Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Skyscanner Clone with Adalo

Why Adalo Works for Building a Flight Booking App

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This cross-platform capability is essential for a Skyscanner-style travel app, where users expect to search flights and book trips seamlessly whether they're on their desktop at work or using their phone at the airport.

Publishing your flight booking app to both the Apple App Store and Google Play gives you access to billions of potential travelers worldwide. With native app distribution, you can send push notifications for price drops, flight status updates, and booking confirmations—the kind of real-time engagement that keeps travelers coming back to your platform instead of competitors. Let's walk through exactly how to build this functionality step by step.

Why Adalo Works for Building a Flight Booking App

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This cross-platform capability is essential for a Skyscanner-style travel app, where users expect to search flights and book trips seamlessly whether they're on their desktop at work or using their phone at the airport.

Publishing your flight booking app to both the Apple App Store and Google Play gives you access to billions of potential travelers worldwide. With native app distribution, you can send push notifications for price drops, flight status updates, and booking confirmations—the kind of real-time engagement that keeps travelers coming back to your platform instead of competitors. Let's walk through exactly how to build this functionality step by step.

Key Takeaways

• Build a functional flight booking app MVP in weeks using Adalo's drag-and-drop interface—no coding required
• Structure your database with Collections for Cities, Flights, Hotels, and Users to enable relational data management with no record limits on paid plans
• Integrate external flight APIs like Amadeus for real-time pricing and availability, plus Stripe for secure payment processing
• Publish your app to iOS, Android, and web platforms from a single Adalo project

This comprehensive tutorial walks you through building a flight comparison and booking app similar to Skyscanner using Adalo's platform. You'll learn how to create a working app with flight search, price comparison, booking flow, and payment processing. Adalo's agnostic builder lets you publish the same app to the web, native iOS, and native Android, all without writing a line of code or rebuilding. If your plan is mass distribution through the app stores' vast marketplaces, then this is a great option.

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

While a true Skyscanner handles millions of flight records globally, this guide focuses on building a validated MVP that you can use to test niche travel markets like adventure tourism, corporate travel, or regional destinations.

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account and App

1. Go to Adalo.com and sign up for a free account
2. Click "Create New App"
3. Choose "Mobile App" or "Responsive Web App" based on your target audience
4. Name your app (e.g., "FlightFinder")
5. Select "Start from Scratch" to build a custom travel interface, or use Magic Start to generate a complete app foundation from a simple description—tell it you need a flight booking app and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically

Step 2: Configure Your App Theme

1. Choose a primary color that reflects travel (e.g., sky blue or airline navy)
2. Select a secondary color for call-to-action buttons
3. Pick a clean, readable font for flight details and pricing
4. Click "Continue" to enter the editor

Step 3: Gather Required Accounts and APIs

Before building, you'll need:

• Flight Data API: Amadeus API requires business verification
• Payment Gateway: Stripe account for processing bookings
• Publishing Accounts: Apple Developer ($99/year) and Google Play ($25 one-time fee)
• Google Maps API Key: For location-based features

Pro Tip: Start building with CSV sample data while waiting for API approval. This lets you validate your app design before connecting live flight feeds. Adalo's visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," so you can prototype quickly while your API access is being processed.

Building the Database Structure

Step 4: Design the Cities Collection

1. Click the Database icon in the left sidebar
2. Click "+ Add Collection"
3. Name it "Cities"
4. Add these properties:
   • City Name (Text)
   • Airport Code (Text) - e.g., "JFK", "LAX"
   • Country (Text)
   • City Image (Image)
   • Intro Description (Text - Multiline)

Adalo databases on paid plans have no record limits—you can store as many cities, airports, and destinations as your travel app requires without hitting storage caps.

