites to find the best deals. KAYAK offers:
- Flights: Compare airfares across travel providers like Expedia and Priceline. Flights book directly on airline/agency sites.
- Hotels: Hotel listings aggregated from major booking sites. Rooms book on hotel or agency sites.
- Cars: Find rental car deals and book on rental car company sites.
- Vacation Packages: Bundle flight + hotel + car. Packages book on various airline/hotel/agency sites.
- Explore: Flexible date search to find cheapest travel dates.
- Trips: Organize all bookings for upcoming trips in one place.
Also Read: Comparison Between Klook and KKday
Key Differences Between Travelocity and KAYAK
The key difference is KAYAK is a search engine. It doesn’t sell travel directly. You book flights, hotels, cars, etc. through external sites.
1. Pros of Travelocity
Direct booking
Travelocity allows you to book flights, hotels, cars, and vacation packages directly on their website or app in a few clicks. There’s no need to visit multiple external sites.
Cancellation and change policies
Travelocity has its own cancellation and change policies for bookings. You don’t have to navigate different policies across various airlines and hotels.
Customer service
Get support from Travelocity’s customer service team for any booking issues, trip changes, or cancellations. They can advocate on your behalf with travel suppliers.
Price match guarantee
If you find a cheaper public price on an exact hotel, flight, or package booking within 24 hours, Travelocity will refund the difference.
Vacation package deals
Bundling flights, hotels, and cars into a package can save money compared to booking individually. Travelocity makes it easy.
Loyalty program
Earn points with each booking and redeem towards future travel. Elite status levels provide additional perks.
Cons of Travelocity
- Prices may be higher than competitor sites for the exact same flight or hotel.
- Packages don’t offer much customization or flexibility. You get what you book.
- Extra fees occur for changes, cancellations, seat assignments, baggage, etc.
- Limited filters and advanced search options compared to meta search sites.
- Dated user interface and website design.
Also Read: Comparison Between Travelex And Travel Guard
2. Pros of KAYAK
Price comparison
KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites to find the cheapest flights, hotels, cars, and package deals. The odds of finding the lowest price are very high.
Advanced filters
Narrow your travel search with filters for price range, number of stops, departure times, airline, hotel star ratings, and more. Find exactly what you want.
Flexible dates
See price graphs when the cheapest and most expensive dates to travel are. Pick dates based on your budget.
Informative results
Flight results show duration, stops, and which airlines operate each route. Hotel results show reviews, amenities, location details.
Independent service
KAYAK earns money through affiliate commissions and ads. It tracks user behavior but doesn’t share personal data with airlines and hotels.
Cons of KAYAK
- No booking on KAYAK. You must book flights, hotels, cars, etc. on external sites.
- Research is required to find the best site for actually booking each segment of your trip.
- Pricing and availability can change from when you search on KAYAK to when you complete the booking.
- Complex itineraries like multi-city flights and vacation packages may require bookings across many sites.
- No customer service. You must contact individual airlines, hotels, etc. for support.
- No points, status, or loyalty incentives.
Also Read: Comparison Between KAYAK And Hopper
KAYAK vs. Travelocity Feature Comparison
| Feature | KAYAK | Travelocity |
| Flight Search | Yes | Yes |
| Hotel Search | Yes | Yes |
| Car Rental Search | Yes | Yes |
| Vacation Packages | Yes, book externally | Yes, book directly |
| Direct Booking | No | Yes |
| Price Comparison | Yes | Limited |
| Advanced Filters | Yes | No |
| Flexible Dates Tool | Yes | No |
| Cancellation Policies | Varies | Travelocity Policies |
| Change/Cancel Bookings | Contact vendor directly | Via Travelocity |
| Customer Service | None | Yes |
| Price Match Guarantee | No | Yes |
| Loyalty Program | No | Yes |
Both sites offer flight, hotel, car, and vacation package search. But the booking process, policies, and service differ significantly.
