skyscanner
App: Skyscanner
Price: Free
Available On: iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone
What is it:
The Skyscanner app is a flexible and powerful flight search app that displays flight information for domestic and international travel based on user-specific demands. Kick-starting your search on the home screen, the app has straightforward and user-friendly functions for you to get going. It asks for departure airport, arrival airport, departure date and return date along with destination choice and even further options for you to slide the ‘direct flights only’ preference on/off and select the number of passengers travelling. Hit the search button and be amazed at the long list of results Skyscanner finds for you.
I searched for a flight from Manchester to ‘Everywhere’ departing on 31 August and returning on 7 September, expecting to get between ten and twenty results at the most due to not pinpointing a clear destination. However, my search returned 176 results! Destinations ranging from Europe to the Far-East, America and South Africa, listed from the cheapest fare upwards. Further options allow you to filter your search by airline, number of stopovers, flight duration and time of day.
You can further enhance your in-app experience and search by customising the language, currency and billing country as well.
Time-saving benefits:
This app can save you tons of time trawling the internet in search of the best flight deals. It’s fast and reliable and can meet very specific flight needs. For example, you can also ‘sort’ your search results by other options such as airline, departure take-off or landing, return take-off or landing and duration. So if price is not your first concern and you’re looking for a more specific flight time, want to arrive at your destination or would like to return home at particular times then the opportunity to ‘sort’ your results is a great little benefit.
Don’t forget Skyscanner’s goal is to search out the best and cheapest flight option for you and so it acts as a middle man between you, the customer and the company from which it has pulled the price and flights details. That means you’re cutting down on hours of visiting lots of different websites, because Skyscanner searches them all for you. Once you find the flight you’d like to book, the app will pass you onto the company. So, with my search results I selected a return flight to Brussels and was directed to Ryanair to continue the booking. Again, this is all very easy and hassle free to follow.
We Love:
Once your search details are in you have the option to tap the ‘Explore’ button which takes you through to a very cool interactive globe that you can zoom and expand to get a closer look at the destination(s) on your results list. Furthermore, upon selecting a flight, this travel app displays all the details for your journey including times, connections, flight numbers, terminals and flight durations, all listed in an easy-to-read order exactly like that of a flight search online.
To top that off, the Skyscanner app lets you share your flight search results via email, twitter and facebook in just one tap, which is very useful if you’re in charge of the travel planning for a group holiday. At the bottom of the screen, after selecting your flight, there are tabs to book by phone or on the internet - super convenient if it’s found you a great deal or if you’re in a rush to book a last-minute flight.
Downfall:
It is difficult to fault this app however, for travellers who collect air miles or frequent flyer points, there is a disadvantage as these extras are not available to benefit from when using the app. It would be great to see this small but widely-used travel benefit incorporated into the Skyscanner app sometime in the near future.
Verdict:
The Skyscanner app does exactly what it needs to without any fancy or complicated extras. Its new flexible date function shows users flight prices each day across a whole month, or even a year, making it possible to find the lowest fares. Other functions such as the ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Explore’ the globe options all add to the flexibility and accessible nature of the app. If you want to save time and money, are looking for a very specific flight itinerary or simply in search of inspiration for where to travel, then this menu driven app is the perfect choice. For its all-round handiness and excellent graphics the Skyscanner app scores a travel-tastic 5/5.
The Skyscanner app is available for download from Google Play, iTunes, Windows Marketplace and AppBrain now.
Tell us what you think of the Skyscanner app in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
Shabana Adam @Shabana_FAM
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