With so many travel websites and booking platforms out there, it can seem like the options are endless when you are looking to book your next holiday. As a search engine that compares deals from many different airlines, hotels, and service providers, Kayak can help you cinch a great deal

Kayak operates as an international search engine specifically for travel, distinguishing itself from booking platforms. What the website does is examine numerous travel and brand websites to present you with the best pricing for your search, regardless of whether you are looking to book a flight, hotel, or rental car. 

As a result, you are more likely to discover a broader spectrum of prices for a single room or rental vehicle compared to direct booking sites. Kayak’s search encompasses well-known booking platforms such as Priceline and Booking.com (both of which are under the same ownership as Kayak)!

Looking to pinpoint the most advantageous travel deal? Let’s take the example of a flight departing from Changi Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. All you need to do is input your departure and arrival ports, followed by your desired departure and return dates. 

Your search results should look like the following page:

Once you have arrived at this page, simply click on your chosen listing for more information and Kayak will redirect you to the actual booking site, whether that’s the airline's official website or an online travel agency like Expedia.

The process of booking a hotel works in much the same way. After you have input your destination city, arrival and checkout dates as well as number of rooms and guests, you should arrive at a similar page as the one below:

Selecting a property will display detailed information and prices from various booking platforms, and clicking on ‘View Deal’ will redirect you to your chosen platform to complete your booking. Additionally, you may find suggestions for comparable properties, providing even more choices.

If you are looking for car rental options in your destination, the process will work similarly. Besides details on the car rental company, you will also be able to make your choice from the available vehicles.

You can use Kayak’s search function with confidence. By directing users to the websites of individual travel providers, Kayak offers greater reliability than some third-party booking sites. This direct booking approach translates to enhanced customer service should you need to modify your plans. 

Another thing to take note of is that price variations can occur. Occasionally, the price displayed in your initial search on Kayak may differ slightly from what’s reflected on the booking page of the actual provider. Before selecting a hotel, always do your due diligence by looking up reviews on Trustpilot and making sure the hotel is regionally supported for Singaporeans (for instance, finding out whether transactions are supported in SGD).

If you book a hotel through a third-party site listed on Kayak, it's advisable to confirm your reservation directly with the hotel, as third-party bookings can experience administrative oversights from time to time. For any customer service issues, such as refunds and cancellations, you will need to go through the booking platform instead of Kayak. 

» MORE: Top 10 travel agencies in Singapore for flight booking and more

While Kayak doesn’t always guarantee the lowest price, it can be a useful tool to surface competitive offers across platforms, especially when you follow some best practices.

When searching for flights, Kayak allows you to refine your results using a variety of helpful filters, including departure times, airlines, stopovers, and more. This can be particularly useful for Singaporeans booking multi-leg trips or who are looking to travel during peak periods.

In addition, Kayak features a visually intuitive color-coded calendar that pinpoints more affordable travel dates, a useful tool if your travel plans offer some flexibility. This can help you to identify cheaper departure and return dates, even if you are travelling during the school holidays. You can often save some money by shifting your dates a day or two each way.

While Kayak's price-based search flexibility isn't as extensive as platforms like Google Flights, which provides in-depth graphs, charts, and calendars, it still offers valuable options for finding better deals.

Hacker fares comprise two one-way tickets on different airlines that cost less than a return ticket on a single airline. This is a common hack used by travellers to get the best value for their money. This can be especially helpful for budget airlines in Asia (e.g., Scoot, AirAsia), where round-trip prices may be higher than separate one-ways. Multiply that by the number of people in your family or travel group, and you could be saving quite a considerable amount!

Of course, booking flights with two different carriers isn’t a new concept – however, Kayak does the hard work for you by identifying the best options for your itinerary. 

» MORE: Scoring cheap flights from Singapore

Kayak Explorer Rewards offers members-only deals on hotel bookings. Their loyalty programme is free to join, allowing anyone to access these offers. Singapore-based users may also be shown regional deals. Members can monitor price changes, receive price drop alerts, and manage their travel itineraries all in one convenient platform!

Kayak, like many travel search engines, gives you the option to turn on price alert notifications. If you aren't ready to book yet, create an alert for your desired flight or hotel, including your travel dates and destinations. Kayak will then send notifications about price increases or drops, helping you find the best deals. This feature is available for both flights and hotels.

» MORE: The science behind flight pricing

In conclusion, Kayak can be a useful tool for all your travel planning needs when used thoughtfully. While it doesn’t handle bookings directly, it does give you full transparency and comparison power, which can go a long way when it comes to scoring the best deals. As a best practice, always remember to double-check the terms and conditions as well as cancellation policies with any third-party provider you book with.

Looking for a travel credit card that rewards you for your booking expenses and overseas spend? Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2025: