Aviasales vs Skyscanner: where are flights cheaper? There is no answer that holds for every route, because both are search engines that put prices from airlines and travel agencies side by side, and those prices keep moving. What counts is the final price at the seller, ideally with the bags you will really take. We suggest starting with Aviasales: its help page names no commission of its own, it shows the sellers' prices as they are reported, and you can filter for fares with baggage. We do not claim it beats every other search on every route. Status: October 2026, based on the help pages of both providers.
Neither one sells the ticket
Aviasales describes itself as a service that does not sell tickets but helps you find them, free of charge. You pick an offer, press Buy and land on the seller's page, an airline or an agency. There you enter your details and pay. Aviasales does not store tickets and adds no commission to the price.
Skyscanner works the same way at its core. Thousands of airlines, hotels, car hire firms and travel agencies sell through the site, and Skyscanner calls them partners. If you bought from one of them, any question about the booking goes to that partner, because only they hold your details.
Final price: what to check before you buy
Aviasales shows the prices airlines and agencies report. Baggage is the most common gap between two offers that look alike. The filter option with baggage only hides fares without checked bags. If the seller supplied the weight, it appears on the ticket card; otherwise you see the size and weight only while booking. You can add baggage on the ticket card or in the booking step at the seller. In the calendar the cheapest days are marked green.
Skyscanner itself points out that prices in month view and in Everywhere are estimates. They come from other users' searches in the last 8 days and can change. For Skyscanner it also matters how accurate a partner is: the quality rating takes price accuracy and fee transparency into account. It is built from surveys and feedback to the support team over the last 91 days and refreshed weekly. A partner can also carry a Recommended Provider badge, which Skyscanner says cannot be bought and is awarded automatically.
For both, treat the list price as a hint. The amount on the last page at the seller is the one that binds.
Cancelling, changing, correcting
Neither Aviasales nor Skyscanner changes or refunds your ticket. With Aviasales it depends on the fare and the airline rules. Some fares allow a refund or exchange, partly for an extra charge, others rule out both. The seller's name is on your itinerary receipt or your payment receipt. For typos in passenger data, the seller may charge an additional fee.
Skyscanner suggests finding the seller through your card statement if the confirmation is missing, and offers a lookup of partner contact details. Watch out on connections: flights marked Self-transfer often consist of two tickets with their own rules. If the first flight is cancelled, the second may be lost and you might have to buy again.
Paying
Both let you pay on the seller's page, not at the search engine, so each seller decides which payment methods you get. Aviasales says the seller normally emails the itinerary receipt within 3 hours. If it does not turn up, check spam and the spelling of your email address.
Service and tools
Aviasales has a help section, email support and an app that tells you when a price drops. Skyscanner sends price alerts by email once you are signed in and can list the cheapest destinations from your airport. If you want to collect points, look in the booking step at the seller for the airline's programme.
Side by side
| Point | Aviasales | Skyscanner |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Search engine, sale at the provider | Search engine, sale at partners |
| Commission per help page | none added to the price | check in the partner's booking step |
| Baggage filter | yes, baggage only | filters and notes per partner |
| Finding cheap days | calendar, green marks | month view, estimates from the last 8 days |
| Connections | symbols for long layovers | Self-transfer label |
| Cancel or change | at the seller | at the partner |
| Price alert | app notification | email, sign-in needed |
Who suits what
Aviasales is for you if you want to compare quickly, care about baggage and would like to pick up cashback through our page. Skyscanner makes a good second opinion, mostly for its partner ratings and its clear label on do-it-yourself connections.
Even when you start at Aviasales, look at who sells the ticket and read their cancellation and payment terms. A few pounds of difference is no reason to take an unclear offer. More on Aviasales is on our provider page.