Question 1

What is the best flight comparison site in 2025?

Accepted Answer

For US-based travelers who want the lowest all-in fare plus a human to call if something goes wrong, CheapoTrav ranks first: $0 booking fees, on-platform checkout, a 24/7 phone travel desk with agent-only unpublished fares, and free rebooking when the price drops. Google Flights remains the best free research tool for price calendars and alerts, and Skyscanner still has the deepest international inventory — but neither books on-platform or offers human support.

Question 2

Which is cheaper — Kayak, Skyscanner, or Google Flights?

Accepted Answer

The headline metasearch price is almost identical across all three because they pool overlapping supplier feeds. Where they diverge is the final checkout total. Google Flights hands you off to the airline (usually no fees). Kayak and Skyscanner most often redirect to a partner OTA that adds a $15–$45 service fee. Always compare the final partner-checkout total, not the metasearch headline. CheapoTrav consistently beats all three on all-in price for US trips because it books on-platform with $0 fees.

Question 3

Do flight comparison sites show every airline?

Accepted Answer

No. Southwest is the biggest US gap — it doesn't distribute fares to any metasearch site. Ryanair and Wizz Air are partially indexed on Skyscanner and Google Flights but not on most US sites. Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit are covered by Kayak, Google Flights and CheapoTrav but sometimes miss on Momondo. Always spot-check Southwest.com and the LCC's own site before booking.

Question 4

Are there hidden fees on flight comparison sites?

Accepted Answer

The metasearch site itself usually charges $0. The fees appear when you're redirected to a partner OTA — typical charges are a $15–$45 service fee, a $10–$25 seat-selection fee, and $30+ baggage fees not shown on the headline price. Comparison sites that book on-platform (CheapoTrav, Expedia) can price the full trip transparently up-front.

Question 5

Is CheapoTrav free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CheapoTrav charges $0 booking fees on flights, hotels, cars and packages. The 24/7 phone travel desk is also free — you only pay the fare or rate you see, all-in, at checkout.

Question 6

When should I book a flight in 2025?

Accepted Answer

Domestic US: 6–8 weeks ahead is the median cheapest window. International: 3–5 months ahead. Peak-season holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break): add 4–6 weeks to those windows. Use Google Flights or CheapoTrav price alerts on your route the moment dates firm up and book when the fare drops below the 90-day average.

#	Site	Inventory	Fees	Strengths	Weaknesses
1	CheapoTrav Winner	US majors + LCCs + agent-only unpublished fares	$0 booking fees, transparent all-in price	On-platform checkout, 24/7 phone desk, price-drop rebooking	Web-first (no native mobile app yet)
2	Google Flights	Nearly every scheduled airline worldwide	$0 on Google; partner OTA fees vary	Best price calendar and flexible-date UX in the industry	Always redirects to book — no checkout, no support
3	Skyscanner	Strongest international + LCC breadth	$0 on Skyscanner; partner OTA adds fees	'Everywhere' search, month-view flexible dates	Always redirects to third-party OTA at checkout
4	Kayak	Broad metasearch across majors + OTAs	$0 on Kayak; $15–$45 partner OTA fees common	Solid filters, hacker fares (mix-and-match one-ways)	Cheapest click often lands on a fee-heavy partner OTA
5	Momondo	Same pool as Kayak (both Booking Holdings)	$0 on Momondo; partner OTA fees at checkout	Visual price-trend chart, color-coded results	Overlaps 90%+ with Kayak inventory
6	Kiwi.com	Aggressive self-connect / 'virtual interlining'	Booking fee + optional 'Kiwi Guarantee' upsell	Can build cheaper multi-leg itineraries no airline sells directly	Self-connect risk; missed-connection recourse only via Kiwi

Best Flight Comparison Sites for 2025: Ranked & Reviewed

Short answer

The 2025 ranking

Frequently asked questions