What is the Skyscanner API?

Skyscanner is the world's leading flight metasearch platform, owned by Trip.com Group since 2016. Unlike direct booking APIs (Amadeus, Sabre, Duffel), Skyscanner aggregates fares from thousands of airlines and OTAs into a single search interface, allowing customers to compare prices across all providers before clicking through to book.

Skyscanner's API was previously open to all developers. In recent years, they have restricted access to vetted commercial partners through a formal partnership application process. This ensures data quality, prevents scraping, and maintains the integrity of their price data. Partners must demonstrate a travel-focused business with genuine user demand.

The API is particularly valuable for travel inspiration products, where users want to explore prices across many dates and destinations without committing to a specific airline. Skyscanner's "Everywhere" search (where users search from their city to "anywhere") is uniquely powerful for discover-led travel products.

Key API Features

How to Get Access

1. 1
   Apply at partners.skyscanner.net — fill out the partner application with your website URL, expected monthly search volume, and monetisation model.
2. 2
   Wait for review — Skyscanner's partnerships team reviews applications manually. Approval can take 1–4 weeks depending on the business type and market.
3. 3
   Sign the commercial agreement — Skyscanner partners operate on a Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) or revenue-share basis. You receive a commission on bookings driven through your Skyscanner integration.
4. 4
   Receive API credentials — once approved, you receive an API key and access to Skyscanner's developer documentation.
5. 5
   Implement and go live — integrate the API using the REST endpoints and submit for Skyscanner's technical review before going live.

Sample API Call

GET https://partners.api.skyscanner.net/apiservices/v3/flights/live/search/create
Headers:
  x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY
  Content-Type: application/json

Body:
{
  "query": {
    "market": "IN",
    "locale": "en-IN",
    "currency": "INR",
    "queryLegs": [{
      "originPlaceId": {"iata": "DEL"},
      "destinationPlaceId": {"iata": "DXB"},
      "date": {"year": 2025, "month": 12, "day": 20}
    }],
    "adults": 1,
    "cabinClass": "CABIN_CLASS_ECONOMY"
  }
}

Business Model

Skyscanner does not process bookings itself — it is a metasearch engine. When a user clicks a flight result on your Skyscanner-powered page, they are redirected to the airline or OTA website to complete the booking. Skyscanner (and therefore you as a partner) earns a CPA commission when the booking is completed on the destination site.

This model means you do not handle payment processing, ticketing, or customer service for the booking — you are purely a discovery and comparison layer. This reduces operational complexity but also reduces your revenue per booking compared to a direct booking platform.

Pros & Cons