Tag Archives: Skyscanner

With February being the peak time for travel planning, world leading travel site Skyscanner responds to heightened travel demand* and increasingly cost-conscious travelers**, with guidance on how to make their money go further. Comparing two key – and often shared – travel hacks: when to book & when to travel, Skyscanner is able to reveal how booking and travelling at the right time can save UAE travelers on average 349 AED for optimum booking timing and 311 AED for travelling on the cheapest day per person. Currently, the overall best time to book flights from the UAE is on average 21 weeks before departure and the cheapest day of the week to travel from the UAE is a Friday. However, the global travel site has data crunched millions of flight bookings over the last year across its most popular destinations and the results reveal this doesn’t in fact tell the whole story. Not only do these hacks change depending on the destination but also, travelers will find differing results for the same destination but a different month i.e.: From Dubai, the cheapest day of the week to travel to Doha in December is a Tuesday vs Sharjah which is a Wednesday The best time to book a flight from Dubai to London in July is 27 weeks ahead vs Abu Dhabi to London which is 23 weeks The cheapest day of the week to travel to Malé from Dubai in December is a Wednesday but in April it is a Thursday   Flight pricing algorithms have long been the source of much fascination, but this new data reveals that post-pandemic, the science behind pricing is more complex than ever. Travelers …

According to bookings on Skyscanner by UAE travellers for travel this year are up +35% compared to the corresponding week in January 2019 (*comparing redirect volumes for all economy, return flights from UAE 31/12/18 – 6/1/19 versus 2/1/23 to 8/1/23). India, UK, Pakistan, and the Philippines are among top 5 searches from UAE travellers so far. Interestingly in the UAE, Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’ search function (which orders destinations by price, highlighting the cheapest destinations for your specific travel dates) also ranks in the top destinations – indicating travellers are considering prices and being flexible about their destinations. Their latest consumer polling (2000 UAE consumers, November 2022) found 69% of people are planning on taking more trips this year, with 24% planning the same number of holidays abroad in 2023 as 2022.  Ayoub El Mamoun, Skyscanner Travel Expert shares, “We’re seeing demand for holidays is extremely high going into 2023, and bookings in the first week in January exceeded the volume during the corresponding week in 2019, pre-pandemic, by over a third (35%). This large wave of interest shows that travellers are eager to make plans, as well as continuing to make up for lost time. Skyscanner surveyed over 2000 UAE consumers in November 2022 and the responses show that people are making experiences a top priority in 2023. In the same survey it was clear that most UAE respondents are planning to travel more than they did in 2022. There are great deals for those who know how to shop around – and remaining flexible on times and destinations will ultimately bag travellers the best prices. Skyscanner’s travel hacks including calendar view, ‘Everywhere’ search, nearby airports, mix and match airlines, as well as …

New research from global travel site Skyscanner has revealed UAE holidaymakers are expecting another strong year of travel despite economic uncertainty, but price-led decision making will drive change in 2023. With 88% of UAE travellers planning to spend the same if not more on travel abroad next year, how they are going to spend will differ. The extent of these changes is revealed in Skyscanner’s detailed Travel Trends 2023 report.   Key trends to come out of the report show that UAE travellers don’t want the holiday to stop on a Monday morning, but to work where they could holiday too. UAE travellers are also craving experiences grounded in nature and wellbeing. A way to reset and feel normal again.  Expect friends to ditch each other in favour of solo adventures, sneaky smartphone travel searches in the workplace and holidaymakers navigating the cost-of-living crisis to ensure their time away remains a priority. For travel in 2023, there’s a lot we want to do differently and some bold expectations on what future travel will entail. Future gazing sees almost one in three people expecting holidays amongst the stars to be a mainstream reality in their lifetime, whilst closer to home, advances in supersonic technology could re-define short-haul travel. Naomi Hahn, VP of strategy comments: “It is clear that we’re hungrier than ever to discover something new – even though we might have less in our pockets next year. The aftermath of a pandemic has made travelers look for ways to make up for lost time and create new experiences and memories.  Consumers have become savvier to value post pandemic – the squeeze on personal spending has shown that consumers will still …

With just over a month to go until the UAE National Day holiday, with public holiday on 2 December, it’s clear that travellers are making the most of the opportunity for a long weekend break away and the chance to reconnect with family and friends.  Bookings for travel between 2 and 4 December from the UAE soared by 122% in September compared to the previous month.* Searches for travel during the UAE National Day holiday period have been increasing steadily on Skyscanner since August and have surged by 121% in the last week as travellers are really starting to plan their UAE National Day getaways.** What destinations are UAE travellers booking for the UAE National Day holiday?*** Top trending redirect (booking) country destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day: India Philippines Qatar Pakistan Egypt   Top trending redirect (booking) city destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day: Doha Manila New Delhi Mumbai Kochi   What destinations are UAE travellers searching for the UAE National Day holiday?**** Top trending search country destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day: UK Philippines India United States Thailand   Top trending search city destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day: Manila London Singapore Bangkok Dublin   Skyscanner’s Travel Expert, Ayoub El Mamoun, comments:  “As the UAE National Day holiday approaches, it’s clear that travellers are keen to make the most of their annual leave with a long weekend break away.  In fact, we’ve seen bookings increase for the UAE National Day holiday period by 122% in September with destinations including India, Qatar and the Philippines the most popular for UAE travellers looking to connect with friends and family, get away for …

