Choosing between a .COM and a .FLIGHTS domain depends on your goals, target audience, branding strategy, and SEO focus. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you decide:
1. Brand Credibility & Recognition
| Feature | .COM | .FLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Trust level | Universally trusted & expected | Less familiar, especially to general audiences |
| Recognition | Default global standard | Niche recognition in travel/aviation |
| Perceived legitimacy | High | Moderate – can look modern but may confuse users |
Winner: ✅ .COM for global branding
2. Industry Relevance
| Feature | .COM | .FLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Generic or flexible? | Highly flexible | Extremely specific to aviation/travel |
| Industry clarity | May require explanation in name | Instantly signals flight-related content |
| Target niche | Any industry | Airlines, flight booking, aviation news |
Winner: ✅ .FLIGHTS for aviation-specific use cases
3. SEO & Search Engine Visibility
| Feature | .COM | .FLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| SEO trust factor | Slight edge (more backlinks, age) | Google treats all TLDs equally in theory |
| Keyword use | Needs strong domain keywords | TLD itself acts as a keyword (e.g., deals.flights) |
| Search confidence | Higher CTR in search results | May get lower CTR if users aren’t familiar |
Winner: Tie, depending on exact keywords and execution
4. Pricing & Availability
| Feature | .COM | .FLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Domain availability | Very limited for exact matches | More availability for keywords |
| Cost | Premium names are expensive | Usually cheaper than premium .coms |
Winner: ✅ .FLIGHTS for niche keyword availability
5. Memorability & Typing Ease
| Feature | .COM | .FLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Typing ease | Easy, automatic for most users | Longer and less intuitive |
| Memorability | Very high | Moderate; depends on how it’s branded |
| Voice recognition | Easy to say “.com” | “dot flights” may require explanation |
Winner: ✅ .COM
6. Best Use Cases
| Domain Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| .COM | General travel websites, comparison engines, booking aggregators, large brands |
| .FLIGHTS | Flight booking startups, niche travel portals, aviation blogs, airline services, affiliate flight deal sites |
Conclusion: Which to Choose?
| Goal | Recommended Extension |
|---|---|
| ✅ Build a long-term global brand | .COM |
| ✅ Need a niche domain for SEO or targeted campaign | .FLIGHTS |
| ✅ Already own the .COM and want to secure vertical branding | Both |
| ✅ Launching a flight-specific project with a clear CTA (e.g. deals.flights) | .FLIGHTS |
Pro Tip:
If you can get both, redirect .FLIGHTS to your .COM, or use .FLIGHTS for specialized landing pages (e.g., cheapdeals.flights → maintravelbrand.com/flights).