Step 5: Create the Flights Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Flights"
3. Add these properties:
   • Flight Number (Text)
   • Airline (Text)
   • Airline Logo (Image)
   • Departure Time (Date & Time)
   • Arrival Time (Date & Time)
   • Price (Number)
   • Cabin Class (Text) - Values: "Economy", "Business", "First"
   • Stops (Number) - 0 for direct, 1+ for connections
   • Duration Minutes (Number)
   • Available Seats (Number)

Step 6: Create the Bookings Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Bookings"
3. Add properties:
   • Booking Reference (Text - Auto-Generated)
   • Passenger Name (Text)
   • Passenger Email (Text)
   • Total Price (Number)
   • Booking Status (Text) - Values: "Pending", "Confirmed", "Cancelled"
   • Payment Status (Text) - Values: "Unpaid", "Paid", "Refunded"
   • Booking Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Travel Date (Date)

Step 7: Set Up Database Relationships

Proper relationships are critical for flight aggregator functionality. According to Adalo's database documentation, you should configure:

1. In Flights collection:
   • Add relationship to Cities: "Departure City" (Many flights → One city)
   • Add relationship to Cities: "Arrival City" (Many flights → One city)
2. In Bookings collection:
   • Add relationship to Users: "Booked By" (Many bookings → One user)
   • Add relationship to Flights: "Flight Booked" (Many bookings → One flight)
3. In Users collection (pre-built):
   • Add Saved Flights (Relationship to Flights - Many-to-Many)
   • Add Phone Number (Text)
   • Add Preferred Cabin Class (Text)

With the right data relationship setups, Adalo apps can scale beyond 1 million monthly active users. The Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul (launched late 2025) made apps 3-4x faster and enabled modular infrastructure that scales with your app's needs.

Designing the User Interface

Step 8: Build the Home Screen with Search

1. Rename the default screen to "Home"
2. Add a hero Image or gradient background
3. Add Text: "Find the best flight deals"
4. Create the search form with these components:
   • Dropdown for "From" (connected to Cities collection)
   • Dropdown for "To" (connected to Cities collection)
   • Date Picker for departure date
   • Date Picker for return date (optional)
   • Dropdown for cabin class
   • Number Input for passengers
5. Add Button: "Search Flights" → Link to "Search Results" screen

Need to add a feature quickly? Magic Add lets you describe what you want in natural language—type "add a currency converter dropdown" and Adalo generates the component with appropriate logic.

Step 9: Create the Search Results Screen

1. Add new screen "Search Results"
2. Add Custom List component (not Simple List—you need more control):
   • Connect to Flights collection
   • Filter by: Departure City = Selected Origin AND Arrival City = Selected Destination
   • Sort by: Price (Lowest First) as default
3. For each list item, display:
   • Airline logo and name
   • Departure and arrival times
   • Flight duration
   • Number of stops
   • Price prominently displayed
4. Add filter buttons above the list:
   • "Cheapest" → Sort by Price
   • "Fastest" → Sort by Duration
   • "Direct Only" → Filter where Stops = 0

Step 10: Add Advanced Filtering

1. Add a Filter Panel (collapsible section):
   • Price range slider
   • Departure time ranges (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
   • Airlines checkboxes
   • Stops dropdown (Any, Direct, 1 Stop Max)
2. Use conditional visibility to show/hide based on user selection
3. Update list filters dynamically based on selections

Adalo's canvas can display up to 400 screens at once, making it easy to visualize your entire booking flow—from search to confirmation—and ensure consistent design across all touchpoints.

Implementing Booking and Payments

Step 11: Build the Flight Detail Screen

1. Add new screen "Flight Details"
2. Display comprehensive flight information:
   • Large Airline Logo
   • Flight number and aircraft type
   • Departure/Arrival with airport codes and times
   • Duration and stops (with layover details)
   • Baggage allowance
   • Cancellation policy
3. Add Price Breakdown section:
   • Base fare
   • Taxes and fees
   • Total price
4. Add Button: "Select This Flight" → Link to "Passenger Details" screen

Step 12: Create Passenger Details Form

1. Add new screen "Passenger Details"
2. Add Form component connected to Bookings:
   • Full Name (as on passport)
   • Email address
   • Phone number
   • Date of birth
   • Passport number (for international flights)
3. Add seat selection (optional enhancement)
4. Add Button: "Continue to Payment"

Step 13: Integrate Stripe Payments

Adalo supports Stripe for secure payment processing:

1. Go to Adalo Marketplace and install "Stripe Payment" component
2. Add new screen "Payment"
3. Configure Stripe component:
   • Amount: Current Booking → Total Price
   • Currency: USD (or your preferred currency)
4. Add payment form fields:
   • Card number
   • Expiry date
   • CVC
   • Billing zip code
5. On successful payment:
   • Update Booking → Payment Status to "Paid"
   • Update Booking → Booking Status to "Confirmed"
   • Create Booking record linking user and flight
   • Navigate to "Confirmation" screen

