How do I set up Skyscanner price alerts for flight deals?

General
1

I’ve been searching flights on Skyscanner and keep missing the cheapest fares because prices change before I can book. I’ve heard about Skyscanner price alerts but I’m not sure where to find the option or how to set them up correctly on desktop and mobile. Can someone walk me through the exact steps and any tips to make sure I get notified of real price drops?

2

On Skyscanner it is a bit hidden, so you are not the only one missing it.

Here is how to set it up.

On desktop site:

  1. Go to Skyscanner.
  2. Search your route and dates like normal.
  3. On the results page, look near the top, usually on the left side or near the date bar.
  4. Click “Get price alerts” or a small bell icon.
  5. Log in or create an account if it asks.
  6. Confirm email alerts. You can pick email, app push, or both.

On the app:

  1. Open the Skyscanner app.
  2. Search flights and hit “Search” so you see the list of options.
  3. At the top, tap the bell icon for “Price alerts.”
  4. It will ask you to sign in if you are not.
  5. Choose notification settings in the app under Profile → Notifications.

Some tips from using it way too much:
• Set alerts for specific dates and also for “Whole month” if your dates are flexible. Whole month alerts catch cheaper days you did not look at yet.
• Start alerts at least 6–8 weeks before travel for short haul, 2–5 months for long haul. You get more data points and fewer weird spikes.
• Watch the pattern for a few days. If prices drop below your “this is fine” number, book. They jump up fast.
• Turn off old alerts. Your inbox fills up and you start ignoring them.

Typical behavior I see on popular routes:
• US to Europe economy, off season, roundtrip, alerts ping when it goes under about 500 to 600 USD from big hubs.
• Domestic US, many routes swing 30–80 USD in a week. Alerts save you from checking twice per day.

If you do not see the bell:
• Try a normal “one way” or “round trip” search first, not “Everywhere.”
• Make sure you accept cookies and are logged in.
• Try a different browser. I had Chrome hide the button once after an update, Firefox showed it fine.

Also, do not rely on alerts for super last minute deals. At 0–3 days out, prices tend to go up, not down. The alert helps more when you have some time to wait and watch.

3

@mikeappsreviewer covered the “where to click” part really well, so I’ll skip repeating that and focus on how to actually use Skyscanner alerts so they’re useful instead of just spam.

A few extra things to know:

  1. Alerts are tied to the exact search
    If you change:

    • dates
    • airports (e.g. JFK vs “New York (any)”)
    • one way vs round trip
      …you need a new alert. Skyscanner will not “auto adjust” old alerts, which is annoying but at least predictable.

  2. Use the “whole month” view before setting alerts
    I actually disagree a bit with relying on whole‑month alerts alone. They’re good for spotting cheap days, but the smarter move is:

    • First open “Whole month” and see which dates are already cheapest.
    • Then set alerts specifically on 1–3 of those “green” days.
      Whole‑month alerts can get noisy; targeted date alerts are way more actionable.

  3. Control the notification spam
    Inside your Skyscanner account:

    • Turn OFF “general offers” or “inspiration” emails if you’re only interested in a specific trip.
    • Keep only “price alerts” on.
      Otherwise you’ll end up ignoring everything, including the good alerts.

  4. Use “nearby airports” carefully
    When you search:

    • Check or uncheck “Add nearby airports” before you set the alert.
      That setting gets baked into the alert. Great if you’re cool with flying out of multiple airports, terrible if you’re not and suddenly the “deal” is from an airport 2 hours away.

  5. Combine alerts with manual checks
    Skyscanner alerts are not real‑time. Prices can:

    • Drop and disappear before Skyscanner refreshes
    • Show “lower” but be for horrible connections or baggage‑unfriendly airlines
      So I use this rule:
    • When an alert hits a price I like, I immediately re‑search the same route/dates manually to double‑check the exact flight and baggage rules before booking.

  6. Know when to ignore the alert noise
    Once you watch a route a bit, you’ll get a “normal” range in your head. Then:

    • If alerts say “Price increased by $8” or “Dropped $5” constantly, just ignore.
    • React only when it hits a new low or drops a big chunk (15–20%+).

  7. Clean up old alerts aggressively
    Price alerts can secretly live forever. Every time you finish a trip or change your plans:

    • Go to your Skyscanner account → “Price alerts” page
    • Delete anything you’re no longer considering
      If you don’t, you’ll be getting emails for a random weekend in May you thought about 3 months ago. Ask me how I know.

  8. For last‑minute, don’t rely only on alerts
    Here I’m with @mikeappsreviewer: alerts are mostly useful when you have some time. If you’re:

    • Inside 3–5 days of departure
      …I’d use Skyscanner to compare, but I’d also check airlines directly and maybe even nearby airports yourself. Alerts at that point are more “confirmation things are painful” than a real money saver.

TL;DR:
Find the bell, yes, but the real trick is: make multiple specific alerts, cut down the noise in your settings, and always verify manually before booking anything the alert gets you excited about.