Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Skyscanner Flights & Travel vs Booking.com

Skyscanner Flights & Travel 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner Booking.com
Booking.com 4.8★ · Free to download 75

Booking.com is the better choice for booking accommodations due to its generally reliable service and user-friendly interface, while Skyscanner is better for finding flight deals despite its recent technical issues and problems with third-party vendors.

Full reviews: Skyscanner Flights & Travel · Booking.com

Skyscanner excels at finding flight deals, but users report frequent app freezing, misleading prices, and issues with scam third-party vendors. Booking.com is a strong contender for accommodations, praised for ease of use and good customer service, though some users experience issues with hidden fees, unreliable car services, and occasional booking cancellations.

Head to head

Features and Search Capabilities tieR2R3R6R9
Skyscanner Flights & Travel Skyscanner is praised for connecting users to many options for flights and accommodations, and for its timely price updates and trends R2. However, recent updates have removed popular features like the map view and continent filters R3R6. Users also desire more filtering options, such as connection time and the ability to view whole months for flexible dates R9. Some users feel it doesn't show all available flight companies or options .
Booking.com Booking.com is lauded for finding various options for stays and for its user-friendly interface . Users appreciate features like free cancellation and payment flexibility R65. However, some users wish for improved list management for properties across regions . The app also has limitations for booking attractions .
Ease of Use edge: Booking.comR14R15R20R22
Skyscanner Flights & Travel Skyscanner is generally considered easy to access and use, especially for first-time users R14R20. However, many recent reviews report significant usability issues, including the app freezing constantly, the back button not working, and difficulty selecting destinations or applying filters R15R22. Some find the website easier to navigate than the app .
Booking.com Booking.com is widely praised for being user-friendly and easy to navigate, especially for finding and canceling reservations . Users describe it as simple and intuitive .
Reliability and Accuracy tieR4R5R11R13
Skyscanner Flights & Travel Skyscanner is often praised for finding cheap and accurate flight prices R5R11R17. However, a significant number of users report a 'bait and switch' where prices double or change when clicking on a flight, or when finalizing a booking R4. Some users also find the app unreliable for tracking direct flights or finding the best deals compared to other apps R13.
Booking.com Booking.com is generally seen as reliable for finding accommodations . However, some users report issues with prices changing during booking , or being charged in foreign currency despite prices shown in USD . There are also reports of confirmed bookings being canceled by hosts, sometimes on the day of arrival .
Price/Value edge: Skyscanner Flights & TravelR4R11R17R20
Skyscanner Flights & Travel Skyscanner is frequently praised for helping users find the cheapest flights and best deals, making travel more accessible R11R17R20. However, some users report that the initial prices shown are not always the final prices, with costs doubling or changing at checkout R4.
Booking.com Booking.com is appreciated for offering good rates and allowing applicable discounts R62. However, users frequently report hidden fees, such as additional charges for pets not disclosed upfront, or car rental insurance that is not honored by the actual rental company R66R73. There are also complaints about foreign transaction fees when prices were displayed in USD .
Customer Support and Third-Party Issues tieR1R10R52R61
Skyscanner Flights & Travel Skyscanner users report significant issues with third-party vendors listed on the platform, including scam websites, companies canceling flights without consent, and unhelpful customer support when trying to resolve these issues R1R10R52. Users also struggle to submit complaints or get assistance through Skyscanner's own help features R1.
Booking.com Booking.com's customer service receives mixed reviews. Some users praise it as very good and responsive to problems . However, many others report terrible, rude, or unhelpful customer service, especially when trying to cancel or modify reservations, or when dealing with issues like fake listings or double bookings R61R64R67R76. There are also reports of Booking.com collaborating with unreliable car services .
Pick Skyscanner Flights & Travel if

you are primarily looking for flight deals and are willing to navigate potential app glitches and carefully vet third-party vendors R2R5R11R17.

Pick Booking.com if

you need to book accommodations and prefer a generally user-friendly app with good cancellation policies, and are prepared to double-check final prices and third-party services R65.

Evidence note: Skyscanner's recent reviews show a strong negative trend regarding app stability and third-party vendor reliability, contrasting with its high lifetime rating. Booking.com also has a high lifetime rating, but recent reviews highlight recurring issues with customer service, hidden fees, and booking reliability.

