5 mobile apps in Asia that give users access to cheap flights

Asian consumers are now trusting online booking as a means to purchase transportation tickets and hotel accommodation. Attesting to this is the huge boom in startups and companies that offer online booking. But somehow, providing a web-based booking solution won’t be enough for Asian consumers. These people are now relying on their smartphones to do daily tasks and transactions, and they expect to do more with their smartphones.

Competition is getting tighter in this space, with budget airlines joining the battle as well. So the apps need to shine and the prices have to be right. Let’s take a look at five noteworthy flight booking mobile apps that you could find useful in Asia, all of which give people access to cheap fares:

Ctrip

Ctrip is the leading player in China’s online travel agency segment. In 2012 it released globally-oriented mobile apps for both iOS and Android (in addition to the Chinese apps it has had for ages). According to Ctrip’s 2013 second quarter financial report, its mobile apps are now increasingly contributing to its revenue growth. 15 percent of its total air ticket bookings are now done through the mobile app.

Through the Ctrip’s mobile app, users can book flights up to six months in advance. The app also shows if there are already limited tickets left for a specific flight. But only tickets for adults can be booked through the flight, and users still need to call the airline’s hotline for bookings of tickets for children.

Ctrip can be used globally for domestic flights within mainland China and international flights out of China.

Skyscanner

Scotland-based Skyscanner offers a similar flight search platform and launched its mobile app in 2011. Skyscanner has since reported 400 percent in mobile usage the the past year.

Its mobile app shows a graph-like results page detailing available dates and price ranges. From there, users can simply select their desired price points and available flights, which leads to different airlines showing up on-screen. It has filters where users can choose the preferred airline, opt for a flight with or without stops, designate a preferred duration of the flight, and the time of departure and arrival.

As of March, the app has already reached 20 million downloads globally, with Asian countries like Korea, Japan, and India making up large sections of its usage. We also noted last year that Skyscanner is also gaining momentum in China with its partnership with Baidu. UPDATE: Skyscanner is also visible in Asia with its APAC headquarters in Singapore, and office in Beijing.

Skyscanner dubs itself as “the everywhere search” as it provides all available flights globally.

Skyscanner is available for both iOS and Android.

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