The top 11 online travel agencies
- TravelPerk
- SAP Concur
- MyCWT
- Booking.com
- Agoda
- Lastminute.com
- Expedia
- Hotwire
- Bookmundi
- Skyscanner
- Kiwi.com
Best online travel agencies for business travel
2. SAP Concur
SAP Concur has been around for years—since 1993—and is trusted by many businesses to provide comprehensive business travel solutions. Its technology is self-owned and managed, meaning there’s no back and forth with third parties for changes or updates.SAP Concur is a great tool for organisations looking for a traditional approach to business travel. However, it requires patience–the platform takes 6-8 weeks to implement and thorough user onboarding in order to make the most of it. Plus, some users report that the UI is outdated, making it a less enjoyable experience for business travellers.
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3. MyCWT
MyCWT is CWT’s corporate travel management solution. Its dedicated industry and country specialists ensure your employees are well looked after wherever they are.CWT’s been in the travel industry for over 150 years and MyCWT is an experienced travel management solution for business travellers everywhere.MyCWT is a great solution for companies with a bigger budget and big corporate travel needs. They do, however, use third-party software to deliver deals to business travellers and organisations—meaning updates and changes to the software can take time. There’s lots of back and forth that slows down progress and platform development.
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Best online travel agencies for leisure travel
4. Booking.com
Booking.com is a leading online travel agency known for its extensive selection of hotel rooms and travel services. With millions of listings, it provides options ranging from budget hostels to luxury hotels, making it easy for travellers to find the right fit for their needs. The platform’s user-friendly interface allows customers to search, compare and book accommodations effortlessly. Additionally, Booking.com offers various travel services, including flights, car rentals and airport taxis, all integrated into one convenient platform.Overall, booking.com is a comprehensive online travel agency with hotels and flights anywhere in the world. That being said, some users share instances of booking fake listings, causing travellers to show up at properties that aren't actually available for rent. Some users also claim that initial prices shown with discounts often differ from final booking prices—sometimes by hundreds of pounds.
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5. Agoda
Agoda is a prominent online travel agency (OTA) offering everything from hotel bookings to flights, airport transfers and activities. As part of Booking Holdings, Agoda taps into a massive network of over 4 million hotels worldwide, with a strong focus on the Asian region and a growing global presence.One key feature is the "Best Price Guarantee," which promises that you’ll get the lowest rate available for a hotel room when booking through Agoda. If you find a lower price for the same accommodation on another website, Agoda will match or beat that price—a pretty bold claim.The flight search and booking process tool isn’t as user-friendly as some dedicated booking platforms. Some customers have experienced technical issues when booking flights, including payment failures and unexpected booking confirmations.
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6. Lastminute.com
Lastminute.com offers various travel services, including flights, hotels, car rentals and complete holiday packages. These packages cover everything from lodging to meals and entertainment. The platform is particularly well-known for its last-minute deals, providing travellers with significant savings on bookings made closer to the travel date. A unique feature of Lastminute.com is its dynamic holiday packages, which allow users to customise their trips by combining flights, accommodations and additional services in one booking. The platform’s user-friendly interface and mobile app further streamline the booking process, making it easy for users to find and secure great deals.However, despite its strengths, some users have reported issues with unresponsive customer service and difficulty in getting refunds for cancelled bookings. Some users also claim that bookings are not properly confirmed with airlines or hotels. This suggests it’s wise to double-check reservations directly with service providers when using Lastminute.com
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7. Expedia
As part of the Expedia Group, which also owns brands like Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotwire, Expedia benefits from an extensive network of distribution channels. Expedia’s booking engine is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for travellers to search, compare and book trips that fit their preferences and budget.Expedia also offers a loyalty programme, “Expedia Rewards,” which lets you earn points on every booking. These points can be redeemed for discounts on future travel. Plus, the platform integrates well with channel managers, making it easier for hoteliers to manage their listings and optimise direct bookings. While Expedia is popular for its offerings, some users have complained of poor customer service. When problems arise, such as flight cancellations or hotel booking issues, customers are often directed back to Expedia instead of the service providers, complicating the resolution process.
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5. Hotwire
Hotwire, a subsidiary of the Expedia Group, is known for its focus on providing discounts on hotel rooms, flights and car rentals. Hotwire offers "Hot Rate," where travellers can book discounted rates without knowing the name of the hotel or car rental company until after the purchase.Hotwire's search engine is designed to quickly scan for the best deals across various categories, making it easy for users to find affordable travel options. The platform also offers holiday packages that bundle flights, hotels and car rentals for additional savings. Although Hotwire primarily caters to the American market, it has a growing presence in European and other international markets.If you’re booking last minute, consider doing it with Hotwire. However, some users report that the advertised savings on "Hot Rate" hotels aren't always as good as claimed or that they could have gotten similar rates with direct booking. A few travellers have also reported being assigned to low-quality hotels that didn't match the advertised star rating.
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9. Bookmundi
Bookmundi is a global travel marketplace that specialises in travel experiences like guided tours, adventure trips and holiday packages. What sets Bookmundi apart is its focus on adventure and cultural experiences, making it an ideal choice for travellers looking for more than just the typical tourist spots.The platform is user-friendly, allowing travellers to search for and compare different tours based on their interests, budget and preferred destinations. Plus, Bookmundi supports multiple languages—including English, Spanish, German, French and Italian—and currencies, making it accessible to a global audience.
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Best online travel agencies for flights
10. Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a popular global travel search engine aggregating prices from various airlines and travel agencies. It lets users compare options and book directly through the provider’s website. Unlike traditional online travel agencies, Skyscanner functions as a meta-search engine, meaning it doesn’t handle bookings directly but redirects users to external websites to complete their transactions.Plus, Skyscanner provides information on the carbon emissions associated with each flight. It allows travellers to offset their carbon footprint by contributing to certified environmental projects. These projects typically focus on reducing or capturing carbon emissions, such as reforestation efforts, renewable energy development or other sustainability initiatives.Skyscanner is trusted by millions of people to find the best deals with the most flexibility. It essentially gathers all the offers from every OTA to present customers with the best deals available.
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11. Kiwi.com
Kiwi.com is particularly known for its proprietary "Virtual Interlining" technology. This allows travellers to book connections between airlines and other transportation providers that do not traditionally partner with each other. This approach enables users to find unique routes and often more affordable travel options unavailable through traditional booking methods.One of the go-to features of Kiwi.com is its "Kiwi.com Guarantee," which provides protection for travellers in case of missed connections due to delays or cancellations, even when the trip involves multiple carriers. This service is particularly valuable given the complex itineraries that Kiwi.com often constructsKiwi.com is an innovative OTA—perfect for city-hoppers and the travel-hungry. Be wary, though—some reviews claim that cancellation is tricky and customer service can be unreliable.
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How do online travel agencies work?
What are the advantages of booking through an online travel agency?
- Access to comparison tools
- Peer reviews to help you with your decisions
- Flexible cancellation policies
- All your travel in one place
- Local flights and deals
- Rewards programmes
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