travel & leisure
travel & leisure
Car rental mobile application
for Skyscanner
Development of a mobile channel for a 100-million-user app
In the past, travel planning and booking used to be a tedious, time-consuming process that required visiting physical locations. However, with the emergence of mobile devices and technology, the travel industry has undergone a significant transformation. Dedicated applications like Skyscanner Car Rental introduced real-time information, seamless online bookings, and a higher level of convenience and personalisation.
Skyscanner’s Car Rental app, created in cooperation with Miquido, allows tourists to manage their car rentals more easily. The app is available for iOS and Android, making it possible for users to search for car rental offers across the globe in just a few seconds. Car Rental provides special filters such as location, vehicle type, fuel type, and vehicle purpose, enabling users to choose the best offer in 30,000 airports and cities.
Some time ago, Skyscanner integrated the solution provided by Miquido as one of their three modules in their all-in-one travel app, which offers flight, hotel, and car rental booking functions. Our contribution enabled the travel industry giant to expand its mobile channel, attracting over 1 million new users and achieving an outstanding base of over 100 million people worldwide.
1 mln
new users
30,000
airports and cities involved
100 mln
Skyscanner app users
Challenges
Immature mobile channel
Skyscanner has always been focused on staying ahead of the curve by adapting to consumers’ evolving behaviour. The company recognised the significance of embracing the mobile revolution early on to achieve this goal. As a result, Skyscanner developed three complementary mobile applications for booking flights, hotels, and car rentals. Miquido was given the responsibility of building the Car Rental mobile app. The app was intended not only to expand Skyscanner’s services but also to establish a new channel to reach users and to serve as a testing ground for mobile technologies.
Low car rental module conversion
Prior to partnering with Miquido, Skyscanner had developed an initial version of a car rental application. However, the app faced the typical problems of first-generation mobile applications, such as poor user interface optimisation for smaller screens, leading to clunky and non-intuitive navigation, limited functionality, and slow performance. These issues led to user frustration, which hindered engagement. Skyscanner aimed to monetise its product effectively and improve the conversion rate of the car rental module to ensure stable profits.
Difficult maintenance and scaling
A leader in the travel industry required assistance with their outdated Car Rental application, which was built using old app development frameworks and tools. Skyscanner needed to update the application with new mobile technologies to enhance its functionality, improve its visual appeal, and make it more user-friendly. The implementation of new technologies was expected to increase the number of conversions and ultimately boost profits from the mobile application.
Solutions
Adoption of new mobile technologies
Our mobile development team updated the Skyscanner app using Java for Android and Objective-C for iOS. Miquido developers integrated new frameworks and tools to improve the user experience and added innovative features that made Skyscanner Car Rental unique in the market.
One of the most significant features that led to the app’s success was the integration of mapping technologies. The Android app utilised the Google Maps API, while the iOS version used the MapKit framework, seamlessly integrated with Apple Maps. By implementing this feature, users could easily explore rental locations, view nearby points of interest, and quickly pick up and drop off rental cars from any place.
Features that increase user engagement
Miquido played an essential role in improving the Skyscanner mobile app’s functionality, making it more competitive. We developed a search feature for rental offers based on the user’s location. Additionally, we introduced the ability to compare and filter rental cars based on fuel policy, mileage, provider rating, flexible booking, cleanliness, or customer service. These features made it possible for users to receive personalised, high-quality services.
During the next stage of the project, we introduced a module that allows users to book rental cars easily from companies across more than 30,000 locations. The module recommends the best offers in an easy-to-read and user-friendly format. Additionally, we added a last-minute feature that allows users to rent vehicles at a great price. These improvements have supported Skyscanner in delivering personalised and high-quality services that meet users’ needs and preferences.
Services & tech stack
iOS development
Android development
User research
QA
Results
New, effective mobile channel
Skyscanner’s three-year partnership with Miquido was crucial in the company’s digital acceleration. Initially, Skyscanner started as a website that compares flight prices on the browser. Gradually, the company expanded its services to include hotel booking and car rental functions, first on the web and later on mobile devices. Eventually, Skyscanner combined all three functionalities into one comprehensive mobile app. Miquido’s contribution to the development of the Car Rental application, which is highly popular among users, has helped Skyscanner establish a stable mobile channel, making it a giant in the travel industry.
1 million new users
Skyscanner’s Car Rental app became more competitive and fostered customer loyalty and satisfaction by introducing personalised search options, flexible booking, and last-minute deals. As a result, the app attracted over 1 million new users, expanding its mobile channel and achieving an impressive user base of 100 million worldwide. The improved functionality and user-friendly interface contributed to enhanced customer retention and increased profits, marking a pivotal milestone in Skyscanner’s position as a leader in the travel industry.
