The Flight Deals You'll Never See If You Only Use One Search Tool Like Skyscanner

"Flight search tools have become so good that many travelers assume they are seeing the full picture. You type in your dates, scan a grid of prices, maybe set an alert, and feel confident that you're making a rational, informed decision. That confidence is understandable-and misplaced. Tools like Skyscanner are powerful, but they are not complete. They don't show every fare, every pricing strategy, or every booking pathway airlines use."

"Airlines sell tickets through multiple channels, each with different rules, incentives, and visibility. Some fares are intentionally restricted to specific platforms. Others are filed in ways that search engines cannot interpret or display properly. This fragmentation is not accidental. Airlines use it to control margins, manage demand, and segment customers. When you use only one search tool, you are only seeing the slice of the market that tool has access to-and that slice is incomplete."

"Some airlines intentionally withhold certain fares from large aggregators. These are often: Airlines prefer direct bookings because they avoid commission fees and gain access to customer data. As a result, they sometimes offer slightly better pricing, more flexible fare classes, or additional perks only on their own platforms. A search engine may show a competitive price-but not the version of it."

Flight search engines aggregate data from global distribution systems, direct airline feeds, and negotiated partnerships but do not capture every fare or booking path. Airlines distribute tickets through multiple channels with distinct rules, visibility, and incentives, and some fares are intentionally withheld from large aggregators. Fragmented distribution lets airlines control margins, manage demand, and segment customers. Direct bookings can avoid commissions and provide slightly better prices, more flexible fare classes, or perks that aggregators may not display. Relying on a single search tool produces an incomplete view of available deals and misses categories of fares accessible only through other channels.

Read at Wander With Jo