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I was looking for flights and came across the site

https://www.google.com/travel/flights

a google service searching for flights. But this looks like a scam/fraud page to me! I found a flight on this page for 1169 EUR, but then when the link leads me to the actual airline (JAL) the price for that day and the destinations is about 3200 EUR! That is almost 3 times the announced price!

Also when looking at the bottom of this page you find a link for "Feedback" which leads you just to "google.com"!

So what is with this page? Fraud? Scam? Unmaintained?

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  • 1
    It’s just a search engine.
    – Traveller
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 15:42
  • But what you find is not what you get.
    – Alex
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 15:52
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    how can it possibly be a scam for a search tool to tell you "I think you can buy this for $x" but then it turns out you can't? Did you pay for this inaccurate information? Did you hand over a credit card to be charged 1169 but were actually charged 3200? Did anybody get any money from you at all, or ask to? No! Even if this turns out to be a bad way to search for flights, how does that make it a scam? Please edit your question to explain.
    – Kate Gregory
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 15:57
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    @Alex It doesn't lead to google.com. It triggers a javascript function that shows a feedback form. Your question reads more like a rant than a question to me.
    – vidarlo
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 16:12
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    It still isn't a scam. Google just doesn't show live prices, as it can't.
    – Krist van Besien
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 16:13

2 Answers 2

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I have been using that page (https://www.google.com/travel/flights) for at least 5 years to see what flights are available and the results were more or less reliable. It is quite unlikely to be a scam.

There are many possible reasons for the price mismatch though. The price shown on the airline website may be different because of the more expensive fare/luggage/departure time/etc. selected. Maybe google is out of date for this particular flight. Maybe the last available ticket with the lowest price was bought while you were switching between google and airline website tabs. Maybe some obscure marketing patterns are at play and the airline doesn't want to show all available prices. The list goes on...

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  • Any ideas where I can get a RELIABLE page to find flights?
    – Alex
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 15:23
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    You won't find any that is more reliable than Google. Google may be a lot, but their business model is not scams.
    – vidarlo
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 15:24
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    The most reliable way to find flights is, and only is, the airline website, a flight comparator is just a first step to actually figure out, buying on the airline website is just extremely recommanded
    – Nicolas Formichella
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 15:26
  • @vidarlo actually it kinda is their business model. They get paid to show you wrong results when you search the web.
    – Stack Exchange Supports Israel
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 17:29
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No, it isn't a scam, price mismatches are just a recurrent thing in the extremely complicated world of airline pricing

Just the URL will tell you that it isn't a scam

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