Skyscanner is expanding its travel planning platform with a range of new AI-powered features and product updates designed to help travelers save money and simplify summer vacation planning.
The travel search platform, which attracts more than 160 million users worldwide every month to compare flights, accommodations and car rentals, is introducing several beta tools alongside enhancements to existing services on its website and mobile app.
Bryan Batista, CEO of Skyscanner, said the company continues to invest in technology that helps travelers make smarter decisions in an increasingly complex travel landscape.
“For more than 20 years, innovation has been at the heart of Skyscanner’s mission,” Batista said. “We’re exploring how artificial intelligence can make every stage of the travel journey easier and more intuitive, from discovering new destinations to planning a road trip. By combining our travel expertise with the latest technology, we want to help travelers book with confidence while making trip planning an enjoyable part of the journey.”
Among the latest additions is Explore with AI, a new destination discovery tool available in beta on the Skyscanner website. Rather than entering fixed destinations and travel dates, users can search using natural language prompts such as “Help me find cheap flights to Japan in December.”
The AI-powered tool then delivers personalized recommendations based on travel preferences, comparing destinations side by side with information including airfare, weather, flight duration and destination atmosphere. It also generates insights highlighting potential savings and seasonal travel trends. The feature is currently available in English-speaking markets, with additional languages planned in future releases.
Early testing has shown strong user engagement, with 60% of travelers clicking through to view flight options generated by Explore with AI.
Skyscanner has also launched an AI Road Trip Planner, allowing travelers to build customized driving itineraries while simultaneously finding the best rental car deals.
After entering pickup location, travel dates and preferred travel style, users can choose from several AI-generated route options, including scenic drives, the fastest route, cultural discoveries, adventure itineraries or relaxing getaways. The platform then creates a personalized itinerary featuring recommended stops, attractions and points of interest while suggesting suitable rental vehicles.
More discounted fares, more accommodation properties
In addition to the AI planning tools, Skyscanner has expanded several existing services.
Its new real-time flight tracking feature now provides live updates for millions of flights, including departure and arrival information, flight status, gate assignments, terminal details and baggage claim information.
The company has also enhanced its DROPS feature, first introduced last year. Available exclusively through the Skyscanner app, DROPS now surfaces significantly more airfare deals by analyzing more than 100 billion prices and highlighting flights that have dropped at least 20% during the previous seven days. Skyscanner says travelers can now access up to 822% more discounted fare alerts each day.
The company has also expanded its accommodations offering. Previously focused primarily on hotels, the newly renamed Accommodations platform now lists more than five million properties, up from 3.5 million. Travelers can compare everything from hostels and luxury hotels to campgrounds, capsule hotels, farm stays and floating accommodations, giving users a broader range of lodging options for every travel style and budget.
