Compare

Head to head: which booking site, airline or product is actually better, and for which traveller.

Comparisons here state their criteria before the verdict, and always name who should choose the other option. A single “best” with no “unless” is nearly always a lie, and usually a sign that someone was paid.

Start with Booking.com against Expedia, Agoda and booking direct, which is less about price than about fee display, cancellation terms, and who actually helps when the room is not there.

Every comparison here is built the same way. The criteria are decided and stated before any verdict, the totals are compared after fees rather than on headline rates, and the answer names who should pick the other option. Coming next: whether hotel loyalty schemes are worth chasing, flight search engines against each other, and which best-price guarantees can actually be enforced.