How to Use Skyscanner to Save on Flights

Skyscanner Canada is a search engine for travel. Best known for searching for flights, Skyscanner is a legit business that makes it easy to compare routes and pricing of specific routes from a variety of travel booking sites, including direct from the airlines themselves.

While best known for comparing flights, travellers can use Skyscanner to find deals on hotels and car rentals as well.

Here's how Skyscanner works, how it can help you plan your upcoming travels, and some important tips to keep in mind when using this travel search engine.

How to use Skyscanner to book flights

Booking flights with Skyscanner is pretty straightforward. You can use the web version or download the app. Both are streamlined and easy to navigate, but, for this article, we'll show you the web version.

How to search for a flight with Skyscanner

To start, you need to pick your route. For this example, we will use Toronto to Vancouver.

On the Skyscanner home page, the default search is for return flights. You can choose flights, hotels, or cars. If you choose flights, you can choose return, one-way, or multi-city.

For this example, we're going to look at a return flight from Toronto to Vancouver. So, we'll set Toronto as the From location and Vancouver as the To destination.

Note: When you enter a multi-airport city like Toronto, you can also choose which airport you would like to depart from. You can pick a specific airport or, if it doesn't matter, choose Toronto (Any), which will show you options from both airports.

Once you have entered your route, choose your travel dates, how many passengers you'll be travelling with, and what class you'd like to fly. In this case, we are choosing a week in January for a single traveller in economy class.

When you go to choose dates, you will notice different dates are highlighted in different colours. If your dates are flexible, this can be helpful in finding cheaper flights. Green dates are the least expensive, yellow dates are midrange, and red dates are the highest prices.

Once all of this information has been entered, click the Search button.

From here, a new page will load in a few seconds, comparing the various options available to you through the Skyscanner booking platform.

This is what our results page looks like:

As you can see, the top bar will show your selected dates, but also the prices of the days before and after. If you can be flexible with your travel timing, this is a useful tool to compare pricing.

Next are the results of your search. The flights that Skyscanner deems as best will be listed first. This is usually a combination of shorter flight times and better pricing. However, there are also tabs that show you the cheapest option – as well as the fastest – for comparison.

If you scroll down the list, you will notice flights with different airlines and flights with different times from the same airline. Within each option, you will also see "# deals from" above the Select button. This will show you all the booking options for that specific flight, typically direct from the airline itself as well as any third-party providers. Here's an example of what that looks like for the first WestJet option in our example above:

Remember, Skyscanner is essentially a search engine for travel, so it will give you multiple options, even for the same flight, with the intent of finding you the best deal.

Skyscanner advance search features

If you go back to the original search page, on the left side bar, you will notice you have more options to filter your search.

You can filter searches by the number of stopovers, baggage, departure or arrival times, journey duration, airlines, and airports. For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, there is even a box you can tick to show the flights with the lowest CO2 emissions.

These options may not apply to you, but if you're a solo traveller and don't want to arrive in the middle of the night, or you collect rewards or have benefits with a specific airline, then these additional search features can come in pretty handy.

On the left sidebar, you will also notice a grey button that says Get Price Alerts. If you aren't quite ready to book your flights – maybe you're just doing some initial research, or perhaps the trip is a few months out, and you have lots of time – then it might be worth setting up a price alert.

Clicking this button will give you the option to choose how to be informed of price alerts. We suggest email, in which case you'll need to enter your email address. Then, you will be alerted of any price changes in the future.

For those who are unsure of their travel plans, note that Skyscanner also allows you to search one-way flights and multi-city flights. It even has a fun "explore everywhere" option if you aren't sure where you want to go. To use this, enter your starting location and select Explore everywhere in the To field. A list of suggested routes and their prices will pop up, providing some great vacation inspiration.

Booking your flight with Skyscanner

Once you've found the best flight option and you're ready to book, you can click the navy blue "Select" button. This button will take you away from the Skyscanner page to the direct booking page for the airline or third-party booking partner. From there, you can complete your booking.

Remember, Skyscanner is only a search engine, not a booking platform, so you don't actually book anything directly on Skyscanner.

How to use Skyscanner to book hotels and car rentals

Skyscanner may be best known as a search engine for flights, but you can also search for hotels and car rentals as well. If you navigate back to the homepage, you will see tabs at the top of the page for each of these options.

Click on the option you'd like to search for and follow the same search flow as you did for flights. Once you enter the details of what you are looking for, you will be presented with a list of options and can filter based on your wants and needs.

As with flights, should you choose to book, you will be redirected to the booking partner website.

Is Skyscanner Canada legit?

Booking travel can be quite expensive, especially when it comes to flights, so you want to make sure you use a legitimate website.

Yes, Skyscanner is a legit website, but again, it is just a search engine, not a booking platform, so you do need to use it wisely.

One important thing to keep in mind is that while Skyscanner does not charge any commissions or fees from users on their platform, they do make money from their partners, and they do not partner with every airline.