Step 14: Build Confirmation Screen

1. Add new screen "Booking Confirmation"
2. Display:
   • Success message with checkmark
   • Booking reference number
   • Flight summary
   • Passenger details
   • Total paid
3. Add Buttons:
   • "View My Trips" → Link to Trip History
   • "Book Another Flight" → Link to Home
4. Trigger email confirmation (via Zapier integration)

Adding User Features

Step 15: Create User Accounts and Profiles

1. Build "Sign Up" screen with form:
   • Email, Password, Full Name, Phone
2. Build "Login" screen
3. Add "Profile" screen with:
   • Profile photo upload
   • Saved payment methods
   • Travel preferences
   • Notification settings

Step 16: Implement Saved Flights Feature

1. On Flight Detail screen, add Icon Button (heart/bookmark)
2. Configure action:
   • If flight NOT in user's Saved Flights → Add to Saved Flights
   • If flight IS in Saved Flights → Remove from Saved Flights
3. Create "Saved Flights" screen:
   • List of user's saved flights
   • Quick "Book Now" button for each
   • Price alert indicator

Step 17: Build Trip History

1. Add "My Trips" screen accessible from profile
2. Add List of Bookings:
   • Filter: Booked By = Logged In User
   • Sort: Travel Date (Upcoming first)
3. Display for each booking:
   • Flight route and date
   • Booking status (Upcoming, Completed, Cancelled)
   • Booking reference
4. Add tap action → View booking details

Step 18: Set Up Push Notifications

Configure notifications using Adalo's notification system:

1. Booking confirmation alerts
2. Flight reminder (24 hours before departure)
3. Price drop alerts for saved flights (requires external automation)
4. Check-in reminders

Native push notifications are a key advantage of true native apps over web wrappers—they appear in the device's notification center and work even when the app isn't open.

Connecting External Flight APIs

Step 19: Choose Your Flight Data Source

For real-time flight data, you'll need an external API:

Recommended Options:

• Amadeus API: Comprehensive flight data, requires business verification
• Kiwi.com API: Good for aggregated booking
• Travelpayouts: Affiliate model with commission on bookings

Important Note: Skyscanner's API is restricted to approved partners. Plan for Amadeus or alternatives.

Step 20: Configure External Collection

1. Go to Database → Click "External Collections"
2. Add new External Collection
3. Configure API endpoint:
   • Base URL: Your flight API endpoint
   • Authentication: API key header
   • Method: GET
4. Map API response fields to your Flights collection structure
5. Set up query parameters for search (origin, destination, dates)

This is the most technically challenging step. Consider hiring an Adalo Expert if you need assistance with complex API configurations.

Step 21: Handle API and Scaling Considerations

For optimal performance with flight data:

1. Fetch flight data in real-time via API rather than storing all records locally—this keeps pricing current and reduces data staleness
2. Cache recent searches to reduce API calls and improve response times
3. For complex backend logic or custom data processing, integrate external databases like Xano

Unlike platforms with Workload Units or usage-based charges that create unpredictable costs, all Adalo plans now include unlimited usage—no bill shock as your travel app scales. This predictable pricing is crucial for booking apps where traffic can spike during holiday seasons or flash sales.

Testing and Publishing

Step 22: Add Test Data

Before connecting live APIs:

1. Import sample data via CSV:
   • 10-20 cities with airport codes
   • 50+ sample flights with realistic pricing
   • Test user accounts
2. Create bookings in various statuses for testing

Step 23: Test Core User Flows

Verify these flows work correctly:

• User registration and login
• Flight search with filters
• Flight selection and booking
• Payment processing (use Stripe test mode)
• Booking confirmation and trip history
• Saved flights functionality

Use X-Ray, Adalo's AI-powered performance analyzer, to identify potential issues before they affect users. It highlights slow queries, inefficient data relationships, and other bottlenecks that could impact the booking experience.

