Every search a website or booking system sends to an airline, bed bank or other supplier has to be answered by that supplier’s systems. A study commissioned by IATA in 2019 found ratios of 100 to 300 searches per booking on airlines’ own websites, against at least 1,000 and often more than 10,000 for online travel agents and metasearch sites. It said robots were believed to generate a significant number of the requests. In October 2025 IATA said a surge in search volumes was driving ratios up and straining systems and costs.

How suppliers apply it

• Lufthansa Group’s terms for its NDC offers count each shopping or price request as a look and each net ticket issued as a book. The group covers shopping costs up to a ratio of 500 to 1 and can take measures beyond that, including switching off access.

• Kenya Airways’ NDC FAQs, published in 2022, allow 1,000 to 1 for travel agents and 5,000 to 1 for online travel agents. The airline reports ratios monthly and can recover any excess through agent debit memos.

• Hotel suppliers also limit searches. One bed bank’s certification rules for its API forbid repeating an availability search before booking. It recommends a downloadable price file for high-traffic uses such as price comparison sites.

Why it matters for travel businesses

A busy website, a metasearch feed or automated bots can push your ratio up without adding bookings. Definitions differ from supplier to supplier, so it is worth checking each agreement for how looks and books are counted, the limit, the reporting period and what happens if you go over it.