Skyscanner - safe to buy tickets???

Sometimes Skyscanner doesn't update its prices on the fly, so when you actually try to book that fare, they would update the value (well before you enter any CC info, though).

This is actually quite common with travel websites, not just with Skyscanner. Off the top of my head, I can think of seeing this regularly on Kayak and Orbitz – a good fare isn't really available once you start clicking through to purchase. It wastes a lot of time and, obviously, isn't all that helpful for purchasing IMHO. Personally, I use Kayak to get a sense (directionally speaking) for which airlines have better fares right now (compared to one another). I'll then validate what I'm seeing with the airline websites. When it's time to buy, I always buy directly from the airline. Several years ago, the airline sites typically had higher fares, but that's not the case these days. And there are other advantages to booking directly with the airline, such as getting e-mail notification when an itinerary changes. I've seen several complaints here over the last year or so where folks booked somewhere else, the itinerary was changed by the airline, and they were unaware until they arrived at the airfield. I personally experienced more itinerary changes last year than I ever had in the past for some reason, so it does happen (could be time change, equipment change, code share partner change, or anything really). My advice is to book with the airline.

thanks for your input. I was just wondering why the airline site would be so much more - 23% +-.
Barb

You don't purchase tickets from skyscanner. You find prices on skyscanner, which then sends you to an external site to buy the tickets directly from the airline. It's just like Kayak. As for the price difference, it's just because the price that you saw was old and no longer available. Airline prices can change by the minute. What Rick is warning against is sites like Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity. Those sites act as a travel agent, which means that ultimately they (basicaly) own your ticket.

Thanks. I'll just keep checking the website. Barb