With just over a month until the International football spectacle kicks off on 20 November, leading travel company Skyscanner shares a deep dive into the global appeal of Qatar highlighting: The top football nations travelling to Qatar in November and December The global increase in bookings to Qatar this year The halo effect and increase in bookings to UAE and Saudi Arabia this year Game plan to find the best travel deals on Skyscanner for those lucky enough to bag last-minute tickets The top football nations travelling to Qatar for the global football event* A deep dive into Skyscanner data reveals the UAE as the biggest origin country for football related bookings to Qatar for the duration of the football spectacle, followed by the UK and Japan.  Dubai, unveiled as the top city destination for travel to Qatar during the global event, reflects how local and international football fans are using the UAE as a travel hub en route to the event.  In fact, global bookings to the UAE during the international sporting event have increased steadily since the beginning of the year with bookings increasing in September by 114% compared to the previous month.   Top booking origin countries for travel to Qatar during this year’s sporting spectacle United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Japan South Korea Spain   Top booking origin cities for travel to Qatar during this year’s sporting spectacle Dubai London Tokyo Seoul Madrid   Qatar is rising in popularity in the global ranks** As result of the global event, Qatar is surging in popularity as a destination globally in 2022.  This is most notable for countries with teams taking part in the sporting spectacle with bookings …

As Eid-al-Adha and summer break fast approaches Skyscanner can reveal strong demand for summer travel; with Saudi bookings for travel this July and August increasing by 325% in May compared to the previous month and UAE bookings up by 156% for the same period.* In line with Eid-al-Adha holiday period, week commencing 4 July is the most popular week for travellers to depart both the UAE and Saudi Arabia this summer as travellers look to maximise the public holiday: heading off on holiday and visiting friends and family. Top trending destinations this summer:   Top trending redirect (booking) destinations for UAE travellers in summer 2022:** Manila Cairo Amman Mumbai Istanbul The top trending redirect (booking) destinations for Saudi travellers for summer 2022:*** Cairo 2. London 3. Bangkok 4. Baku 5. Hyderabad   Skyscanner’s Travel Expert, Ayoub El Mamoun, comments: “As travel restrictions have eased and traveller confidence returns, we’ve witnessed a travel revival with pent-up demand turning into millions of travellers enjoying their much longed for trips again.    “Flights to popular summer destinations don’t have to cost a fortune if you know how to search for the best prices – in fact Skyscanner helps travellers filter all the options of 1,200+ travel providers to find the best option for you.  UAE travellers can find economy return deals to holiday favourites including Manila for AED 2,181 and Istanbul from AED 1084 this July whilst Saudi travellers can find deals to Cairo from SAR 855 and London for SAR 3,648.   “Setting up price alerts on Skyscanner is a great way for travellers to be the first to know as prices drop with any additional discounts or added supply.  You can …

Skyscanner announced the trending destinations for Eid Al Fitr 2021 and the extended summer period. The research demonstrates that the time is now for travel, as MENA travellers are eager to travel safely and responsibly as soon as they can. The top searches for travellers within the UAE and Saudi Arabia during the Eid period included Cairo, Amman and Alexandria for families, whereas groups are turning their attention to Ibiza and Malaga and couples are looking to go to the Maldives, Mauritius and Santorini. For UAE travellers, staycations are still prioritized, with Abu Dhabi, Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah proving popular. According to Skyscanner’s recent travel trends report – ‘Skyscanner Horizons – The Return of Travel’ – that revealed the top trending destinations globally, Dubai was ranked the 4th most popular destination, likely driven by travellers looking for a holiday, as well as wanting to reunite with friends and family to celebrate Eid. The comprehensive report also highlights that travellers are making their holidays count, as the global average trip length is 16 days in 2021 – two days higher in comparison to 2019 averages. This is a result of shorter journey times as travellers opt for trips that are closer to home, particularly from June to September, with longer trips in October 2021. In 2019, the average journey time from June to October was 11 hours. This has fallen to 10 hours in 2021. Ayoub El Mamoun, Global Travel Expert at Skyscanner shares his tips on how to bag a good last-minute deal and plan ahead for future travels, “Safe and responsible travel remains a key topic for MENA consumers and with travel beginning to re-open across the region, …

Skyscanner announced the launch of the Arabic language on desktop and mobile web. In an effort to offer travellers in the Middle East a more localised and user-friendly experience, Skyscanner has rolled out the Arabic language offering across all domains, including UAE and Saudi Arabia. Travellers visiting Skyscanner on desktop, mobile web or via the app will now be able to select Arabic as a language option to access more localised content, including local currency and a better user experience when linking to partner sites to complete their travel bookings. According to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Reed Exhibitions, ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2021, the money that Middle East travellers spend on international leisure travel will begin to exceed 2019 levels in as little as three years. “We’re pleased to be able to offer travellers in the Middle East a far more relevant experience on desktop, allowing them to plan and book travel in their local language and currency,” said Gavin Harris, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Skyscanner. “Arabic is one of the 5th most spoken languages in the world and outbound travel from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia accounts for a significant proportion of the total travel market. We previously launched the Skyscanner app in Arabic to great success, so it was a logical next step to bring the localised experience to desktop users too. We’re excited about the opportunity this will afford our partners in the region as well.”