Aviasales
Aviasales is a flight metasearch engine comparing airfares across hundreds of airlines and OTAs for 18+ million monthly users in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and CIS. Revenue comes from affiliate commissions and the Travelpayouts network with 600K+ webmasters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersPhuket, Thailand
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Aviasales does
Aviasales is a flight metasearch engine founded in 2007 that compares airfares across hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs), serving 18+ million monthly users primarily across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and CIS markets. The core platform — accessible via aviasales.com and native iOS/Android apps — aggregates flight options, applies user-defined filters (layovers, times, baggage, price), and redirects users to partner airlines or OTAs to complete bookings. The service is free to consumers with no markup on displayed prices, and the company monetizes primarily through affiliate commissions averaging 1.1-1.3% of ticket value. Travelpayouts, a wholly-owned subsidiary, operates an affiliate network with 600K+ webmasters and 90+ partner programs globally, distributing traffic and paying out 40% revenue share to partners.
The product portfolio has expanded beyond flight metasearch to include hotels (via Booking.com integration), Aviasales More (a subscription offering cashback, exclusive content, and premium support), Aviasales for Business (B2B corporate travel management at B2C-level pricing), Aviastats (a business intelligence service for travel industry data), and "In a Nutshell" (curated travel maps for 100 cities built with local experts). Underlying technology centers on a metasearch engine with proprietary search, filtering, and partner integration infrastructure, supplemented by mobile apps with price drop notifications. The platform supports an API and White Label program enabling partners to embed Aviasales functionality.
Commercially, Aviasales runs a dual go-to-market: product-led growth for consumers driven by organic SEO, content marketing, social channels (Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, Threads), and the Travelpayouts distribution network; and sales-led motion for the Aviasales for Business corporate offering. The legal entity is Giant Travel Unicorn Two Limited, a Hong Kong corporation, with operational offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, and Phuket under a permanent remote-first policy adopted in 2020. The company has raised approximately $53M total across a 2014 round from iTech Capital and a 2021 $43M round co-led by Elbrus Capital Funds and iTech Capital, and reports over $1.6B in gross merchandise sales volume.
Aviasales firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aviasales
- Legal name
- Giant Travel Unicorn Two Limited
- Website
- https://aviasales.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Aviasales is a flight metasearch engine comparing airfares across hundreds of airlines and OTAs for 18+ million monthly users in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and CIS. Revenue comes from affiliate commissions and the Travelpayouts network with 600K+ webmasters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aviasales industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Metasearch
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flights Metasearch & Airfare Comparison (THALAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Metasearch & Fare/Rate Comparison Engines (THAKAAAD), Enterprise OBTs (Complex Policy, Multi-Entity, Global) (THACABAC)
Keywords
Where Aviasales is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phuket
- HQ country
- Thailand
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Aviasales business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate/Referral Revenue: Aviasales earns commissions when users are redirected to partner airlines and agencies and complete bookings. The company operates the Travelpayouts affiliate network with 40% revenue share for partners. Average commission per ticket is 1.1-1.3% of ticket value.
- Advertising: The company displays third-party advertisements and earns revenue from ad displays on the platform.
- Travelpayouts Affiliate Network: The company operates Travelpayouts, an affiliate network with 600K+ webmasters promoting travel services globally. Revenue comes from affiliate commissions on bookings made through partner referrals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Aviasales More Premium Subscription |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Travelpayouts Affiliate Commission |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Aviasales product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aviasales is a flight and travel metasearch engine that compares prices and availability across hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies, then redirects users to partner sites to complete bookings. The platform is free for consumers, monetizes through affiliate commissions, advertising, and the Aviasales More subscription, and extends distribution through the Travelpayouts affiliate network and an Aviasales for Business corporate travel product.
Product overview
Aviasales operates as a travel metasearch platform comprising multiple interconnected products: the core flight search engine (aviasales.com) enables users to compare and book flights by redirecting to partner airlines and agencies; the hotel search service extends this to accommodation booking via Booking.com integration; Aviasales More is a subscription service adding cashback, exclusive travel content, and premium support; Aviasales for Business (B2B) provides corporate travel management with B2C-level pricing for companies; Aviastats offers business intelligence and analytics for industry insights; In a Nutshell provides travel guides for 100+ cities with local expert insights; and the Travelpayouts affiliate network enables partners to monetize travel traffic through APIs and White Label tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Aviasales (Core Flight Metasearch Platform) Flight metasearch engine that compares ticket prices and availability across hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies, applies user filters, and redirects to partner sites for booking. Free for consumers; revenue is generated via affiliate commissions on redirected bookings and advertising.
- Aviasales Hotels Hotel search and booking service integrated with Booking.com, allowing travelers to search and reserve accommodation alongside flight search within the Aviasales platform.
- Aviasales More Monthly premium subscription offering cashback on travel services booked through Aviasales, exclusive travel content, and premium customer support for frequent travelers.
- Aviasales for Business Corporate travel management platform that lets companies compare airfares across multiple providers at consumer-level pricing, alongside hotels, rail tickets, transfers, and additional business travel services.
