With all the players in the market, is there really a difference or are they all the same? How does BusinessClassExperts.com stack up?
How can you be sure you’re really getting the best possible deal on your airfare? In-depth comparisons aren’t easy to make on the fly, so we’re doing the heavy lifting for you. We’re comparing:
- Expedia
- Priceline
- Hipmunk
- Google Flights
Why BusinessClassExperts is Different
Business Class Experts is not an aggregator. Our travel agents work out special travel deals with the airlines to ensure lower than advertised prices so you get better deals and perks than you’ll find using any travel booking site. That also means no surprises. Your discounted airline ticket includes everything you need to know upfront.
The Main Players In Flight Search Game
Expedia and Priceline are two of the main travel booking sites that find the prices themselves. Other travel site platforms, known as aggregators, are only as strong as the online travel agencies (OTAs) they search. Aggregators do not book tickets, but instead, search dozens of booking engines and OTAs then compile the results in a single place. You choose the better deal and click through for details.
Expedia Owned Flight Search Engines
You’ll get the same results on all of those sites. TripAdvisor once owned Expedia, and while they split in 2011, TripAdvisor still draws its information from Expedia.
- Travelocity
- Orbitz
- CheapTickets
- Hotwire,
- eBookers
Priceline Owned Flight Search Engines
If you think you still have a number of other travel booking choices for your next trip, you’re wrong. Priceline owns
- Kayak
- Booking.com
- Cheapflights
- Agoda
- Momondo
You’ll get the same results across all those travel booking sites. That’s why we’re comparing Expedia and Priceline directly.
Results for some airlines, such as Southwest are not included because they don’t allow their results to be aggregated. If you want to check airfares for those airlines, you’ll need to do it manually.
How We Compared Flights
- Business Class Flights
- Economy Class Flights
- 12 Weeks in Advance
- Last Minute (week of travel)
We looked at major cross-country flights, from New York City (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX), and some international flights from major U.S. cities.
We chose the following travel routes:
- New York JFK to Los Angeles LAX
- Atlanta ATL to London Heathrow LHR
- New York JFK to Paris CDG
- New York LGA to Rome FCO
- Chicago ORD to Barcelona BCN
All flights are the lowest price round-trip for a seven-day stay. Sampled 10/20/2019.
Fare Test 1: New York JFK to Los Angeles LAX
| Economy Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $197 | $499 |
| Priceline | $197 | $748 |
| Hipmunk | $197 | $587 |
| Google Flights | $197 | $587 |
| Business Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $661 | $1,503 |
| Priceline | $606 | $1275 |
| Hipmunk | $1,797 | $2,367 |
| Google Flights | $1,216 | $1,713 |
Fares Test 2: Atlanta ATL to London Heathrow LHR
| Economy Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $731 | $1,139 |
| Priceline | $630 | $730 |
| Hipmunk | $683 | $755 |
| Google Flights | $685 | $1,192 |
| Business Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $4,033 | $10,119 |
| Priceline | $3,726 | $5,467 |
| Hipmunk | $4,448 | $5428 |
| Google Flights | $4,171 | $4,153 |
Fare Test 3: New York JFK to Paris CDG
| Economy Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $275 | $787 |
| Priceline | $290 | $463 |
| Hipmunk | $264 | $597 |
| Google Flights | $288 | $730 |
| Business Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $2,460 | $2,537 |
| Priceline | $2,404 | $2,593 |
| Hipmunk | $1,801 | $1,204 |
| Google Flights | $2,619 | $2,642 |
Fare Test 4: New York LGA to Rome FCO
| Economy Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $358 | $891 |
| Priceline | $401 | $479 |
| Hipmunk | $378 | $891 |
| Google Flights | $359 | $891 |
| Business Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $2,511 | $3,728 |
| Priceline | $2,514 | $6,142 |
| Hipmunk | $2,850 | $8,156 |
| Google Flights | $2,518 | $6,042 |
Fare Test 5: Chicago ORD to Barcelona BCN
| Economy Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $430 | $557 |
| Priceline | $478 | $375 |
| Hipmunk | $469 | $462 |
| Google Flights | $469 | $471 |
| Business Class | ||
| 12 Weeks in Advance | Last Minute | |
| Expedia | $3,460 | $2,783 |
| Priceline | $2,505 | $2,811 |
| Hipmunk | $3,460 | $3,460 |
| Google Flights | $2,745 | $2,778 |
Travel Sites Hidden Fees
Some flights had booking fees on Expedia, but these were often less than $10 on each flight. Hipmunk was the one with the most hidden fees because they take you directly to the airline’s website to book flights. Additional taxes and fees varied depending on the airline. For example, in one case, Hipmunk quoted $587+ for a round trip ticket. Once we got to the site, we found that we had to pick our tickets separately, and with the fees, the $587 became $601.60.
In addition to hidden fees, baggage fees, seat selection fees, and other incidentals, it’s a good idea to read the fine print and understand cancellation policies and non-refundable ticket rules and check to see if there is a price match guarantee for your preferred airline.
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