Aviasales Review 2026: The Flight Engine Western Travelers Sleep On
Aviasales Review 2026: The Flight Engine Western Travelers Sleep On
Most travelers in Western Europe and the US have never heard of Aviasales. It is one of the largest flight search engines in the world, but the brand recognition outside of Russian speaking markets is low. That is also why the prices on certain routes still beat the bigger Western flight engines. After running real bookings through Aviasales over a couple of years, this is the honest review.
The Short Answer
Aviasales is the sister brand of WayAway and part of the Travelpayouts ecosystem. The flight search is broad and the prices on Eastern European, Central Asian and some Asian routes often beat Skyscanner by 10 to 20 percent. The interface is functional rather than pretty. For nomads who travel to Eastern Europe, the Caucasus or Central Asia, Aviasales is worth checking on every booking. For pure Western Europe or North America routes, the savings are smaller.
What Aviasales Is
Aviasales launched in 2007 and grew into one of the largest meta searches for flights, especially across Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The platform compares prices across hundreds of airlines and OTAs, similar to Skyscanner, and redirects you to the seller to complete the booking.
The strong regional coverage means it surfaces local Eastern European OTAs and smaller carriers that Western platforms miss. For routes touching countries like Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus or Russia, the inventory is deeper than what you see on Skyscanner.
Where Aviasales Wins
Three real strengths after testing across many routes.
First, Eastern European routes. A flight from Tbilisi to Yerevan, or Almaty to Tashkent, often shows on Aviasales at prices Skyscanner does not match. The regional carriers (Azimuth, S7, FlyArystan, SCAT) sell directly through Aviasales.
Second, the calendar view is clean. Similar to Skyscanner Whole Month, you see prices across a month at a glance. The UI is slightly less polished but the data is solid.
Third, the price tracking. Aviasales lets you set alerts on routes and emails you when prices drop. The notifications are timely and the routes covered include all the niche regional ones.
Where Aviasales Falls Short
Three honest downsides.
First, the interface is older. Compared to Google Flights or even Skyscanner, the UX is a step behind. After a few uses you adapt, but the first session feels clunky.
Second, customer support is in Russian first, with English support available but slower. For a routine booking this does not matter (the booking happens on the third party site). For complex issues it can be a friction.
Third, brand recognition. If you mention Aviasales to a US or Western European travel agent, they often have not heard of it. This affects nothing about the actual booking experience but can feel disorienting if you are used to brand reassurance.
Real Price Comparison
Sample routes I priced on Aviasales vs Skyscanner over the past months:
| Route | Aviasales | Skyscanner | Aviasales Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi to Istanbul (one way) | 78 EUR | 92 EUR | 15% |
| Almaty to Tashkent (one way) | 89 EUR | 114 EUR | 22% |
| Yerevan to Moscow (one way) | 134 EUR | 156 EUR | 14% |
| Belgrade to Sofia (one way) | 56 EUR | 61 EUR | 8% |
| Lisbon to Tbilisi (round trip) | 340 EUR | 358 EUR | 5% |
| Amsterdam to Bangkok (round trip) | 610 EUR | 598 EUR | -2% |
The pattern. The further East you go, the more Aviasales wins. Pure Western routes are roughly equal between the two.
Aviasales vs WayAway
These are sister brands from the same company. The key differences:
| Feature | Aviasales | WayAway |
|---|---|---|
| Primary market | Russia, Eastern Europe | Global with cashback |
| Cashback | Limited | 1-10% on every booking |
| Interface | Functional, older | Cleaner, modern |
| Strong on | Regional Eastern routes | All routes with cashback |
| Best for | Eastern Europe nomads | Cashback collectors |
For most Western nomads, WayAway is the better default. Aviasales is the right tool when you are booking routes that touch Eastern Europe, Russia or Central Asia.
How To Use Aviasales
The workflow that works:
- Open Aviasales when your route involves Eastern Europe, the Caucasus or Central Asia
- Use the calendar view to find the cheapest day
- Compare the result to Skyscanner and WayAway
- Book through whichever shows the lowest total including baggage
For pure Western routes, you can skip Aviasales unless you happen to be already searching. The price difference is usually marginal.
The Hidden Use Case: Central Asia
The one area where Aviasales is non negotiable is Central Asia travel. The Stans (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) are growing as nomad destinations. Tashkent, Almaty and Bishkek are increasingly on the nomad map. The regional carriers serving these routes (FlyArystan, Air Astana, Uzbekistan Airways) have their best inventory on Aviasales.
For Western nomads exploring Central Asia, Aviasales saves real money on every leg.
Affiliate Side
For affiliate marketers, Aviasales runs through Travelpayouts. Commission is 1.6 percent of the booking value, paid as cash to your Travelpayouts account. The conversion rate is solid because the prices are competitive. For nomad blogs covering Eastern Europe or Central Asia travel, Aviasales is one of the higher converting flight affiliates in that niche.
Who Should Use Aviasales
You should use Aviasales if:
- You travel routes touching Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus or Central Asia
- You want broader inventory than Western platforms show
- You are comfortable with a slightly older interface
- You want a second opinion on flight prices for any route
You should skip Aviasales if:
- You only fly Western European or North American routes
- You strongly prefer modern polished UIs
- You already use WayAway and want cashback on every booking
Final Take
Aviasales is the underrated flight engine that Western travelers sleep on. For routes touching Eastern Europe and Central Asia, it earns its place in the search rotation. For other routes, it is a reasonable backup but not the leader.
Keep it bookmarked. Open it when your itinerary heads East. Save real money on the regional legs that Western platforms either price higher or do not show at all.
For the rest of the flight search system, see my WayAway review, Skyscanner deep review, and Kiwi.com review.
FAQ
Is Aviasales safe to book through?
Yes. Aviasales is a comparison engine, not a seller. Bookings happen on the third party airline or OTA shown in the results. The platform has been operating since 2007 and is part of the same group as WayAway.
Is Aviasales the same as WayAway?
Same parent company but different brands. Aviasales is more focused on the Russian and Eastern European market. WayAway is the global brand with cashback on every booking.
Can I book Western European flights on Aviasales?
Yes. Aviasales covers global routes. The strongest savings tend to be on Eastern routes, but the platform works for any flight search worldwide.
Does Aviasales have cashback like WayAway?
Limited compared to WayAway. The cashback program is smaller and only applies to certain partner bookings. For active cashback collectors, WayAway is the better tool.
Is the Aviasales website in English?
Yes, the platform supports English along with many other languages. Customer support is available in English though response times can be slower than for Russian speakers.