Step 24: Preview and Debug

1. Use Adalo's built-in previewer for desktop testing
2. Download the Adalo app for mobile testing
3. Test on both iOS and Android devices
4. Check all conditional logic and form validation

Step 25: Publish Your App

Adalo lets you publish to multiple platforms from a single codebase:

For Web:

1. Go to Publish tab
2. Configure custom domain (requires Starter plan or higher)
3. Click "Publish to Web"

For iOS:

1. Navigate to iOS publishing
2. Provide Apple Developer credentials
3. Configure app metadata and screenshots
4. Submit for App Store review

For Android:

1. Navigate to Android publishing
2. Provide Google Play credentials
3. Configure store listing
4. Submit for review

One update in Adalo automatically updates your web, iOS, and Android versions—unlike platforms that use web wrappers where you may need to manage separate deployments or deal with wrapper-specific limitations at scale.

Why Adalo Is Worth Checking Out for Travel Apps

Adalo stands out as the ideal platform for building a flight booking MVP because it combines speed-to-market with genuine native app capabilities. Unlike web-wrapper solutions, Adalo produces true native apps that can be published directly to the App Store and Google Play.

The platform's built-in relational database handles the complex relationships between cities, flights, users, and bookings that a travel aggregator requires—with unlimited database records on paid plans. When you need custom backend logic, seamless integrations with Xano and Airtable let you extend functionality without rebuilding.

With over 3 million apps created on the platform and access to 50+ marketplace components, you're building on proven infrastructure. The Component Marketplace includes pre-built elements for maps, payments, and calendars—core features for any booking app. The Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul (late 2025) made apps 3-4x faster with modular infrastructure that scales to 1M+ monthly active users.

For entrepreneurs testing niche travel markets—adventure tourism, corporate booking platforms, or regional flight comparison—Adalo lets you validate your concept in weeks rather than months, starting at $36/month with unlimited usage and app store publishing.

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you get predictable costs as your flight booking app scales.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface and AI-assisted building let you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and Adalo handles the complex App Store submission process—certificates, provisioning profiles, and store guidelines—so you can focus on your app's features.

Can I build a flight booking app without coding experience?

Yes, Adalo's visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint." You can create flight search functionality, booking flows, payment processing, and user accounts using drag-and-drop components. Magic Add lets you describe features in natural language and generates the components automatically.

Can I integrate real-time flight data and payment processing into my Adalo app?

Yes, Adalo supports external API integrations for real-time flight data from providers like Amadeus, and includes Stripe integration for secure payment processing. You can connect these services through External Collections and marketplace components to fetch live pricing, process bookings, and handle transactions seamlessly.

How do I handle the database structure for a flight comparison app?

Adalo's built-in relational database lets you create Collections for Cities, Flights, Bookings, and Users with proper relationships between them. You can set up connections like many flights to one departure city, many bookings to one user, and many-to-many relationships for saved flights—all through a visual interface without writing SQL.

How much does it cost to build a flight booking app with Adalo?

Adalo's web and true-native mobile builder starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and app store publishing. Unlike competitors with usage-based charges or record limits, all Adalo paid plans include unlimited database records and unlimited app updates once published—no surprise bills as your travel app grows.

Can my flight booking app scale to handle many users?

Yes, Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with over 1 million monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. The Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul (late 2025) made apps 3-4x faster. Unlike app wrappers that hit performance constraints under load, Adalo's purpose-built architecture maintains speed at scale.

Can I send push notifications to users for flight updates and price alerts?

Yes, Adalo's built-in notification system allows you to configure push notifications for booking confirmations, flight reminders, and check-in alerts. Because Adalo creates true native apps (not web wrappers), notifications appear in the device's notification center and work even when the app isn't open.

Which is more affordable, Adalo or Bubble for a travel app?

Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and native mobile app publishing. Bubble's comparable offering starts at $59/month with usage-based Workload Unit charges and record limits. Bubble's mobile solution is also a web wrapper rather than true native, which can introduce performance challenges at scale.

Which is better for mobile apps, Adalo or Glide?

Adalo creates true native iOS and Android apps that publish directly to the App Store and Google Play. Glide does not support App Store or Google Play publishing and is limited to web-based apps. For a flight booking app where mobile distribution is essential, Adalo provides the native app capabilities travelers expect.