Momondo is a leading resource in finding discounted airfare while simultaneously providing a platform for users to book hotel arrangements. Back in 2006, a small group of Danish developers with a like-minded mission to make travel more affordable and accessible drafted up a service that would benefit international travel. As a result, Momondo was officially launched. The Momondo developers were able to use their knowledge to develop a code, robot program that worked to provide people with real insight into flight prices. They also included a hotel booking service, however that is not the main function of the site.
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The Good
- Flight search
- Independent
- Awards for tools
- Comprehensive booking
- Mobile app
Flight Search
Momondo works to help travelers save. While a majority of the savings will likely come as a result of their flight searching technology, travelers can also score deals when making hotel room reservations. Users can search through popular destinations to find affordable accommodations while traveling the world.
Independent
Unlike many other travel booking sites, Momondo is not owned by a large travel company or provider. Their business model is entirely free, operates on a global level, and is completely independent. Momondo stands on its own to provide travelers the opportunity to search flights globally and compare flights and travel deals. This is important to note because it means that the pricing information and data is not influenced by outside providers.
Awards for Tools
The intuitive flight searching system on which Momondo operates allows travelers to find the cheapest and best flights without hardly any effort. They have won awards for having the best flight comparison tools, and considering just how saturated and competitive that market is, that is an impressive feat. Momondo conducts a cross-search between airlines, travel sites, and low cost carriers to come up with the best results for travelers.
Comprehensive Booking
Even though Momondo specializes in helping travelers book the cheapest flights, they also have show listings for other travel accommodations. For instance, a traveler can book their hotel room or rental car all on Momondo. Momondo also has made a number of tools and resources available to travelers to create the best booking experience possible. These resources include:
- Flight Analyzer: not only does Momondo find the cheapest flight, but they also show the departure and arrival dates, best balance between price and flight time, and even reveal how factors such as days to departure and seasonality affect fare prices
- Trip Finder: the trip finder tool allows travelers to input their budget and then find destinations and activities to book within their dollar range
- Inspiration Tool: the inspiration feature helps those looking for a unique travel experience, but are unsure of where to start and how to go about booking
Mobile App
Momondo also has a free app available for the iPhone, iPad, and Android products. This app provides travelers with instant access and insight into billions of cheap flights and hotels. Features included with the Momondo app create a personalized search experience. Users can use the Draw and Search tool, which is where a traveler can draw any shape on a map to pinpoint hotels in a specific area.
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The Bad
- Hotel booking
- Rewards program
- User experience
Hotel Booking
Momondo exists simply to help find travelers the cheapest and best flights with a minimum amount of effort. Momondo's system is comprised of intuitive flight search technology. The Momondo platforms has won awards for having the best flight comparison tools, and considering just how saturated and competitive that market is, that is an impressive feat. Momondo conducts a cross-search between airlines, travel sites, and low cost carriers to come up with the best results for travelers. All of that is helpful, unless a user solely wants to book a hotel room. That means that the best part of the Momondo technology is not necessarily beneficial.
Rewards Program
While travelers can use a travel-specific credit card to earn independent awards, there will not be unique point earnings. Another downfall to the Momondo service is the fact that they are missing a rewards program. Typically, travel agencies will provide travelers with an additional incentive to continue to use their booking service. Rewards include earning miles or points to redeem for additional discounts. Momondo does not offer this type of program for travelers. That means repeat Momondo users will not be able to save on the following through their own rewards program:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Rental Cars
User Experience
User experience is also something worth mentioning as it pertains to the Momondo booking site. Since Momondo searches through thousands of pieces of data and information, it can take a few moments for results to populate. There also is no way to save search results or trips while conducting research.