Is Kayak Safe and Reliable?
By Kay FleuryUpdated on August 19, 2024
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Now that you know a little bit about what Kayak is, you’re probably wondering how safe and reliable Kayak actually is. Booking travel on websites can be stressful, especially with the rise of online property rental websites like Airbnb, where the property owners sometimes gain access to your personal information. Because Kayak.com has its users book with affiliates and partners, it is safe, and possibly safer, than other travel and booking websites.
But exactly how safe is Kayak, and what do you need to worry about when using it?
How safe is Kayak to book travel on?
Kayak is as safe as other travel websites. It protects your personal and payment information, and does not require you to share it with any additional parties. Because Kayak books through its partners, users never need to actually book with Kayak, nor are they ever required to enter payment information.
What about Kayak’s reliability?
Kayak is a reliable travel booking website, as its purpose is to provide users with the lowest price – whether or not Kayak is the website offering you that price. Kayak also allows you to track prices over time, so you always get the lowest price. Once you book, you receive confirmation of your reservation.
4 safety tips for keeping safe with Kayak
1. Never reveal your personal or credit card information (except when necessary for payment).
If you sign up for an account, you can enter your billing information to make bookings faster and more convenient. In addition, you will need to enter billing information on the secure websites that Kayak refers you to. However, if a person ever contacts you and asks you to provide them with your personal or credit card information, never give this out.
2. Beware of fraudulent emails.
If a person claiming to work for Kayak ever contacts you by email and asks you to reveal personal information, never give this information out. Also, take care to look for differences between emails about promotions from Kayak (which you can enable or disable in your account settings) and fraudulent emails. The latter are usually full of promises of free vacations, but download viruses onto your computer when you click the links within the email.
If you want to learn more about this, check out our guides to Internet safety and privacy.
3. Always do additional research to make sure accommodations are not misrepresented.
Though Kayak may be able to offer you amazing deals at almost unbelievable prices, it is always wise to research hotels, airlines, or car rental companies on other websites. Specifically, try to find and read customer-submitted reviews. Though Kayak would not intentionally misrepresent accommodations, their information or images could be out of date. Always do as much research as you can prior to booking on any travel website. One of the best websites for travel research is TripAdvisor.com.
4. Always check the status of flights and accommodations before taking your trip.
Before taking your trips, always check the status of your flights and reservations. In addition, research some basic information about the area you are traveling to. Sometimes, you just never know… natural disasters, bad weather, or dangerous situations could be occurring at your destination. To keep safe, always research what is going on in your destination area, and make sure to take appropriate precautions before you leave.
That’s our safety rundown on Kayak. To learn more about how these safety concerns may affect your Kayak experience, check out our next article, where we review Kayak and reflect on these potential risks. If you’re already convinced, consider reading our step-by-step tutorial on how to sign up for it.