How we resolve conflicting sources before a number reaches you
When two sources give different numbers for the same fact, we do not average them and we do not pick the one we like. We trace each figure back to where it came from, keep the one with the clearest origin, and tell you the date it was measured. This page explains that process, because a number is only as trustworthy as the method behind it.
- First test on a conflict
- Are both sources measuring the same thing?Aligning definitions resolves most apparent contradictions
- Tie-breaker
- Source closest to the measured thing winsPrimary measurement over popular repetition
- When undecided
- Publish the range and what it depends onAlways dated
Why two sources disagree in the first place
Most disagreements are not about truth. They are about definition. A distance from an airport can be measured in a straight line or along the road you actually drive. A room count can include or exclude villas booked separately. A price can be per person or per room, with or without tax, in high season or low.
So when two sources give different figures, the first question is not "which is right" but "are these even measuring the same thing." Very often they are not, and once you align the definitions the conflict disappears. That step alone resolves a large share of what looks like contradiction.
How we trace a figure back to its origin
Every fact we publish has to point somewhere. For a claim that can go out of date — a driving time, a baggage rule, a seasonal temperature — we record where the number came from and when it was accessed. A figure with a clear origin beats a figure that simply appears without one, even if the second is quoted more often.
Repetition is not verification. A number copied across a dozen pages is still a single source if none of those pages measured anything. We weight a primary measurement over a popular one, and we say so in the footnotes rather than asking you to take it on faith.
What we do when the conflict is real
Sometimes the definitions match and the numbers still differ. In that case we prefer the source closer to the thing being measured: an operator's own figure over an aggregator's, a measured route over an estimate. Where we can compute the value ourselves — a transfer time along the actual road, a water-entry gradient, shade at noon — we do, and we label it as our own measurement.
If we cannot decide, we do not manufacture certainty. We publish the range, name what the answer depends on, and date it. "It depends" is only acceptable when the next words tell you what it depends on.
Why every number carries a date
A price that was accurate last spring can be wrong now, and a visa rule can change between the day we check it and the day you travel. So we date the volatile facts and treat search-based price ranges as statistics from a moment in time, not as current rates.
This is also how we handle honest disagreement with our past selves. If a figure changes, the date shows which version you are reading. You should never have to guess whether a number is fresh.
What this means for you as a reader
Practically, it means you can act on our numbers without a second round of research, and you can see where each one came from if you want to check. When we are confident, we say so plainly. When we are not, we give you the range and the reason rather than a false single figure.
If you need a guaranteed current price or an official rule for the day you fly, treat our dated figure as a starting point and confirm it with the operator or authority. That is not a weakness in the method. It is the method.
What works
- Every volatile fact is dated, so you can tell fresh figures from stale ones
- Conflicts are resolved by tracing origins, not by averaging or guessing
- Where we can measure a value ourselves, we do and label it as ours
- Ranges are published honestly when a single figure would be false
What does not
- Some answers come as a range rather than one clean number
- Prices and official rules still need final confirmation before you book or fly
Who should go somewhere else
readers who want a single guaranteed live price — our price figures are dated search statistics, not current rates
Instead: confirm the rate directly with the operator at the moment of booking
Questions people actually ask
how do you decide which source to trust
We trace each figure back to where it was measured and keep the one with the clearest origin. A source closer to the thing being measured, such as an operator's own figure or a route we computed ourselves, outranks one that is simply quoted more often. Repetition across many pages does not make a number more verified.
do you just average two conflicting numbers
No. Averaging invents a figure that neither source supports and hides the real reason they differ. We first check whether the two are measuring the same thing, then prefer the source nearest the measurement. If we still cannot decide, we publish the range rather than a fabricated midpoint.
why are your prices shown as ranges
Prices move with season, demand, and tax treatment, so a single figure would be wrong for most readers most of the time. We publish dated ranges drawn from search statistics and label them as such. For the exact rate on your dates, confirm directly with the operator before booking.
why does every fact have a date
Driving times, baggage rules, visa requirements, and prices all change. A date tells you how fresh a figure is and which version you are reading if we have updated it. Anything that can go out of date is dated on purpose, so you never have to guess whether it is current.