Meta Search for Travel Agencies: Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost
By Travel White Label · Published 21 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026
Meta search for travel agencies means getting your flight and hotel prices shown on comparison sites such as Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost and Dealchecker. The meta search site does not sell the trip itself. It asks your booking engine for live prices, shows them next to other airlines and agencies, and sends the traveller to your website through a deeplink to book. You usually pay either per click (CPC) or per booking (CPA), and the deal only works if the price you send matches the price at your checkout and your margin covers the cost of each booking.
This guide covers how feeds work, CPC vs CPA deals with GBP examples, UK pricing rules and how to get listed.
In this guide
What meta search is and why agencies use it
How feeds, quote APIs and deeplinks work
CPC vs CPA deals, with worked examples
Price accuracy and UK pricing rules
How to get listed, step by step
Tracking, a checklist, key takeaways and FAQs
What is meta search for travel agencies?
A meta search engine is a travel comparison site. A traveller searches once, for example London to Dubai in March, and the site lists prices from many airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) side by side. If the traveller picks your price, they book on your website, and you take the payment and look after the customer.
For a UK agency or OTA, that means:
You compete mainly on price. Skyscanner's OTA partner page says its flight search results are ranked by price, with the lowest price listed first.
You pay for traffic, not for listings. KAYAK's About page explains that travel providers pay KAYAK for the redirect or booking assist, and that commission models include per-click or per-booking.
Your website does the selling. The meta search site only sends the visitor. Speed, a clear checkout and a stable price turn the click into a booking.
The main names for UK agencies are Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost and Dealchecker. Jetcost's Partner With Us page says it was founded in 2006 and operates in 17 languages across 38 countries and more than 80 domains, with a focus on flights and car hire.
How meta search feeds and deeplinks work
People talk about a "feed", but for flights most integrations are live API connections, not a daily file upload. There are three parts.
The quote API. The meta search site sends your booking engine the route, dates and passengers, and your system replies with itineraries and prices. Skyscanner's Quote API requirements ask partners to return prices within a maximum of 30 seconds, ideally within 10, in the currency of the market, with flight details plus a base price and all taxes and fees for each quote.
The deeplink. Each price carries a link that takes the traveller straight to that option on your website. Skyscanner's deeplink guidance describes two landing depths: a booking page showing the exact flight the traveller selected (preferred), or a "day view" listing options for that search. All deeplinks must use HTTPS.
Tracking parameters. Parameters on the deeplink tag each visit with its partner and campaign.
Hotels work in a similar way: Skyscanner's hotel pricing requirements ask for the minimum price, currency, room type and a booking-page deeplink, and say that price must match the price after the redirect.
If you are still choosing flight and hotel content, our guide to GDS vs hotel bedbanks explains the options.
CPC vs CPA: how meta search deals are paid
Terms are agreed with each meta search site and vary by product and market. Jetcost, for example, says onboarding is subject to evaluation and it shares commercial terms once it can publish your content. The two main models are:
Cost per click (CPC). You pay each time a traveller clicks through to your website, whether or not they book. Good for: agencies with a high-converting checkout who want control. Risk: you pay for visitors who leave.
Cost per acquisition (CPA), also called pay-per-booking. You pay only when a click turns into a booking, usually a fixed amount or a percentage of the booking value. Good for: newer agencies still improving conversion, as the partner carries more risk. Risk: cost per booking can be higher, and you must report bookings accurately. Jetcost says partners on a CPA model must be able to report in a format consistent with its requirements.
For hotels, Skyscanner's Hotels Core Auction Logic document says it has historically supported flat CPC (per market and device) and CPA, and began supporting dynamic CPC bidding from 1 July 2024. In that auction, a partner generally pays the next highest bid plus £0.01, up to its own bid.
Ask each partner:
Is the fee charged per click, per booking, or by auction?
For CPA, is it a fixed amount or a percentage, and is it charged on cancelled or refunded bookings?
How long after a click does a booking still count, and how are disputes handled?
Worked examples: what a meta search booking costs
These figures are illustrative only, not market rates. Use your own quotes and conversion data.
Example 1: a CPC deal on flights. Suppose you pay £0.50 per click and 2% of clicks book.
1,000 clicks cost £500 and produce 20 bookings.
Cost per booking: £500 ÷ 20 = £25.
If you earn £30 per flight booking from your markup and service fee, you make £600, leaving £100 before other costs such as payment fees.
If conversion falls to 1%, the same £500 buys 10 bookings: £300 earned, a £200 loss.
Example 2: the break-even click price. The most you can pay per click is your margin per booking multiplied by your conversion rate. With £30 margin and 2% conversion, that is £30 × 0.02 = £0.60 per click.
Example 3: a CPA deal on hotels. Suppose a partner charges 4% of booking value, and a three-night city hotel sells for £450.
CPA fee: £450 × 4% = £18.
If your markup on the bedbank net rate is £54, you keep £36 before payment and other costs.
A one-night £90 stay with an £11 markup costs £3.60 in CPA, leaving £7.40, which may not cover payment fees and service time.
