Skyscanner Review: The Smartest Free Way to Compare Flights, With One Booking Rule to Know
Skyscanner’s best-documented strength is finding the best price quickly and simply. It holds an “Excellent” 4.4 out of 5 TrustScore from 22,913 Trustpilot reviews, with 73% five stars. One traveler said it “helped me to find the best price for my flights,” another praised that it “gives accurate pricing information,” and a third said “You can always find what you want at the right price.” Skyscanner is one of the world’s best-known travel comparison sites. It searches billions of prices across flights, hotels and car hire from more than 1,200 travel partners, and more than 100 million people use its app and website each month. Signature features include Search Everywhere (enter your departure city and see the cheapest destinations), flexible whole-month and cheapest-month date searches, Price Alerts that notify you when fares change, smart filters for stops and times, and newer AI trip-planning tools. Skyscanner says there are no hidden fees for using it, and it’s free for travelers.
The honest caveat: Skyscanner usually sends you to an airline or third-party travel agent to complete your booking, so refunds, changes and customer service depend on that partner. Some frustrated travelers blame Skyscanner when an agent refuses a refund. One wrote “I refuse to accept a 0 EUR refund or store credits,” and 10% of reviews are one-star
Quick Highlights
✅ Trustpilot TrustScore of 4.4/5 (“Excellent”) from 22,913 reviews
✅ 73% five-star ratings
✅ “Really easy to use and helped me to find the best price”
✅ “gives accurate pricing information”
✅ Compares billions of prices from 1,200+ partners
✅ 100M+ monthly users, according to Skyscanner
✅ Search Everywhere for inspiration on a budget
✅ Flexible whole-month and cheapest-month searches
✅ Free Price Alerts
✅ Flights, hotels and car hire in one place
✅ Free to use, with no hidden fees, according to Skyscanner
✅ Replies to 98% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours
❌ Most bookings are completed with third-party agents or airlines
❌ Refunds and changes depend on the partner’s policies
❌ Some cheap agent fares come with poor service
❌ Prices can change between search and booking
❌ Some travelers report refund disputes (“0 EUR refund”)
❌ 10% one-star reviews
❌ Not a travel agent, so it can’t fix every booking issue directly
Why Trust This Review
This review draws on Skyscanner’s Trustpilot profile (22,913 reviews, 4.4 TrustScore) and Skyscanner’s published company and feature information. GlossGirly has no commercial relationship with Skyscanner that affects this verdict.
Full Review Breakdown
How Skyscanner Works
Skyscanner is a travel search engine, sometimes called a metasearch site. You enter where and when you want to travel, and it scans prices from airlines, online travel agents, hotel providers and car hire companies, then shows the options side by side. When you choose a deal, you’re usually sent to the airline or agent to book, though some partners let you book through Skyscanner’s own checkout. Using Skyscanner is free, and it says there are no hidden fees. Its business model relies on partner commissions and advertising, not charging travelers. That’s why it can show such a wide range of options from more than 1,200 partners, giving you a quick view of the whole market.
Standout Features: Everywhere, Flexible Dates and Price Alerts
Skyscanner’s best features help budget travelers. Search Everywhere lets you enter your home airport and see the cheapest destinations to fly to, which is perfect when you know your budget but not your destination. Flexible date searches show prices across a whole month or find the cheapest month to travel. Price Alerts track a route and notify you when fares rise or fall, so you can book at the right moment. Smart filters let you sort by stops, departure time, airline, duration and price. Newer AI-powered trip-planning tools add destination ideas and smarter search. Travelers consistently praise the ease of use: “It was very easy to move between different flights.”
Booking Through Partners: The Key Thing to Understand
Skyscanner’s lowest prices often come from lesser-known online travel agents. Those fares can be genuine bargains, but service, change fees and refund policies vary widely by agent. Most negative reviews come from bookings with third-party agents, such as refusals to refund or offers of store credit instead of cash. Because Skyscanner doesn’t hold your booking, it can only help indirectly. Before booking, check the partner’s rating (Skyscanner often shows agent ratings), read its refund terms, and consider booking directly with the airline when the price difference is small. Airlines are usually easier to deal with if flights change or get cancelled.
Hotels, Car Hire and Overall Value
Beyond flights, Skyscanner compares hotels and car hire, making it handy for building a whole trip. Hotel searches pull rates from multiple booking sites, and car hire comparisons can reveal big savings, but always read what’s included, such as insurance excess, fuel policy and deposit. Prices can change between search and checkout, especially on popular routes, since fares update constantly. Skyscanner replies to 98% of negative reviews within about 24 hours, though for booking problems the partner you booked with is usually the one who must act. Used wisely, Skyscanner is one of the best free tools for saving money on travel.