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When to Use Travelocity
Travelocity is best for travelers who:
- Want to easily book flights, hotels, cars, and vacations in one place
- Like package deals and don’t need much customization or flexibility
- Prefer easy change and cancellation policies through Travelocity
- Want access to customer support for travel issues
- Appreciate loyalty perks and status
Key scenarios where Travelocity shines:
- Booking simple roundtrip flights
- All-inclusive resort packages
- Package vacations like flight + hotel + car
- Last-minute getaways and deals
When to Use KAYAK
KAYAK is ideal for savvy travelers who:
- Have the time and patience to search across sites for the lowest fares
- Are flexible with dates and want tools to find the cheapest travel times
- Need advanced filters to find flights with ideal routes, layovers, etc.
- Prefer an unbiased search without pressure to book on any specific site
- Are organized and capable of booking complex trips across multiple sites
Great times to use KAYAK include:
- International or multi-city flights
- Comparing fares across specific airline sites
- Finding hotel deals like boutiques, B&Bs, and home rentals
- Early research and price comparison before booking
- Identifying best websites to book each leg of a complex trip
Also Read: Comparison Between Viator And Klook
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Travelocity and Expedia offer very similar services for booking flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and vacation packages. They have essentially the same inventory and pricing. The main differences are:
Branding and user experience: Travelocity has a friendlier, more playful brand image. Expedia has a more business travel focus. Their sites and apps have minor design differences. Rewards programs: Travelocity has its own loyalty program. Expedia is part of the Expedia Rewards program.
Support: Expedia tends to score higher for customer service quality and response time. Overall Expedia and Travelocity are on par in terms of site functionality. Choosing one over the other comes down to personal preferences around branding, user experience, and rewards programs.
No, KAYAK is not the same as Expedia. The key difference is KAYAK is a metasearch engine while Expedia is an online travel agency. KAYAK allows you to compare travel prices across airline, hotel, car rental, and other booking sites. But KAYAK itself does not sell or book travel. Expedia owns its travel inventory and allows booking directly on their website. So KAYAK helps find the best deals but you need to book elsewhere. Expedia consolidates search and booking in one place but may not have the lowest prices on every flight or hotel. KAYAK partners with Expedia and other major booking sites. You may end up purchasing travel through Expedia after searching on KAYAK. But the two sites are fundamentally different.
Travelocity and Expedia are very similar in terms of function. However, they are owned and operated by different companies. Expedia Inc. owns Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, and other major online travel brands. Expedia Inc. purchased Travelocity from Sabre Corp in January 2015. So while Travelocity and Expedia offer basically identical services today, they are separate companies under the same parent company. Travelocity maintains its own brand image, site design, rewards program, and customer service team. The choice between Expedia vs. Travelocity is largely a matter of personal preference around branding, user experience, and loyalty programs. Underneath, they use the same flight and hotel inventory systems.
There are several key reasons why Travelocity is one of the most popular online travel agencies:
Simple booking experience: Travelocity consolidates flight, hotel, car, package booking on one platform. No need to visit multiple websites. Excellent deals: Packaged vacations, last-minute deals, and flash sales offer real savings for travelers. Loyalty program: Frequent users can earn points, status, and perks for future bookings. Advertising: Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome mascot and “Where to next?” campaigns build strong brand awareness. Supplier relationships: Contracts with major airlines and hotels provide competitive pricing and inventory. Customer support: Agents assist with changes, cancellations, and trip issues. For travelers who value convenience and simplicity when booking travel, Travelocity makes the process smooth and rewarding through great deals, service, and incentives.
Also Read: Comparison Between Travelocity And Priceline
The Bottom Line
Travelocity and KAYAK both offer powerful search tools for travel on a budget. Choosing between them depends on your specific needs and preferences as a traveler.
KAYAK is ideal for flexible travelers who have the time to find the absolute lowest fares by comparing options. Travelocity provides a streamlined booking experience for those who value convenience and customer service.
Aim to use both sites during your travel planning process. Search prices and flexible dates on KAYAK, then book seamlessly through Travelocity once you’ve found the ideal deal. This two-step approach can help maximize savings while minimizing headaches.
