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What is Skyscanner?

Skyscanner is a global travel search and comparison platform that helps travelers find and compare flights, hotels, and car rental deals from hundreds of airlines, online travel agencies, and travel providers worldwide. Founded in 2003 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company operates as a travel metasearch engine, meaning it does not usually sell tickets directly. Instead, it aggregates real-time pricing and availability from thousands of travel partners and redirects users to the provider’s website to complete their booking.

The platform is designed to simplify travel planning by presenting users with a transparent overview of available travel options in one place. Through advanced search technology, Skyscanner scans billions of prices daily to help users compare routes, dates, airlines, accommodation options, and rental vehicles quickly and efficiently. Its interface emphasizes ease of use, flexible trip planning, and price discovery, making it especially popular among budget-conscious and flexible travelers.

One of Skyscanner’s defining features is its flexible search functionality. Users can search for flights to “Everywhere” to discover affordable destinations, browse the cheapest month to travel, and set up price alerts that notify them when fares change. The platform also supports multi-city itineraries, nearby airport comparisons, and flexible date searches, helping travelers identify the best value options for their journeys.

Skyscanner positions itself as an unbiased and transparent travel tool. According to the company, it does not manipulate prices based on user cookies or browsing history, and it aims to display pricing without hidden fees. The company earns revenue primarily through referral commissions and advertising partnerships when users click through to booking providers.

Over time, the company expanded beyond flight comparison into hotel bookings and car rentals, evolving into a comprehensive travel planning ecosystem. It now serves more than 100 million monthly users globally and partners with over 1,200 travel providers across multiple regions and languages. In 2016, Skyscanner was acquired by Trip.com Group (formerly Ctrip) in one of Europe’s largest travel technology acquisitions.

Travel communities and frequent travelers generally regard Skyscanner as a legitimate and effective tool for comparing travel prices, although many users recommend booking directly with airlines or established providers after using the platform for research and fare discovery. Discussions on Reddit often describe Skyscanner as a reliable search engine rather than a direct booking agency, with user experiences depending largely on the third-party provider ultimately chosen for the booking.