Skip to main content

How We Handle Price Rounding and Sorting?

Updated

This article summarises our standard approach to rounding and ranking ticket prices.

What Does "Ranked Higher" or "Lower" Mean?

In the context of Skyscanner's search results, "ranked higher" means the option appears closer to the top of the results list that users see. Conversely, "ranked lower" means the option appears further down the list.

 

Do We Display Decimals?

No, we do not display decimal values in ticket prices.
All prices are rounded up to the nearest whole unit. For example:

  • A price of £10.10 will be displayed as £11
  • A price of £99.01 will be displayed as £100

This rounding-up logic is applied consistently across all markets, ensuring a uniform user experience globally.

 

Do Decimals Affect Ranking?

No, decimal values do not influence our ranking directly.
Our system sorts results based on the rounded-up price and other ranking criteria such as the Partner Quality Score (PQS). This means that the raw decimal component is not considered in sorting and reflects the impact on the traveller-facing experience.

 

How are prices ranked/sorted?

The key ranking criteria are applied in the following order:

1. Sort by Price

  • Options with lower actual prices are ranked higher.
  • Prices of £0 are considered unpriced and ranked lower than any priced option.

2. Sort by Partner Quality Score (PQS)

  • If prices are equal, options with higher PQS are ranked higher.

3. Sort by Pricing Option Fare

Pricing options are ranked higher based on their fare attributes. The following criteria are checked for the pricing option in order:

  1. Pricing option has a fare defined
  2. Includes the highest number of included items
  3. Includes the most cabin bags
  4. Includes the most checked bags
  5. Includes the most fee-based items
  6. Has the most fare attributes defined overall

 

Example:

Let’s say we have the following prices and quality scores:

  • £100.13 (PQS: 3 ⭐)
  • £100.55 (PQS: 4 ⭐)
  • £101.90 (PQS: 4 ⭐)

After rounding:

  • £100.13 → £101
  • £100.55 → £101
  • £101.90 → £102

Sorted display:

  1. £101 (PQS: 4 ⭐)
  2. £101 (PQS: 3 ⭐)
  3. £102 (PQS: 4 ⭐)

As illustrated, items with the same rounded price are then ordered by their quality score, ensuring fairness and consistency.

Note: This article outlines the main factors that influence ranking. The full logic also includes platform-level considerations designed to optimise relevance and user experience.

 

Still Have Questions?

If you have further questions about price handling, sorting, or integration behaviour, please reach out to your partner support contact.

Related articles