- Aviastats Business intelligence service that provides data and analytics on travel industry trends, enabling informed decision-making for partners, OTAs, and other industry stakeholders.
- In a Nutshell Travel Map Digital travel map product covering 100 cities worldwide, created with local travel experts to give travelers a fast, visual overview of destinations.
- Travelpayouts Affiliate Network Affiliate network platform that enables bloggers, website owners, and partners to monetize travel traffic using Aviasales APIs, white-label solutions, widgets, search forms, banners, and branded URLs, with 40% revenue share and a 30-day attribution window.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $1.6 billion in gross merchandise sales volume in 2021
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Aviasales
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aviasales technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature6 records
Aviasales partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TravelpayoutscoreTravelpayouts is the affiliate network operated by Aviasales, connecting 600K+ webmasters with travel offers. The network spans Russia, Europe, US, India, Arab countries, and CIS nations, with 90+ partner programs. Webmasters earn 40% revenue share on bookings made through their referrals.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Aviasales competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skyscanner: Skyscanner is a global flight and travel metasearch engine that aggregates airfare, hotel, and car rental options and redirects users to providers. It is the closest direct competitor to Aviasales' core metasearch model, though Aviasales is more concentrated in Eastern Europe/CIS whereas Skyscanner is more globally diversified.
- Kayak: Kayak operates a travel metasearch platform comparing flights, hotels, and cars across suppliers. It is one of Aviasales' most direct global competitors with similar redirect-based monetization and price comparison functionality.
- Momondo: Momondo is a flight and travel metasearch engine owned by Booking Holdings. It directly competes with Aviasales on flight price comparison and aggregation across airlines and OTAs, with broader geographic coverage in Western markets.
- Jetradar (Aviasales brand): Jetradar is an Aviasales-operated international flight metasearch brand targeting non-Russian markets. It is essentially the international-facing version of the same Aviasales platform, representing the company's own geographic expansion vehicle.
Broad incumbents
- Google Flights: Google Flights is a flight search and metasearch product embedded within Google's ecosystem, offering deep integration with Google Search. As the dominant player in flight search globally, it represents the most significant competitive threat to Aviasales' SEO-driven metasearch model.
- Trip.com: Trip.com Group (formerly Ctrip, owner of Skyscanner and Trip.com) is a leading global online travel agency offering flights, hotels, and packages. It competes with Aviasales across flight distribution in Asia and through Skyscanner globally.
- Booking.com: Booking.com is the world's largest online travel agency, offering flights, hotels, and car rentals. Its flight product and ownership of Momondo and Kayak make it a broad incumbent competitor with both direct booking and metasearch capabilities overlapping Aviasales' offering.
- Aviasales (Hotels via Booking.com integration): Agoda is a major online travel agency owned by Booking Holdings with deep presence in Asia. It is comparable as a competitor in the broader flight and hotel distribution space that Aviasales addresses through its hotels product and partnership integrations.
Emerging players
- Kiwi.com: Kiwi.com is a travel booking platform specializing in cheap flights including virtual interlining. While it overlaps with Aviasales on flight price comparison and budget-conscious travelers, it generates revenue by acting as an online travel agent rather than purely a metasearch redirector.
- Hopper: Hopper is a mobile-first travel app offering flight and hotel booking with price prediction and flexible cancellation. While focused on direct booking rather than metasearch, it competes with Aviasales for the same budget-conscious mobile traveler.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Aviasales social profiles
Digital presenceAviasales compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Aviasales financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aviasales leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Aviasales subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Aviasales funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aviasales M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aviasales
What does Aviasales do?
Aviasales is a flight and travel metasearch engine that compares prices and availability across hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies, then redirects users to partner sites to complete bookings. The platform is free for consumers, monetizes through affiliate commissions, advertising, and the Aviasales More subscription, and extends distribution through the Travelpayouts affiliate network and an Aviasales for Business corporate travel product.
Is Aviasales a public or private company?
Aviasales is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Aviasales founded?
Aviasales was founded in 2007. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Aviasales based?
Aviasales is headquartered in Phuket, Thailand, in the Asia region.
How does Aviasales make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Affiliate/Referral Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising and travelpayouts Affiliate Network.
Who are Aviasales's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skyscanner, Kayak, Momondo and Jetradar (Aviasales brand). Broad incumbents are Google Flights, Trip.com, Booking.com and Aviasales (Hotels via Booking.com integration). Emerging players are Kiwi.com and Hopper.
Does Aviasales have an API?
Yes. Partners, including bloggers and website owners, have access to several types of API and White Label solutions, enabling them to create their own services based on Aviasales technology. Partners can earn commission (40% revenue share) by promoting Aviasales flight tickets through affiliate links, widgets, search forms, and banners.
What industry is Aviasales in?
Aviasales's product category is Travel Metasearch. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAEAB, Flights Metasearch & Airfare Comparison, with a secondary code of THAKAAAD, Metasearch & Fare/Rate Comparison Engines. Its NAICS code is 51929 and its SIC code is 7373.