cheapflight.com

What is Cheapflight.com

Cheapflights (often stylized cheapflights.com) is a travel-fare “metasearch engine.” That means it doesn’t directly sell airline tickets itself — instead, it gathers flight (and often hotel or car-rental) offers from many airlines, travel agents, and booking sites, and shows them to you in one place for easy comparison. (Wikipedia)

Originally launched in 1996 in the UK, Cheapflights expanded globally — its U.S. site debuted in 2003. (Wikipedia) Today Cheapflights is owned by Booking Holdings (through its subsidiary structure), placing it alongside other major travel platforms under Booking Holdings’ umbrella. (Wikipedia)

What Cheapflights Does & How It Works

  • When you search for flights, hotels, or car rentals, Cheapflights scans hundreds of external travel providers and brings you a list of available deals. (Cheapflights)

  • The price listings come directly from those providers — Cheapflights doesn’t add extra fees when you click through to book. That keeps the service free for users. (Cheapflights)

  • After choosing a deal, you’re redirected to the provider’s website (airline, hotel, or agency) to finish booking. (Cheapflights)

  • They also offer extra tools: filters (for stops, price, convenience), price alerts (so you’re notified when prices drop), and in some cases hotel or car-rental deals. (Google Play)

Pros & What Cheapflights Is Good For

  • Wide coverage. Because it aggregates many providers, you get access to a broad range of flight, hotel, or rental-car offers — from budget airlines to premium carriers, local agents to global agencies.

  • Time savings. Instead of opening many websites individually, you get quick comparisons in one place.

  • No user cost. Since Cheapflights gets paid by providers/advertisers, using it doesn’t add booking fees on top of what providers charge.

  • Flexibility. Good if you want to explore different combinations: cheapest price, shortest flight time, certain stop-over constraints, hotel + flight + rental car combos.

Weaknesses & What to Watch Out For

  • Cheapflights is not a booking site: it only takes you to the actual seller/provider. That means the final price or booking experience depends heavily on whichever provider you choose.

  • According to user reviews (on platforms such as review sites), many complaints involve bookings made via agents found through Cheapflights: canceled flights, over-booking, seat assignments not honored, lack of clarity about fare class or seat-selection conditions. (Trustpilot)

  • Because Cheapflights aggregates many third-party providers, quality and reliability can vary widely — you need to check the provider’s reputation, cancellation policy, and terms before committing.

History & Ownership

Cheapflights was founded in 1996 by John Hatt. The first site was in the UK. (Wikipedia) In 2000, it underwent a buyout by David Soskin (and others), shifting to a pay-per-click advertising model — one of the first to do so in the UK online travel space. (Wikipedia)

Over the years Cheapflights expanded globally (US site in 2003, other localized sites added later). (Wikipedia) In 2011, the company widened its offering beyond flights to include hotels and car-hire services. (Wikipedia) Eventually, in 2017, Cheapflights (along with its sister brand momondo) was acquired by Booking Holdings for around US$ 550 million. (Wikipedia)

Is Cheapflights Worth Using — And When It Makes Sense

Cheapflights can be valuable if you:

  • are flexible with travel dates or destinations and want to browse many options

  • want to compare price vs convenience (e.g. nonstop vs stopover flights, short vs cheap)

  • plan to combine flights + hotel + car rental and want to see bundles or coordinated deals

  • want a free tool that doesn’t add extra booking fees beyond what providers charge

But — treat the final offer with caution: double-check the provider's reputation, cancellation/refund rules, seat-selection policy, and what exactly you're paying for (especially if price looks “too good to be true”).

Key Takeaways — What to Remember

  • Cheapflights is a metasearch engine that shows flights, hotels, rentals from many providers — not a seller itself.

  • Using it costs nothing directly. They earn revenue through providers/advertisers.

  • It’s good for finding and comparing many travel choices quickly and cheaply.

  • Reliability depends on the provider you select — there have been complaints, so check carefully before booking.

  • Owned by Booking Holdings; long history since 1996.

FAQ

Q: Does Cheapflights ever show hidden fees or add charges on top of what you see?
A: Generally no — the prices you see come straight from the airline or booking site. Cheapflights doesn’t mark up fares itself. (Cheapflights)

Q: Can I book directly on Cheapflights.com?
A: No. Cheapflights redirects you to the actual seller (airline, travel agent, hotel, car provider). The booking and payment happen there. (Cheapflights)

Q: Is Cheapflights reliable?
A: It’s as reliable as the provider you choose. Cheapflights itself just lists offers. There are mixed user reviews: some favorable, others reporting issues like cancellations or seat-assignment problems. (Trustpilot)

Q: Should I always choose the cheapest deal shown?
A: Not necessarily. Cheapest deals may come with trade-offs — long layovers, multiple stops, restrictive fares (no seat selection, limited flexibility). It helps to check total cost, convenience, luggage rules, and reliability of provider before deciding.

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