Problem description:
Different booking portals have different price policies and use different algorithms to provide offers. Sometimes I plan my trips and I search on these booking portals for best (cheapest or fastest) option. It is always very time-consuming search.
Solution:
So I was thinking how to save time… I do not have access to any booking system and this approach would not be even best one since it is not possible to say which travel booking portal is best one. What I can do at least is to access all the websites at once with same search parameters. To have one search form which can pad data to any travel booking portal and than just check the best/cheapest available option.
One Searchform to rule them all, One Searchform to find them,
One Searchform to bring them all and in the web bind them.
Limitations:
Project is based upon opening new tabs over javascript function for pop-up. Default in many browser is necessary to allow pop-up tabs to show. Project currently support only cities with international airports. Also not all options are available for all the booking portals.
Benefit and case study:
Using this form I can quickly compare many sites. Differences between single offer can be huge. Just simple random example.: normal usual flight between London and Berlin cost on kayak.com 200$. Over google.com/flights cost 194$. It is not a huge difference. But certainly pays for a lunch at the airport or else something small … Different booking portals sell same services and goods. So why pay extra when you don’t have to?
Just a small comparison of random flight made from Vienna (Austria)[VIE] to Malta[MLA] and back 31.03. – 24.04.2016 (search made 28.03.2014):
| Portal | Price |
| Google Flights | 219€ – 245$ |
| Rome2Rio.com | 221€ |
| SkyScanner.com | 231€ – 258$ |
| Kayak.com | 235€ |
| SkyPicker.com | 266€ – 315.23$ |
Development:
- 1st version was created in procedural programing.
- Than instead of opening all selected portals in new tabs I tried to open them in new pages in different tabbed iframes. Unfortunately I found of that many of them use iframe protection(fraud protection) and they simple do not render in iframe.
- 2nd version is made in OOP.
If you have any ideas for improvement or comments they are very welcome. Please contact me over Contact page or leave me a comment.