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Skyscanner

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Overview

Skyscanner, founded in 2003, is a global leader in travel search, offering a comprehensive platform for comparing flights, hotels, and car rentals. The company was born out of the founders' frustration with finding affordable flights, particularly to ski resorts.

Key Features

  • Flight Search: Skyscanner's primary function is as a flight search engine, allowing users to compare prices across hundreds of airlines, airports, and travel agencies. The platform offers unique features such as 'Everywhere' search and 'Best Time to Book' to optimize travel costs.
  • Hotel and Car Rental Search: Added in 2014, these services complement the flight search, enabling users to plan comprehensive travel packages.
  • Multi-City Trips and Flexible Search: Users can plan complex itineraries and utilize flexible search options, including searching by airport, city, or country.

Technology and User Experience

  • Skyscanner is renowned for its user-friendly interface, featuring a month calendar view for identifying the cheapest travel dates.
  • The company's mobile app, available on iOS and Android, has been downloaded over 60 million times and offers the same functionality as the website.

Business Model

Skyscanner generates revenue through advertising and commissions from its partners, which include over 1,200 travel providers. The service remains free for users, with no hidden fees or charges.

Growth and Milestones

  • By 2008, Skyscanner reached one million daily users.
  • In 2009, it became a global service available in 30 languages.
  • As of 2019, the platform boasted 100 million monthly users.
  • In 2016, Skyscanner was acquired by Trip.com Group (formerly Ctrip).

Values and Operations

Skyscanner prioritizes transparency and trust, maintaining a Customer Charter and refraining from reordering search results or charging hidden fees. With offices in ten locations worldwide, including Edinburgh, Barcelona, Beijing, and Singapore, Skyscanner demonstrates its global reach and commitment to international markets.

Leadership Team

Skyscanner's leadership team comprises experienced professionals from various backgrounds in the technology and travel industries. Key members include:

Chief Executive Officer

  • John Mangelaars: Appointed in January 2021, John brings extensive experience from Microsoft and his role as CEO of Travix International.

Chief Operating Officer

  • Bryan Batista: Joining in January 2024, Bryan, formerly of Booking.com, leads teams focused on long-term strategic vision, business operations, and non-flight verticals.

Other Key Executives

  • Andrew Phillips: Chief Technology Officer
  • Stuart Middleton: Chief Commercial Officer
  • Neil Stickells: Vice President of Performance Marketing The leadership team also includes executives in various departments such as marketing, communications, and talent acquisition. This diverse group of leaders guides Skyscanner's global operations and strategic direction in the competitive travel tech industry. It's important to note that leadership information can change, and it's always best to refer to Skyscanner's official communications for the most up-to-date details on their executive team.

History

Skyscanner's journey from a simple Excel spreadsheet to a global travel search engine is marked by innovation, strategic growth, and adaptability.

Founding and Early Years (2001-2007)

  • Founded in 2001 by Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, and Bonamy Grimes
  • Website launched to the public in 2002
  • First office opened in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2004
  • Received £2.5 million funding from Scottish Equity Partners in 2007

Global Expansion (2009-2012)

  • Went global with services in 30 languages in 2009
  • Launched mobile app in 2009
  • Opened Singapore office in 2011 and Beijing office in 2012
  • Partnered with Baidu, China's largest search engine

Diversification and Growth (2011-2016)

  • Acquired Zoombu (2011) and Youbibi (2014)
  • Expanded services to include car hire (2013) and hotel searches (2014)
  • Raised $192 million in 2016, valuing the company at $1.6 billion
  • Acquired by Ctrip (now Trip.com Group) for $1.75 billion in 2016

Recent Developments (2019-Present)

  • Reached 100 million monthly users by 2019
  • Navigated challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including staff reductions
  • Introduced new tools like a live COVID-19 restrictions map
  • Continues to focus on safety, sustainability, and reliability in travel Today, Skyscanner operates in over 30 languages, partnering with more than 1,200 travel businesses. The company maintains its headquarters in Edinburgh while operating offices globally, cementing its position as a leading online travel agent.

