Web scraping is the process of extracting information from a source or website which contains valuable information and scraping all of that and saving it in your system in the format you would like to view it in such as CSV file and much more.

Let’s understand this with an example:

The travel aggregator wants to extract information from the multiple flight and hotel pages online in order to bring all that details on their website, they would then opt for the method of copy-pasting to retrieve the data. But the drawback here is when it comes to large data the copy-pasting would consume a lot of time to conduct the action and also when you copy-paste big data the website slows down alerting the owner of that website or source of suspicious activity.

But with web scraping, this isn’t the case. In just a few minutes you can easily extract information without slowing down the website which is why it has grown to be popular. The flight details and hotels will be easily scraped and neither of the sources or website will even be aware of it. 

To conduct web scraping activities is convenient, all you need to is:

1 . Select the website/source you want to scrape

2. Choose the data which you needs scraping

3. Run the web scraping code

4. Save it all in your system

However, scraping huge amounts of data is risky and it can lead to a block in the IP address hence to secure such an action, the use of our next solution can benefit the travel aggregators' websites.

A proxy acts as the point of contact between the user and the website which the user aims to access. When a user wishes to access it will send a request which will be first received by the proxy server. 

The proxy will then change the user’s IP address and send the request to the website. Once the website approves, the information is sent back to the proxy who filters the information and ensures that no risk or malicious activities are involved and sends it back to the user to view.

In the case of travel aggregators, proxies can be an efficient measure to help retrieve information. With proxies, the information can be viewed from several websites without even having to share any IP address. 

Surfing any website for travel-related queries be it the airlines or any other travel queries, proxies ensure that the genuine information is accessed and that the action can be conducted multiple times without the fear of being tracked.

Companies indulging in travel aggregation can take the help of proxies to web scrape (extracting information from any sources which have information) through relevant travel agencies and assist that data with your current consumers by solving their queries with the solution you have in hand

There are multiple types of travel aggregator proxies that can be used to get started with. We have covered the top ones below:

1. STATIC PROXIES

If a user aims to have access to the internet via a specific computer or device, static proxies ensure it takes place. These proxies are supported with the help of the Internet Service provider (ISP). In case the device chosen fails to perform static proxies duties, the proxy would then be disabled, the device name you selected will be eliminated and the user will receive an error message which will be understood that the static proxies requirements didn’t cater to the set factors.

Travel aggregators' websites can be set accordingly since the device to implement the action can be conducted from a specific one. 

PROS:

1 . More reliable

2.Quicker in its action

CONS:

1 . To set up static proxies can be a hassle

2.If all the requirements are not met in static proxies, the proxies will not function

2. ROTATING PROXIES

As the name suggests it rotates the IP address. So when you request for access, the IP addresses get changes every time. This is fruitful in travel aggregation as any travel data can be easily retrieved without the fear of being spotted by travel agencies or airlines. 

PROS:

1.No shortage of IP addresses

2.Speed is faster

CONS:

1 . If rotating proxies are used for free, the security can be tampered with and the traffic and the speed of the process will slow down

2.Too many IP’s can carry a small risk of the process getting stuck or being caught in the act

3. DATA CENTER PROXIES

Data center proxies are widely used to serve the purpose of brand protection conducting market research, travel aggregations, SEO monitoring and much more. Data center proxies work as a regular proxy, they hide the IP address so that your anonymity is hidden while surfing the internet.

What makes them stand out is that they don’t require the need for an ISP (Internet service provider) or an internet connection. When you request to view a website instead of your information, data center proxies will send theirs.

PROS:

1 . Cheaper in cost

2.Provides faster speed in its action

CONS:

1 . Doesn’t hold a reliable position when it comes to securing anonymity 

4. RESIDENTIAL PROXIES

Aims to retrieve data without the fear of being blocked when conducting online data retrieval activities. Whether it is information on any travel queries such as the flight details get any data you want without having the fear of your IP address being subjected to high risk. Residential proxies have IP addresses attached to a physical location.

The IP address is provided to users from the ISP itself. When you access information from any location, your ISP will give you an IP address.

PROS:

1 . It is a brilliant measure for data harvesting

2.Offers high anonymity

CONS:

1 . Only if the residential proxies are of good quality will the chances of not getting blocked while conducting online activities will stand secure. So a risk will always be there. 

5. REAL-TIME CRAWLER

Search any sorts of information you want from search engines and e-commerce websites with the help of a real-time crawler. When you send a request to the real-time crawler, it collects all the information required according to your request. Once the information is collected it sends you back the information in a format of an HTML or JSON.

For instance, travel aggregation data of websites can be collected to help consumers coming on travel aggregators to find the right travel rates according to their preference. All the action taking place is conducted on the same connection being implemented which gives you real-time web scraping solutions. 

PROS:

1 . With a large IP choice and an exceptional IP backup option, the real-time crawler can deliver a 100% success rate in its data retrieval activities.

2. It is a user-friendly application that just requires a URL to get started

CONS:

1 . Requires constant modifications due to frequent website changes concerning its design or structural form.

6. PREMIUM PROXIES

Premium proxies are great to retrieve information online because it offers a dedicated proxy for a user. With premium proxies, any brand can conduct online activities without the fear of being blocked or their IP addresses being caught as suspicious. Premium proxies offer great speed and have a lot of advantages added to it for instance information can be viewed from any geo locations available, multiple IP addresses are provided, the data and bandwidth speed is great, ads can be conducted with a dedicated IP address and much more. 

PROS:

1 . Speed will never be tapered since the IP addresses provided are dedicated to the users

2. The servers are maintained from trusted brands which assure no crash or shutdown errors.

CONS:

1 . Proxies have a cache system which saves the information. This can cause security issues as anyone can view it.