How do web comparison websites like kayak get their data?

Question

I have been looking online and saw many similar/same posts but all were extremely old (latest I found was from 2011) so since technology changes, I thought I ask too.

I wonder how a flight comparison website (where you cannot book flights and can only be redirected to other websites) get their data.

Is it all by now through api's or is it throgh scrapping data (which would be not so reliable)? Ive been reading online, trying to find out if thats the case but it doesnt really seem that EVERY airline and EVERY flight search website (with booking option) provides an api. So I wonder how sites like Kayak get their data if not every airline/every flight booking website provides an api?

Also, I came across some api's like

1. QPX Express API
2. skyscanner travel api (which I checked out on some website which is using it and it does seem that data is quite limited ?!)
3. Travelport api
4. Amadeus API
5. Sabre travel api
6. Wego Affiliate Network (which seems really great but search takes super long)

I wonder if anyone has experience with the mentioned api's and how good their are /if using them is 'the way' of doing it or if its actually much more realiable to request data directly from each airline and booking website (if thats possible)? Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

If we take Kayak as the example, as that is who you mentioned, they approach the data in two forms.

1. They have API PULL connections to GDS companies (ie Sabre), some airlines and large online travel companies such as Expedia etc.

2. Smaller airlines in particular PUSH their inventory and fares from their inventory to companies such as Kayak.

Aggregation companies generally provide PUSH access though companies who want to PUSH their data have to comply with the aggregators requirements/standards.

It is a supply and demand service. Aggregation companies will generally request access to large established companies, however, will also allow companies to push their data to them if they wish.

The data is not normally scrapped, it is through API and web service platforms.