Frequently asked

Does Skyscanner reliably find the cheapest flights?
Skyscanner is often praised for finding good and accurate flight prices, with many users reporting it helps them find the cheapest deals R5R11R17. However, some users experience a 'bait and switch' where prices shown initially double or change when they click through or attempt to book R4.
Is Booking.com transparent about all costs?
Booking.com is generally transparent about the total price and allows for discounts R62R65. However, users frequently report hidden fees, such as undisclosed pet charges at hotels or car rental 'insurance' that is not honored by the actual rental company R66R73. There are also complaints about unexpected foreign transaction fees when prices were displayed in US dollars .
Are there issues with third-party bookings on Skyscanner?
Yes, Skyscanner users report significant problems with third-party websites and companies listed on its platform, including scam websites like 'SKY TOURS' and 'Budget Air' that cancel flights without consent or provide invalid confirmation numbers R1R10R52. Users also find it difficult to get support from Skyscanner when these issues arise R1.
How is Booking.com's customer service?
Booking.com's customer service receives mixed reviews; some users find it very good and helpful , while many others describe it as terrible, rude, and unhelpful, especially when trying to cancel or modify reservations or resolve issues like fake listings or double bookings R61R64R67R76.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 5/5 · US Great App: I recently discovered Skyscanner while planning a trip to Europe. I love that it connects you to so many options for flights, accommodations, tours, etc. and all your confirmation info, pin #, receipts, correspondence, etc., is all in one spot.
  2. [R3] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 3/5 · US No map; no good: In the past, I felt like the Map feature was one of the best to give a good visual - now it’s gone. So am I.
  3. [R6] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 3/5 · US Very basic, use Google Flights for long term flight tracking!: It’s great for last minute bookings, also used Skiplagged for last minute flight booking. There used to be the filter for choosing different continents, well they got rid of that which is a bummer. However there algorithms for flight prices has been more accurate. Unfortunately, for long term flight tracking details I’d recommend Googl
  4. [R9] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 3/5 · US Awful release notes: No new features. I still can’t filter by connection time.
  5. [R14] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 5/5 · US Excelentes: Primera vez q la uso y me pareció fácil su acceso y los precios no son los más altos ni los más baratos, tienen un precio módico oh intermedio
  6. [R15] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 3/5 · US Very unpredictable app as far as usability: Skyscanner sometimes works great, but whether you will really be able to search what you’re looking for is a toss up. The app sometimes will changes requested dates, or flip from one way to round trip, despite multiple attempts to change the desired filters. I thought this was only on my iPhone but on desktop it’s even worse. I hope whatever glitches are
  7. [R20] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 5/5 · US 1st time user: It was a great experience and very good price, gonna do this again. Love it
  8. [R22] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 1/5 · US Keeps freezing: I don’t typically take the time to leave a review, but I’ve honestly been so annoyed by this app that I feel it’s only justified. Every time I try to use this freaking app it freezes on me and then I have to delete it and reload it. the website may be good. The app is a giant piece of garbage.
  9. [R4] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 2/5 · US Usually great, but some frustrating caveats: I’ve found great airfare with Skyscanner before, but a frustrating issue I run into is the fares shown in the search look very promising, but when I click on that flight, all of a sudden the price of fares doubles. It’s very annoying and feels like a bait and switch.
  10. [R5] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 5/5 · US Good and accurate information: I’m
  11. [R11] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 5/5 · US Orlando trip: So convenient and the price was the cheapest.. I highly recommend…
  12. [R13] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 2/5 · US Not Reliable: This app no longer collects the best deals in flights. There are other search apps that is now better than this. Deleted the app. Better flight deals show on other search apps that doesnt show on here. Used to be a very reliable app.
  13. [R17] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 5/5 · US Good deals: Helps find the best deals!
  14. [R1] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 1/5 · US SCAM WEBSITE: Skyscanner lets scam third party websites onto the platform I just got scammed and when I tried to write sky scanner the skyscmner “help “ part of the website made it IMPOSSIBLE to send my complaint…Skyscanner platform wouldn’t let me send the 4 pieces of proof showing how the website Skyscanner sent me to, SKY TOURS, and this I was SCAMMED. Btw SKYTOURS, three phone numbers, all fa
  15. [R10] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 1/5 · US DO NOT TRUST BUDGET AIR: I booked through SkyScanner and unfortunately, they include Budget Air which is a scam company. Look up their reviews. All one stars. I reached out to support and told them not to reach out to Budget Air, and they did the exact opposite. I hardly write reviews, but this is crazy. I booked through Budget Air, only to find out they canceled my flight without my consent the s
  16. [R52] Skyscanner Flights & Travel 1/5 · US Bad airline ticket sources - GO TO GATE: Skyscanner does not authenticate their airline ticket sources, for instances, we selected website GO TO GATE to purchase Azul Airline ticket and GO TO GATE website NEVER issues a confirmation number for an Azul flight. Ticket counter agent needed this information for check in, GO TO GATE issues an “Order” number not valid at airline check-in.
  17. [R61] Booking.com 1/5 · US Book direct: I used Booking for years, but their customer service failed me, so I've dropped them. I have also found that booking direct with hotels gets you better service and equal or better rates. Plus, booking direct saves hotels money. Why give Booking a slice of the pie?
  18. [R62] Booking.com 5/5 · US Booking.com: I love reserving through this app. 100% transparent and allow you to add applicable discounts. Only thing I would suggest is adding military option
  19. [R65] Booking.com 5/5 · US Booking: Love how they tell you the total and also works with you on payment and free cancellation
  20. [R66] Booking.com 3/5 · US Convenient if you avoid the sinister scammy parts: If you book a vehicle, it includes “insurance.” This is Booking.com’s “service” and it entirely independent from the rental company. This “insurance” is not usually honored and requires a police report. you are essentially wasting your money and will need to buy insurance again with the actual company. Additionally, the prices they show do not inc
  21. [R73] Booking.com 1/5 · US Disappointed: I booked a hotel in Trinidad, Colorado for 122.52. This place had high reviews so that’s why I went with it. I went to quality Inn website and they were only charging $78 for the room. The hotel charged another $25 for my friend’s dog, which did not say that I would Have to pay extra. This place is filthy, and there are stains all over the carpet. This hotel I would write it a -0.
  22. [R64] Booking.com 1/5 · US Terrible customer service: I was trying to cancel a reservation, few minutes after I make that reservation, but the customer service representative keeps giving vague responses. I've made more than four calls, yet the cancellation hasn't been successful.
  23. [R67] Booking.com 1/5 · US SCAM: Do not ever book anything through this platform, there are fake listings. Then when you book these fake listings booking.com offers 0 help or support and essentially sides with the fake listings. I had my debit and credit card information stipple , the place I booked literally does not exist. They never responded to any request or messages prior to me finding out it’s a scam and booking.com
  24. [R76] Booking.com 1/5 · US Booking process: The process is not user friendly and to modify your stay is a complete disaster. Trying to speak to an actual agent is a nightmare

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store