Products & Solutions

Skyscanner, a leading global travel search company, offers a comprehensive suite of products and solutions designed to streamline travel planning and booking:

  1. Travel Search and Comparison: Skyscanner's core offering allows users to search, compare, and book flights, hotels, and car rentals from numerous travel providers. The platform is available in over 30 languages and serves more than 60 million users monthly.
  2. Direct Booking Platform: This feature enables travelers to book flights and other travel services directly through Skyscanner's website or mobile app. It supports New Distribution Capability (NDC) and other integration types, allowing airlines to retain customer details and offer ancillary services.
  3. Flight and Hotel Integration: These services allow airlines and hotels to showcase their offerings on Skyscanner, increasing exposure and conversion rates. Airlines can leverage dynamic pricing and personalization, while hotels benefit from Skyscanner's sales managers and optimized referral mechanisms.
  4. Flexible Search Options: Skyscanner offers innovative search features like 'Everywhere' search and date-flexible search, allowing users to find the cheapest destinations without specifying a particular location or date.
  5. Mobile App: With over 60 million downloads, Skyscanner's highly-rated mobile app provides the same functionalities as the website, optimized for mobile devices.
  6. NDC Integration: Skyscanner utilizes New Distribution Capability to power its booking process, enabling more personalized and dynamic offers from airlines.
  7. Additional Tools:
    • Fare Graphs for price comparison over time
    • News section with travel industry updates and tips
    • Chatbots and voice services for enhanced user experience Skyscanner's products and solutions are designed to make travel planning more accessible, transparent, and personalized, catering to the diverse needs of modern travelers.

Core Technology

Skyscanner's technological foundation is built on several key components that drive its functionality and competitive edge:

  1. Aggregation Engine and Search Technology: At the heart of Skyscanner's operations is an advanced aggregation engine that combines data from over 1200 global travel partners. This technology enables users to efficiently compare deals and find optimal travel options.
  2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): Skyscanner heavily leverages AI and ML to enhance its services. These technologies are used to anticipate user preferences, personalize search results, and optimize platform performance.
  3. Generative AI Tool: Recently introduced, the 'Dream and Discover with AI' tool, powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, provides personalized travel recommendations based on open-ended user queries. This feature enhances the discovery phase of travel planning.
  4. Cloud-Native Infrastructure: Skyscanner's IT infrastructure is built on cloud-native computing principles, utilizing Kubernetes and Amazon Web Services (AWS). This setup ensures scalability, efficiency, and effective management of complex systems.
  5. Mobile Technology: With a 'mobile first' approach, Skyscanner's app has achieved over 600 million downloads. The company has centralized its mobile monitoring and analytics using tools like New Relic to improve efficiency and reliability.
  6. Data Analytics and Observability: Advanced data analytics and observability tools are employed to monitor and improve services proactively. This approach allows Skyscanner to track performance metrics, detect issues, and debug more efficiently. These technological components collectively form the backbone of Skyscanner's operations, enabling it to provide a robust, user-friendly, and highly personalized travel search and booking experience.

Industry Peers

Skyscanner operates in the competitive online travel industry, facing several notable competitors:

  1. Expedia: A well-established online travel agency offering a wide range of services including flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. Expedia's strong brand presence and user-friendly platform pose significant competition.
  2. Kayak: Owned by Booking Holdings Inc., Kayak is a meta-search engine allowing users to search multiple travel sites simultaneously. It's known for personalized recommendations and ease of use.
  3. Google Flights: Google's travel search engine directly competes with Skyscanner in the flight search segment, leveraging Google's vast resources and user base.
  4. Hopper: An AI-powered travel booking app that helps users find the best deals on flights and hotels. Hopper has gained significant traction with its predictive pricing technology.
  5. Webjet: An Australian-based online travel agency offering flights, hotels, and travel packages, competing with Skyscanner in providing affordable travel options.
  6. Booking.com: While primarily focused on hotel bookings, Booking.com also offers flight and car rental services, making it a competitor in the broader travel booking space.
  7. Travelocity: Another comprehensive online travel agency providing services for booking flights, hotels, and car rentals.
  8. Airline Websites: Official websites of major airlines like United.com and AA.com also compete by offering direct booking services and comprehensive travel options. This diverse competitive landscape necessitates continuous innovation and improvement from Skyscanner to maintain its market position. The company must differentiate itself through unique features, user experience, and the breadth and depth of its travel offerings to stay ahead in this dynamic industry.

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