Skyscanner UX Research
Uncovering Why Users Don’t Trust Skyscanner’s Prices
2024
Skyscanner helps millions find and book flights, but users often encounter hidden fees, confusing third-party redirects, and inconsistent pricing. This breaks trust in the platform. I set out to understand what causes that distrust and how it impacts the booking experience.
As a solo researcher, I approached this as a conceptual project to sharpen my UX research skills, focusing on why users lose confidence mid-search and what could improve clarity and trust.
Where Trust Broke
Users lost trust when unexpected fees appeared mid-search and when they were redirected to unfamiliar partner sites. This disrupted the booking experience and caused hesitation and drop-offs.
Who’s Using Skyscanner
25–34-year-olds make up nearly half of users—mobile-savvy travelers who expect speed and clarity when booking.
Would Users Recommend It?
67% said yes, but others hesitated due to hidden fees and trust concerns.
Pricing Confusion Hurts Trust
60% of users said inaccurate prices made them question Skyscanner’s reliability, often leading to abandoned bookings.
Price Drives Decisions
60% of users said cost is the top factor when booking travel, reinforcing the need for clear, competitive pricing upfront.
Redirects Break Trust
Users felt uneasy when Skyscanner sent them to unfamiliar third-party sites. The shift in design and lack of transparency made them question if prices were real—leading many to abandon bookings.
What Users Said
To understand the root of trust issues, I conducted 1:1 interviews with users. Two themes stood out: frustration with third-party redirects and confusion about pricing transparency.
Redirects Hurt Credibility
Many users felt uneasy when Skyscanner redirected them to unfamiliar third-party booking sites. These platforms often looked untrustworthy, and the surprise shift in interface made users question the legitimacy of the deals. This broke the flow, and broke user trust.
Pricing Felt Misleading
Pricing was the most sensitive issue for users. Many reported discrepancies between advertised prices and final costs, sometimes only after entering all their details.
Users described this as misleading, saying it made them feel tricked about the true cost of the trip. This often led to dropped bookings at the last step.
What I’d Improve
So What Changed?
Pricing transparency was flagged as the top trust blocker
Redirect design was the #1 frustration cited in interviews
67% said they would recommend Skyscanner, but many voiced hesitation tied to hidden fees and platform trust
New Project, New Lessons
This project taught me how UX research uncovers what breaks trust, and how small breakdowns in clarity can derail the entire user journey. It sharpened my ability to ask the right questions, challenge product assumptions, and translate feedback into actionable insights before any design work begins.
