How to Compare Flight Prices: Aggregators, Meta-Search & AI Tools Explained
Published · 11 min read
Why the same flight costs ₹3,200 on one site and ₹4,500 on another — and the three-tool stack that consistently finds the cheapest fare.
What this article covers
OTA, meta-search and AI search — the three categories
Why prices differ across sites for the same flight
Side-by-side — the major tools Indian travellers use
How meta-search actually works (under the hood)
Where AI search fits in
Which tool to use when — a decision tree
The three-tool stack we recommend
What to verify before clicking "Pay"
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Skyscanner and MakeMyTrip?
Skyscanner is a meta-search engine — it does not sell tickets, it shows you the cheapest fares from multiple OTAs and airlines and sends you to them to book. MakeMyTrip is an OTA — it sells tickets directly, holds your payment and issues the e-ticket. Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest source; book on MakeMyTrip or the airline.
Is Google Flights better than Skyscanner for Indian travellers?
Google Flights is better for price history and alerts; Skyscanner is better for 'everywhere' / 'cheapest month' flexible searches and LCC coverage. Use both — they take 30 seconds each and surface different lowest fares about 1 in 4 times.
Why do flight prices differ between websites for the same flight?
Because different OTAs have access to different fare buckets, add different convenience fees, apply different promo codes, and handle GST display differently. The same Air India seat can appear at ₹14,200 on one site and ₹15,800 on another. Always compare the final all-in total.
Is FlightGPT an OTA or a meta-search?
FlightGPT is an AI-native flight search tool. It combines meta-search-style data access with a natural-language interface and flexible-date / multi-city scanning. Booking is completed via the partner airline or OTA — FlightGPT focuses on price discovery and trip planning.
Should I book on the airline website or an OTA?
Compare both before booking. The airline is usually within ₹500 of the cheapest OTA, sometimes cheaper without convenience fees. The airline also handles schedule changes and cancellations directly, which is faster than going through an OTA. If the OTA is meaningfully cheaper (₹1,000+), book the OTA — but verify inclusions.
Does Kayak work well for flights from India?
Kayak's coverage of Indian carriers is thinner than Skyscanner's or Google Flights'. It is fine for international routes from India (especially to the US/Europe) but for purely Indian-domestic or short-haul international, ixigo, FlightGPT and Skyscanner are usually stronger.
Are AI flight search tools accurate?
Modern AI flight tools like FlightGPT pull from the same live fare feeds as Google Flights and Skyscanner, so price accuracy is comparable. The difference is in the interface — natural-language queries and flexible-date scanning surface options that traditional meta-search would require dozens of manual searches to find.