Doc Holiday: Is Skyscanner safe for booking flights?

Everyone wants the best deal on their holiday - but are all the airlines and booking sites that turn up bargains on Skyscanner really trustworthy? Here's what to check before you book.

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

How do I know the companies that come up on Skyscanner are trustworthy?

I’ve long been a huge fan of Skyscanner and use it to book most of my personal travel, but I tend to stick with travel providers I know and trust, even if I have to pay a little more. This means saying yes to airlines and vendors familiar to most Australians and “no thanks” to those that sound like flying wheelbarrows and/or have poor reviews from other travellers.

Your question had me intrigued, though, so I put it to Skyscanner Australia travel expert, Jarrod Kris, who explained the importance of their Quality Rating Score.

“To ensure (Skyscanner) users have the best understanding of an airline or travel provider’s trustworthiness, Skyscanner has a Quality Rating Score next to each option,” he said.

“The rating is impartial and calculated via users’ feedback on their experience, to provide travellers with an accurate reflection of what other travellers think about each provider.”

The feedback and criteria pulled from users to gather these Quality Rating Scores includes price accuracy and fee transparency, flight availability, website usability, refund and exchange policy, customer service and post-booking experience, he added.

Zero in on this score, but don’t be afraid to conduct further research. Compare reviews on sites such as Tripadvisor, Trustpilot and ProductReview to get a good gauge on whether to proceed or not, and remember, following your gut instincts also counts for a lot.

Originally published as Doc Holiday: Is Skyscanner safe for booking flights?