Meta search rewards agencies that know their numbers. Our guide to travel markup strategy shows how to leave room for acquisition costs without pricing yourself off the first page.
Price accuracy and UK pricing rules
Price accuracy is where meta search most often goes wrong: a fare changes after the search, a room sells out, or a fee appears at checkout that was not in the price you sent.
Partner rules. Skyscanner's price calculation policy says the price returned by your API must match the price at checkout, including all mandatory taxes and fees and credit card or payment fees, but excluding optional extras such as insurance or luggage. It says inaccurate prices could lead to a suspension of the integration.
UK consumer law. The CMA's guidance on unfair commercial practices explains that, under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, showing an initial headline price and then adding mandatory charges as the customer proceeds, known as "drip pricing", is prohibited. Its summary on clear and accurate prices says the total price should normally include mandatory charges such as a booking fee.
Advertising rules. The ASA's advice on compulsory costs and charges covers how quoted prices in ads must include non-optional taxes, fees and charges.
In practice, build your service fee and any card fee into the price your API sends, keep your price cache short, and handle sold-out results honestly. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to get listed on Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost and Dealchecker
Each partner has its own process, but the steps are broadly the same.
Get your website ready first. Jetcost says it quality checks your website before contacting you, and looks for content that can be immediately confirmed, strong customer service and industry-relevant accreditation.
Check your licensing. If you sell flights or flight-inclusive packages to UK customers, check whether ATOL applies using the CAA's ATOL guidance.
Apply to each partner. Agree terms, markets and the payment model with their commercial team first. Jetcost says integration only happens after an agreement is reached.
Build or switch on the quote API. Jetcost asks for a fully working search and request API with documentation.
Set up deeplinks. Land travellers on the exact option they chose, over HTTPS, with tracking parameters.
Prepare the landing page. Show the same price, times and baggage allowance the traveller saw, with a short mobile-friendly checkout.
Pass testing. Skyscanner's requirements FAQ says it validates itineraries individually and that a single test route is not enough.
Launch in one market, then expand. Start with UK traffic, watch price accuracy and cost per booking, then add routes or markets.
TravelWhiteLabel's meta search integration supports Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost and Dealchecker, with outbound XML/JSON APIs, conversion tracking set-up and onboarding support.
Tracking and optimising your meta search spend
You cannot judge CPC or CPA deals without clean data, so track each partner separately.
Clicks and bookings by partner. Tag every booking with its partner and campaign.
Conversion rate. Bookings divided by clicks, by partner and device. A drop often points to a price mismatch or a slow page.
Cost per booking. Spend divided by bookings, against your margin.
Price accuracy. Log how often the checkout price differs from the price you sent.
Cancellations. On CPA deals, check cancelled bookings against invoices.
Then cut routes where cost per booking exceeds your margin, and improve checkout speed before you raise bids.
Checklist: is your travel website ready for meta search?
Does your quote API return final prices in GBP, including every mandatory fee and any card fee?
Does the checkout price match the meta search price for the routes and hotels you sell most?
Do deeplinks land on the exact flight or room the traveller chose, over HTTPS?
Do you know your margin per booking and break-even CPC or CPA?
Is your ATOL position clear for the products you sell?
Are your company details, phone number, terms and protection information easy to find?
Have you tested many routes, dates and passenger mixes on your live website?
Key takeaways
Meta search for travel agencies puts your live prices on Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost and Dealchecker, then sends travellers to your website to book.
Integrations rely on a fast quote API and accurate deeplinks.
CPC gives control but charges for every click; CPA charges only for bookings but can cost more per booking.
Your break-even click price is your margin per booking multiplied by your conversion rate.
Prices must match at checkout. Inaccurate prices can lead to suspension, and UK law prohibits drip pricing.
FAQs
Is meta search worth it for a small travel agency?
It can be, if your prices are competitive on the routes or hotels you specialise in. Start small and judge it on cost per booking, not clicks.
Should I choose CPC or CPA?
CPA is often easier while your conversion rate is unproven, because you pay only when someone books. With reliable data, CPC can give more control.
Can a meta search site suspend my listing?
Yes. Skyscanner, for example, says inaccurate prices could lead to a suspension of the integration, so the price you send must match the final checkout price.
How much does TravelWhiteLabel cost?
There is no setup fee. Plans are Growth £179, Scale £599 and Elite £999 per month, and API access is £999 per month. You start on a free beta site and billing only starts at go-live; pay 12 months upfront and get 2 months free. Charges from your own GDS or payment gateway are not included. See plans and pricing.
Get your travel website on meta search
Want your prices on Skyscanner, KAYAK, Jetcost and Dealchecker? Start on a free beta site with TravelWhiteLabel: there is no setup fee, billing only starts at go-live, and you can use our suppliers at no extra cost; those suppliers are ATOL and ABTA protected. See how our meta search integration works, start on a free beta site, compare plans and pricing, or call our London team on 020 3432 6375 (Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00) or email [email protected].