What is a Meta Search Engine?
A meta search engine is one that searches through other search engines. You can think of it like a search engine within a search engine. It will essentially look at the results of all the other search engines, and then bring you back a list of links based on what they think are the most relevant, most useful results for your query based on pre-specified parameters. It is important to note, however, that not all meta search engines are created equal. Some meta search engines will simply copy data from other sites into their own database and then show it to users as if it were their own content—these are not good ones! The best meta search engines will actually analyze and rank each result based on how relevant it is to each user's query.
What is the difference between Meta Search Engines and Online Travel Agencies?
Meta search engines and online travel agencies are both websites that help you find flights, hotels, and other travel services. Both offer a wide range of information about flights and hotels, including prices and availability. However, there are some key differences between the two.
Meta search engines are good for finding cheap flights, but they do not offer the ability to book directly through them. You must book your flight through the airline or another third-party booking site. Meta Search Engines help you make a decision and then route you to the vendor for booking. It is not a seamless end to end process within the meta search engine.
In comparison, Online travel agencies (OTAs) allow you to book directly through them and sometimes have better deals than meta search engines because they create partnerships with vendors that allows them more control over pricing. Furthermore, OTAs provide customer service in the form of travel itineraries, travel notifications and rewards points. OTAs also help you to bundle services to save money on bookings.
