Skyscanner Travel Hacks

Finding cheap flights can feel like discovering a hidden treasure, especially when you know where to look and how to search. Skyscanner has become one of the world’s most trusted flight comparison tools, empowering travellers to save money, time, and stress. But tapping its full potential goes beyond typing destinations and dates.

In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through Skyscanner travel hacks that savvy travellers use to slash flight costs, uncover secret savings, and book smart for domestic and international trips alike.

Why Use Skyscanner to Save on Flights

Skyscanner isn’t just another flight search engine; it’s an intelligent price comparison tool that aggregates airline and OTA (Online Travel Agency) prices from around the world.

Trusted, Transparent, and Global

Whether you’re:

• Planning a backpacking trip through Europe

• Booking a business flight from New York to Tokyo

• Hunting budget flights across Asia

Skyscanner can help you find the best deal without hidden fees, making it an essential tool for travellers everywhere.

How Skyscanner Flight Pricing Works 

Understanding airline pricing helps you outsmart fluctuating costs. There are three Main pricing factors:

1. Demand and Seasonality: Prices rise during holidays and peak seasons.

2. Competition: More airlines on a route often mean lower prices.

3. Booking Timing: Too early or too late can cost you more.

Knowing this allows you to use Skyscanner strategically, and that’s where travel hacks come in.

Top Skyscanner Travel Hacks to Save Money on Flights

Below are actionable techniques that everyday travellers can use today:

Use “Everywhere” Search to Find Cheapest Destinations

One of the most powerful features of Skyscanner is Everywhere Search,  a tool that shows the cheapest destinations from your departure city.

How It Works

Instead of choosing a destination:

• Enter your departure city,

• In the destination field, type “everywhere”,

• Select a flexible month or “cheapest month”.

Skyscanner will then return affordable options worldwide, often revealing destinations you hadn’t considered.

How this Saves Money

• You don’t limit yourself to set routes.

• You discover under-priced destinations from your airport.

This hack is ideal for flexible travellers who just want to go somewhere amazing, without breaking the bank.

One-Way vs Round-Trip

Flight Type	Best For	Price Trend	Notes
One-Way	Flexible itineraries, multi-city trips	Can be cheaper if mixing airlines	Great with budget carriers
Round-Trip	Fixed travel dates	Usually cheaper per leg	Best when staying for a minimum time
Multi-City	Explorers	Variable	Mix airlines to save money

Hack: Always run separate one-way searches for both legs and a round-trip search. Compare all three to find the lowest total fare.

Also Read: One-Way vs Round-Trip Flights on Skyscanner

Search Keyword to Spot Deals

Instead of picking exact travel dates, choose Whole Month or Cheapest Month. This shows you the lowest daily prices, giving major insight into when flights are cheapest.

Example:

• You want to fly from London to Bangkok.

• Selecting “Whole Month” shows which exact days are most affordable, sometimes saving hundreds.

This hack works best when you’re flexible with travel days.

Toggle Price Alerts for Price Drops

Set Price Alerts on Skyscanner

• Search for your flight.

• Tap “Get Price Alerts”.

• Receive email notifications if prices rise or fall.

This means you don’t have to constantly re-search; Skyscanner will alert you to savings.

Travel Pro Tip: Set alerts early (8-12 weeks before your preferred travel date) to maximise the chance of price drops.

Book from the Cheapest Country Version of Skyscanner

Some travellers find that switching the country version of Skyscanner reveals lower fares — particularly for international flights.

Example:

• Search on skyscanner.com (global version)

• Then try skyscanner.co.uk, skyscanner.de, etc.

Sometimes, currency differences and regional pricing can uncover cheaper tickets.

Use Incognito or Clear Cache to Avoid Price Hikes

Some believe flight prices go up when a route is repeatedly searched, though this is debated; clearing your browser cache or using Incognito Mode won’t hurt.

How to do it

• Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows)

• Safari Private Window (Mac)

The idea is to avoid tracking cookies that might influence pricing display.