That means that they might not actually show every possible flight option, just those from the airlines and companies they partner with.

Keep in mind: if you have a co-branded credit card, such as an Aeroplan card, you will not earn the extra bonus points when booking through a third-party site, even if it is an Air Canada flight. You have to book directly through Air Canada to earn those bonus points.

Another important factor to consider is what platform you end up booking through. As you saw in our example above, a single WestJet flight could be booked through 14 different websites. One of those was WestJet direct, but the others were all third-party sites.

Oftentimes, the third-party sites are cheaper, but if you have an issue, it may not be as easy to resolve, and you may experience poor customer service. Always read the fine print. If it's just a few dollars on the line, it's much safer to book directly with the airline.

Skyscanner vs Google Flights

Skyscanner and Google Flights are similar, allowing users to search for well-priced flights and track flights. One benefit of Skyscanner is that it shows a wider range of mixed airline options, while Google Flights offers a very convenient interactive map.

Usability and appearance

Both Skyscanner and Google Flights are similar in what they do and offer. At the core, both allow you to search for the best flight offers for your next trip. The user experience is very similar.

• If you enjoy Google's user interface, Google Flights will feel familiar.
• Skyscanner has an app, while Google Flights does not.
• Google Flights has an interactive map, which is not available on Skyscanner.

Search features

Both platforms allow you to personalize your search based on factors including:

• Price
• Airline
• Travel time
• Luggage inclusions
• Stopovers
• Co2 emissions
• Return vs. one-way flights
• Multi-city flights

Not sure exactly what you're looking for? Google Flights and Skyscanner both have an "explore" feature that allows you to see multiple destinations available from your closest airport. On Skyscanner, this option is called "explore everywhere" and on Google Flights it's called "anywhere."

Two key differences based on our team's experience:

• Skyscanner tends to show more mixed airline options while Google Flights tends to stick to the same airlines for departures and returns.
• Skyscanner groups the departure and return flights together as one product, but Google Flights allows you to choose them separately.

Flight tracking

Flight tracking is also offered by both platforms:

• Skyscanner offers several options to receive updates.
• Google Flights integrates directly with your Gmail account to keep you updated.

Booking

Both Skyscanner and Google Flights are booking platforms, so they will redirect you to the retailer you choose.

When it comes to pricing, Skyscanner prices tend to be more up-to-date and accurate.

Some users find that Google Flights shows flights as cheaper than they actually are because the prices haven't been refreshed.

So which is better?

Honestly, your best bet is to use both. As mentioned, Skyscanner doesn't necessarily show all options as it doesn't partner with all airlines. On the other hand, Google's prices may not be as up to date.

To find the best deals, search using both Skyscanner and Google Flights.

Best credit cards for free flights

Cheap flights are good, but free flights are even better. So why not choose a credit card with a flexible rewards program that lets you redeem points for travel?

While there are plenty of co-branded airline rewards credit cards, you can also find cards that allow for flexible travel redemption, meaning you can shop around for the best deals.

Here are our top picks for the best credit cards to earn free flights.

Credit Card	Welcome Bonus	Earn Rates	Annual Fee, Income Requirements	Apply Now
American Express Cobalt Card	$100 GeniusCash + Up to 15,000 bonus points (terms)	* 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month) * 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services * 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	* $191.88 * None	Apply Now
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card	$60 GeniusCash + Up to 45,000 bonus points, first year free (terms)	* 6 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, dining, and entertainment * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on gas, select streaming services, and transit * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases	* $120 * $12,000 personal	Apply Now
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard	$20 GeniusCash + 30,000 bonus points (terms)	* 5 points for every $1 spent on restaurants, groceries, and select recurring bills (up to $50,000 spent annually per category) * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	* $120 * $80,000 personal or $150,000 household	Apply Now
TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card	$20 GeniusCash + Up to 165,000 bonus points (terms)	* 8 points per $1 spent on travel booked online through Expedia For TD * 6 points per $1 spent on groceries, restaurants, and public transit * 4 points per $1 spent on recurring bill payments, streaming, digital gaming, and media * 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases	* $139 * $60,000 personal or $100,000	Apply Now
Neo World Elite Mastercard	None	* Average of 5% cash back at partner retailers * 5% cash back on groceries, up to $1,000 spent monthly * 4% cash back on recurring bills, up to $500 spent monthly * 3% cash back on gas and EV charging, up to $1,000 spent monthly * 1% cash back everywhere else	* $125 * $80,000 personal or $150,000	Apply Now
RBC Avion Visa Infinite	55,000 bonus points (terms)	* 1.25 points per $1 spent on travel * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	* $120 * $60,000 personal or $100,000	Apply Now

1. American Express Cobalt Card

When it comes to flexible rewards programs, American Express Membership Rewards is a stand-out, making the American Express Cobalt Card an easy pick for this list.

American Express has its own rewards program where points can be redeemed towards flights, hotels, and more. But the biggest draw is its transfer partners, which include Aeroplan, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and more.

