Skyscanner is one of my favorite tools for finding amazing deals on airfare. They use a powerful tool to search hundreds of airlines and other booking sites. You can think of it as a search tool of search tools, with a really great map feature. You can find great deals on airfare, but is Skyscanner safe to use?
My video on how to book cheap flights using Skyscanner -> https://youtu.be/60tuUP7lSY8
Skyscanner primarily functions as a search engine of airlines and other online booking sites. Think of it as a “metasearch” site. They find you great deals, and refer you to the site to book the flight. You won’t generally purchase tickets directly on the skyscanner website.
That being said, Skyscanner is a very legit site with a good reputation. They started in 2002 as one of the most comprehensive metasearch engines for airfare. Since then, many competitors have popped up, but I still find Skyscanner to be one of the easiest and best sites to find great deals on airfare.
What to Look Out For When Using Skyscanner
Because Skyscanner is a metasearch site, their primary focus is on finding you the cheapest airfare. They search a huge network of third party Online Booking Agents (OBAs) and refer you to the one with the cheapest price. However, they don’t use reliability of the booking agents as a factor in their ranking.
The OBA is ranked on Skyscanner using a star system, similar to other rating sites. Users can rate the booking agent and provide feedback of their experience. Before booking any tickets from a Skyscanner referral, you need to verify the booking agent has a good reputation.
You will have heard of many of these booking agents, like Expedia, Travelocity, etc. However, many of them you won’t be familiar with. Viana, Hop2, JustFly just to name a few. Just because you haven’t heard of an OBA, doesn’t mean it’s not safe to use. But you need to do your homework.
Do a Google search for terms like “Hop2 reviews” or “Hop2 experiences” to ensure the booking agent can be trusted. Review sites like Trust Pilot, and Sitejabber are good places to start.
Biggest Issues With Booking Agents
During a recent trip to Puerto Rico, my mother and sister showed up at the airport to find their ticket had been cancelled. The flight time was changed by a few hours and they never confirmed the change, so their entire flight was cancelled. They never got a notification.
You’re purchasing your tickets through a third party booking agent, not the airline. This means you often have to deal with them if there is a change. Communication about ticket changes and customer service are the biggest issues I’ve seen with online booking agents. Make sure to do your homework to ensure you are dealing with a company with a good reputation.
Do you have any good or bad experiences booking through Skyscanner? What do you think, is Skyscanner safe? I would love to hear about it in the comments below, thanks!
[…] Read more […]