Log in and become a member at Skyscanner to get notified about the prices and deals.

Use Skyscanner’s Multi-City Mode During Airline Booking

Rather than booking a single airline for both legs, try searching:

• Outbound with one carrier

• Return with another

This is particularly useful when:

• Budget airlines offer cheap one-way tickets,

• Legacy carriers have strong one-leg deals.

Skyscanner’s Multi-City Search makes this comparison easy.

Fly from Nearby Airports

You might live near several airports. On Skyscanner:

• Add alternate airports near your departure or destination.

• Often, flying from a “secondary” airport saves money.

Example:
Flying out of Baltimore (BWI) may be cheaper than Washington Dulles (IAD) for similar routes.

Use Skyscanner’s Best Time to Book Insights

Skyscanner Trends and analysis often share data like:

• Best time of year to book flights

• Cheapest travel seasons per region

These insights mirror industry data and help guide smarter trip planning.

Check Return Flights to a Different Airport

Sometimes flying into one airport and returning from another (especially for multi-city trips) reduces total cost.

For example:

• Fly into Rome FCO

• Return from Milan MXP

Skyscanner’s Multi-City tool helps you explore this instantly.

Book Budget Airlines Separately But Compare First

Low-cost carriers like: 

• Ryanair

• EasyJet

• AirAsia

• Southwest

Often don’t show full service details on Skyscanner, which means:

• Skyscanner shows the flight price

• You still pay baggage and seat fees later

Always compare:

• Base fare on Skyscanner

• Total expected cost on the airline site

This prevents surprises and ensures true savings.

Travel Off-Peak (Midweek, Early Morning, Late Night)

Flight prices tend to be lower:

• Tuesday–Thursday

• Early morning or red-eye flights

Use Skyscanner’s calendar view to spot these days. Even a one-day shift can save money.

Book Longer Layovers

Some routes with long layovers can be cheaper than direct flights.

Use Skyscanner’s filters to:

• Add stops

• Adjust layover length

If you’re okay with a longer stop, this can be a powerful cost-cutting option.

Use Local Currency Display on Skyscanner for Savings

Display fares in the local currency of your destination. Sometimes pricing differences occur due to:

• Exchange rates

• Regional pricing strategy

Switch currency in Skyscanner’s settings to compare.

Check Nearby Destination Prices with Everywhere Map

Skyscanner’s interactive map can show you cheaper destinations near your intended city.

This is especially helpful when:

• You’re open to exploring alternative cities,

• Prices on your primary route are high.

Quick Savings Checklist 

Hack	Quick Action
Everywhere Search	Search Everywhere
Date Flexibility	Choose Whole Month
One-Way vs Round-Trip	Compare all options
Price Alerts	Setup alerts
Multi-City Deals	Mix airlines
Alternate Airports	Add nearby airports
Browser Tricks	Use Incognito
Local Currency	Change currency

Make Skyscanner Work for You

Finding cheap flights isn’t luck, it’s a strategy. With the right approach, tools like Skyscanner empower you to save hundreds on airline tickets, spot travel windows with the lowest prices, and book smarter, not harder.

Start your search on Skyscanner now, set price alerts, and explore the “Everywhere” feature today to unlock the lowest fares for your dream trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Skyscanner reliable for the cheapest flights?

Yes. Skyscanner aggregates prices from hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies, displaying wide travel options. It doesn’t sell tickets; it directs you to booking partners, which means transparent pricing.

How far in advance should I book flights?

For domestic: About 6-8 weeks before departure.
For international: 2-5 months is often ideal for the best prices. But this can vary by route.

Will Skyscanner show all airlines?

Mostly yes, but some low-cost carriers don’t display final price details until the airline site, so always double-check total costs.

Is searching in incognito really effective?

It may prevent cached data from influencing displayed prices, which can help ensure you’re seeing fresh results.

Should I book directly with the airline?

Booking directly with the airline is often safer (for refunds or changes), but Skyscanner helps you compare all available options first.