Transferring points to Aeroplan can get you an impressive value of 2 cents per point.

Pros

• Flexible travel booking options
• Several transfer partners
• Several types of travel insurance coverage

Cons

• Not all merchants accept American Express credit cards
• Transfer partners don't all redeem at a 1:1 ratio

2. Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

Another flexible rewards program popular with Canadians is the Scene+ program.

With a Scene+ card like the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you can use the Scene+ Expedia portal to book your next vacation.

Alternatively, you can use your points to pay for any travel purchases charged to your Scene+ credit or debit card. Keep in mind, you need to redeem at least 5,000 points to do this.

Pros

• Redeem through Expedia for all travel
• Use points directly to pay off purchases made with the card
• No foreign exchange fees

Cons

• Not all vendors accept American Express credit cards
• Rewards cannot be transferred to other platforms

3. MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

Another flexible and valuable rewards program is MBNA Rewards.

Cardholders are limited to booking travel through the MBNA portal. However, MBNA has no blackout dates and allows you to use your points towards fees and taxes.

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard also earns you a birthday bonus to help reach those points goals even faster, on top of including comprehensive travel insurance coverage.

Pros

• No blackout dates for booking travel with rewards
• Points can be used towards taxes and fees on top of the base price of the travel reward
• Cardholders earn a birthday bonus

Cons

• Limited to booking from the MBNA platform
• High income requirement to qualify

4. TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card

TD Rewards is a popular program for Canadian travellers as it operates a travel booking portal in conjunction with Expedia.

The platform is called Expedia For TD, and it offers the best value for your TD Rewards. However, if you can't find what you are looking for there, TD Rewards does allow cardholders to redeem their points towards any value charged to their card, just keep in mind that the value declines.

The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card includes several travel-related perks and features such as travel insurance coverage, Visa Airport Companion, and a $100 annual travel credit.

Pros

• Multiple ways to redeem points towards travel
• Birthday bonus
• $100 annual travel credit

Cons

• Using points for travel outside of Expedia for TD lessens the rewards value
• Travel credit can only be used on hotel or vacation packages, and needs to be at least $500

5. Neo World Elite Mastercard

While not your typical rewards program, the Neo World Elite Mastercard has a cash back rewards program that cardholders can also use towards booking travel.

Instead of transferring or redeeming points, you can use your cash back towards anything you like.

The best part? Unlike some other cash back credit cards, Neo allows you to earn cash back immediately — no need to wait until the end of the year to collect. Cashback can be earned on all spending, with high bonus rates (an average of 5% cashback) at Neo retail partners.

Pros

• Average of 5% cash back at Neo retail partners and up to 5% on purchases
• Cash back can be redeemed towards anything
• Comprehensive insurance coverage

Cons

• High income requirement
• Caps on bonus categories

6. RBC Avion Visa Infinite

Lastly, we have the RBC Avion Rewards Program. RBC has a number of credit cards, but to maximize your travel-earning potential, you'll want to stick to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite, which is one of their top-tier credit cards and allows cardholders to get the best value for their points.

The Avion program has one of the highest point values when it comes to redeeming for flights through the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

However, cardholders can also use their points to book other types of travel, including hotel stays, vacation packages, cruises, and car rentals, alongside non-travel-related rewards.

Cardholders are also able to transfer their points to British Airways or Cathay Pacific.

Pros

• High point value when redeemed through the Air Travel Redemption chart
• Comprehensive insurance coverage
• Transfer to British Airways or Cathay Pacific

Cons

• Low earn rate
• Poor rewards if not redeemed through the Air Travel Redemption chart

FAQ

What is Skyscanner Canada?

Skyscanner is a search engine that allows consumers to search and shop around for the best flights, hotels, and car rentals. Once users find what they are looking for, Skyscanner directs them to the partner website where they can book for the listed price. Alternatively, Skyscanner also lets users set up price alerts for flights to monitor trends.

Is it a good idea to book through Skyscanner?

Skyscanner can be a very handy tool when searching for flights, hotels, and car rentals. However, Skyscanner only acts as a search engine. It's not a booking platform. Skyscanner will show you who has the best pricing, then take you to partner websites for the actual booking.

What does Skyscanner do?

Skyscanner works as a search engine and allows consumers to compare different flight routes and prices all in one place. Users have access to advanced search functions allowing them to search by time, airline, airport, and more to find the best flight that suits their needs.

What are the disadvantages of Skyscanner?

Skyscanner doesn't charge any consumer fees as it is paid by its partners, but it doesn't necessarily partner with every airline or booking platform, which means you aren't seeing all the options out there. Additionally, Skyscanner promotes a lot of third-party booking sites, which may seem cheaper, but can be troublesome if you have any problems or changes.

Is Skyscanner legit?

Skyscanner is a legitimate website. Again, it is only a search engine, not an actual booking platform. As a consumer, it is your job to always do your research and read the fine print before booking.