Remove Hotels Booking from your browser
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Hotels Booking?
Hotels Booking is advertised as an app that supposedly enables people to find and book hotels, however, it is categorized as a browser hijacker and potentially unwanted application (PUA). Like most browser hijackers, Hotels Booking promotes a fake search engine (in this case, ourflightsearch.com) by changing browser settings.
Furthermore, apps of this type are often designed to gather information relating to users' browsing habits. Hotels Booking is classed as a PUA, since people usually do not generally download or install these apps intentionally.
Most browser hijackers promote fake search engines by changing the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab. Hotels Booking assigns these addresses to ourflightsearch.com, a fake search engine that does not generate unique results.
It simply provides results generated by Google (google.com) or Yahoo (search.yahoo.com). Typically, it is impossible to change settings that are appointed by a browser hijacker unless the app is uninstalled.
In this case, users of Hotels Booking are forced to visit ourflightsearch.com when they open a browser (new window), new tab, or enter search queries into the URL bar as long as they have this app installed on their browsers. Most browser hijackers also collect various data.
Developers use them as information tracking tools that record details such as users' IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, and other data. Some browser hijackers are capable of accessing sensitive information. In most cases, the developers misuse the data to generate revenue.
They often share the details with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who also misuse private information. Therefore, it is never safe to use browser hijackers or fake search engines, since they can cause problems such as identity theft, issues with browsing safety, privacy, and so on.
Name | Hotels Booking |
Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
Browser Extension(s) | Hotels Booking |
Supposed Functionality | This app supposedly allows users to book hotels directly from the browser. |
Promoted URL | ourflightsearch.com |
Serving IP Address (ourflightsearch.com) | 99.84.252.40 |
Affected Browser Settings | Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine |
Symptoms | Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. |
Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Hotel Booking is just one of many browser hijackers. Some other examples of PUAs are Accurate Weather Today, Find My Nascar Lineup, and Email Search Tools.
Generally, these apps modify browsers settings so that people are forced to use a fake search engine. PUAs also gather various information relating to web browsing activity. Most browser hijackers do not operate as advertised and are useless.
How did Hotels Booking install on my computer?
Developers often hide PUAs in "Advanced", "Custom" and other options/settings of the download or installation set-ups of regular software. This distribution method is called "bundling" and is used to trick people into downloading and/or installing unwanted apps together with other software.
Typically, these unwanted downloads and installations happen when people download and install software without checking and changing the settings that are included in the set-ups.
Additionally, they can be caused by clicking intrusive advertisements, many of which are designed to run scripts that download and/or install unwanted software. Note that many people download and install browser hijackers and other PUAs unintentionally.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Download software from official websites and avoid using third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), unofficial pages, and so on. If a setup includes "Custom", "Advanced" or other similar options, check these and deselect any offers to download or install unwanted apps.
Do not click ads that are displayed on dubious web pages - they can cause redirects to potentially malicious sites or unwanted downloads/installations. Remove all unwanted, suspicious apps (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons) that are installed on the browser immediately.
The same should be applied to software of this kind that is installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Hotels Booking, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Website promoting Hotels Booking browser hijacker:
Hotels Booking asks for various permissions on Google Chrome:
Hotels Booking asks for various permissions on Mozilla Firefox:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Hotels Booking?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Hotels Booking application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove ourflightsearch.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Hotels Booking browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove ourflightsearch.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove ourflightsearch.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Hotels Booking browser hijacker removal:
Windows 11 users:
Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.
Windows 10 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
macOS (OSX) users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Hotels Booking"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the ourflightsearch.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Hotels Booking browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove browser redirects:
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window, remove hxxp://ourflightsearch.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.
Change your default search engine:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "Hotels Booking".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ourflightsearch.com redirect, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Hotels Booking" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Hotels Booking", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.ourflightsearch.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.
Change your default search engine:
To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "ourflightsearch.com", and when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ourflightsearch.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Hotels Booking", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.
Change your homepage:
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Hotels Booking", remove hxxp://ourflightsearch.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.
Change your default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "ourflightsearch.com"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with ourflightsearch.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...
In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.
In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.
In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage and new tab settings:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".
Change your default Internet search engine:
To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ourflightsearch.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.
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