Pilot vs. Lastminute: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/lastminute-alternative.
Summary
Pilot is a free trip booking and planning app: plan a whole trip in one place with a flexible itinerary, a map of your stops, notes, real-time collaboration, and AI itinerary generation, and book hotels in the app at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays, with real human support. Pilot is rated 4.7 by 50,000+ travelers.
Lastminute: European last-minute travel deals. Lastminute.com Group (Bravonext).
Lastminute is built to sell you a booking. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels, with no sponsored results, and helps you plan the whole trip around them, with real people on support if anything goes wrong.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Lastminute: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Lastminute: Trustpilot 4.0, App Store 4.6, Google Play 3.6.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Lastminute: 1998.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Lastminute: yes.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/lastminute-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Lastminute offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Lastminute |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | ||
| Book hotels in the app | YesBook your stay at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, saved with the rest of your trip | Yes |
| Member-only hotel rates | YesPrivate rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents; Lastminute marks prices up and adds fees at checkout | No |
| Add accommodation to itinerary | YesDrop the stay into your day-by-day plan with dates, so the booking and the plan live together | No |
| Transportation cost tracking | Yes | No |
| Flight deals | Yes | No |
| Files tab | Yes | No |
| Attach files to itinerary items | Yes | No |
| Instant booking confirmation | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout without upsells | Yes | No |
| Reviews from real travelers | Yes | Yes |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No |
| Inventory & discovery | ||
| Bookable hotel inventory | Yes | Yes |
| Hotel search filters | Yes | Yes |
| Activities to explore in-app | Yes | Yes |
| Restaurant listings in-app | Yes | No |
| Discovery filters | Yes | Yes |
| Travel requirements and eVisas | Yes | No |
| Flight suggestions for trip | No | Yes |
| eSIMs at checkout | Yes | No |
| Destination pages | Yes | Yes |
| Editorial travel guides in-app | Yes | Yes |
| Things to do per city | Yes | Yes |
| Activity detail pages | Yes | No |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesBuild a flexible, multi-stop itinerary and reshape it however you want, from a rough idea to booked | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your whole trip on a map and make it yours | No |
| Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhere | Yes | No |
| Attach info to any item | Yes | No |
| Notes and checklists | YesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan | No |
| Note and list format toggle | Yes | No |
| Rich text formatting in notes | Yes | No |
| Undo and redo | Yes | No |
| Duplicate trips | Yes | No |
| Manual file import | Yes | No |
| Email-forwarding file import | Yes | No |
| AI parsing of imported confirmations | Yes | No |
| Export to PDF | Yes | No |
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access on mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Shortlist items | Yes | No |
| Wishlist / wanderlist | Yes | No |
| Wishlist images | Yes | No |
| Fun sound effects | Yes | No |
| Structured itinerary sections | Yes | No |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | No |
| Multiple transportation types | Yes | No |
| Flight code auto-fill | Yes | No |
| Multi-leg flight support | Yes | No |
| Consistent IATA codes on mobile | Yes | No |
| Collaboration | ||
| Invite friends | Yes | No |
| Real-time collaborative editing | YesPlan it together with your group in one shared trip, in real time | No |
| Edit or view-only permissions | Yes | No |
| Heart items for voting | Yes | No |
| Custom trip name and cover photo | Yes | No |
| Dedicated group chat per trip | Yes | No |
| Shared notes, files, and saved lists | Yes | No |
| Travel profile and stats | Yes | No |
| Edit profile details | Yes | Yes |
| Leave a trip | Yes | No |
| Trips dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Trip menu actions | Yes | Yes |
| Support | ||
| Human support | YesReach a real person on our team in the in-app chat or by email, not an outsourced center, a ticket inbox no one answers, or a bot that loops you in circles | Yes |
| AI for basic support answers | Yes | No |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Lastminute |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 4.0 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 3.6 |
Pricing
| Pilot | Lastminute | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is Lastminute?
Lastminute is a European last-minute travel booking site for flights, hotels, and packages, built to complete a booking rather than plan the trip around it, and it books as a middleman rather than directly with the hotel.
What is Pilot?
Pilot is a trip booking and planning app where you build a flexible itinerary, then book your hotel at private rates straight from hotels. Where Lastminute completes a booking, Pilot plans the whole trip around the stay, confirmed by a real person.
Is Pilot a good Lastminute alternative?
Yes; Pilot books hotels at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results and real support, and adds a flexible itinerary, map, and group collaboration. The caveat is that Lastminute also books flights, trains, buses, and packages, which Pilot does not.
Is Lastminute legit and safe to book with?
Lastminute is a real travel company founded in 1998, though it rates around 4.0 on Trustpilot with recurring complaints about checkout fees. Pilot books hotels at private rates straight from hotels, with real support and your booking kept with your trip.
Is Lastminute free to use?
Lastminute is free to browse and book on, earning from markups, fees, and commissions rather than a subscription. Pilot is free too, with the full planning suite included, and lets you book at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results.
How does Lastminute make money?
Lastminute earns through markups, checkout fees, commissions, add-ons, and sponsored placement, which is why the top result is not always the best deal. Pilot earns from hotels when you book and does not sell placement, so results are ranked for you.
Can you book hotels on Lastminute?
Yes, Lastminute books hotels alongside flights, trains, buses, and packages. Pilot also books hotels, over 3,000,000 of them, at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results, and helps you plan the whole trip around the stay.
Does Lastminute add extra fees at checkout?
Lastminute is widely reported to add service fees, booking fees, and add-ons on the way to payment, so the headline price can climb. Pilot lets you book at a private rate straight from the hotel, with a real person if you need one.
Pilot vs Lastminute: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan a trip and book the stay, with private rates straight from hotels, real support, and your whole trip in one place, for free. Use Lastminute if you need flights, trains, buses, or a package, accepting the markups and fees.
References
- lastminute.com (2026-06-03)