Best Products Worth Buying
Skyscanner’s core tool compares flights from hundreds of airlines and online travel agents in seconds, showing direct and connecting options side by side. Smart filters for stops, departure times, airlines and journey length let you balance price against convenience. Travelers praise how easy it is to use and how accurate the pricing is, with one saying it helped them “find the best price for my flights.” For the best experience, compare the cheapest agent fare with the airline’s own price. If the gap is small, booking direct with the airline usually makes changes and refunds easier. Always read the agent’s rating and refund terms before you pay.
One of Skyscanner’s most beloved features. Enter your departure airport, choose “Everywhere” as the destination, and Skyscanner ranks the cheapest places you can fly to on your dates or across a whole month. It’s perfect for spontaneous trips, budget weekend breaks, students and travelers who care more about price than a particular city. Combine it with flexible-month searches to uncover surprisingly cheap getaways you’d never have thought to look for. Once you find a destination, set a Price Alert to track the fare before committing. It’s a fun, inspiring way to plan travel around your budget rather than the other way around.
Price Alerts track a specific route and send a notification when the fare goes up or down, so you don’t have to keep checking manually. They’re ideal for planning holidays well ahead, watching popular routes or waiting for a fare to fall into your budget. Because airfares change constantly, alerts help you spot a good moment to book and avoid paying more than necessary. Set alerts for nearby airports and flexible dates for even more chances to save. Prices can still shift between the alert and checkout, so when you see a fare you’re happy with, book reasonably quickly rather than waiting for the perfect drop
Skyscanner also compares hotels and rental cars, pulling prices from multiple booking sites and rental firms so you can plan a whole trip in one place. Hotel comparisons help you spot the same room at different prices across sites. Car hire comparisons can reveal large savings, especially at airports. Read the fine print carefully, including insurance excess, fuel policy, mileage limits, deposits and cancellation terms, because the cheapest headline price isn’t always the cheapest overall. For hotels, check whether the rate is refundable and whether taxes and fees are included before you book with the partner.
What Customers Actually Think
“Really easy to use and helped me to find the best price for my flights” — Helen, Trustpilot reviewer (UK, 5 stars)
“The site is easy to use and gives accurate pricing information.” — Robyn Whittingham, Trustpilot reviewer (US, 5 stars)
“You can always find what you want at the right price” — Vince Moran, Trustpilot reviewer (Malta, 5 stars)
“It was very easy to move between different flights.” — Derek Ebbage, Trustpilot reviewer (UK, 5 stars)
“I refuse to accept a 0 EUR refund or store credits.” — Daeu Hyoun, Trustpilot reviewer (Ireland, 1 star)
Is It Worth It?
Absolutely. Skyscanner is free, easy to use and one of the fastest ways to find cheap flights, hotels and car hire, with brilliant tools like Search Everywhere and Price Alerts. Just remember you usually book with a partner, so check that partner’s reputation and refund policy, and consider booking direct with the airline when prices are close.
Competitors Table
Feature | Skyscanner | Google Flights | Kayak | Momondo | Kiwi.com | Expedia |
Type | Metasearch | Metasearch | Metasearch | Metasearch | Agent + virtual interlining | Travel agent |
“Everywhere” search | Yes | Explore map | Explore | Yes | Yes | No |
Price alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hotels & cars | Yes | Hotels | Yes | Yes | Some | Yes |
Trustpilot | 4.4 (22,913 reviews) | N/A | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
Who handles booking | Partner | Partner | Partner | Partner | Kiwi.com | Expedia |
FAQs
Is Skyscanner legit and safe?
Yes. It’s a widely used comparison site rated 4.4/5 on Trustpilot. Your booking safety depends on the partner you book with
Does Skyscanner charge fees?
Skyscanner says it’s free to use with no hidden fees.
Who do I contact for a refund?
Usually the airline or travel agent you booked with, since Skyscanner typically doesn’t hold the booking.
What is Skyscanner Everywhere?
A search that shows the cheapest destinations from your airport
Why did the price change when I clicked through?
Fares update constantly, so prices can change between search and checkout.
Final Verdict
Skyscanner remains one of the best free tools for travelers. It compares billions of prices across flights, hotels and car hire, with standout features like Search Everywhere, flexible-month searches and Price Alerts. Its 4.4 Trustpilot rating reflects how easy and accurate most travelers find it.
The key thing to understand is that you usually book with a partner, and most complaints come from agent refunds and service. Check partner ratings and policies, and book direct with airlines when the savings are small. Used this way, Skyscanner is hard to beat for finding great travel deals.
Scorecard
Category | Score |
Ease of Use | 9.6/10 |
Price Coverage | 9.4/10 |
Search Features | 9.4/10 |
Price Accuracy | 8.4/10 |
Partner Reliability | 6.8/10 |
Customer Support | 7.6/10 |
Customer Satisfaction | 8.8/10 |
Value (Free) | 9.8/10 |
Overall | 8.7/10 |