If you’re thinking of an upcoming trip or vacation, you can skip travel agents and get the best deals with Google Flights.
Google Flights searches the databases of airlines and travel agencies for all available flight schedules and prices. This means you will get the same insight into the best airfare prices as travel agents.
Best of all, Google Flights integrates with your Google account so you get check-in reminders and other updates. It’s like having a personal travel agent on your computer and mobile device.
Search flights from Google
Most people use Google Flights by visiting the home page, entering airports or cities of origin and destination, and departure and return dates.
There are a few things to keep in mind on the Google Flights search page. If you do not know the exact airport of departure or arrival, just enter the name of the city. A search window will open with all the nearest airports that you can select.
Travel dates also provide helpful advice. As you enter dates, you will see the prices superimposed on the calendar. This shows how changing your departure or return date can affect the cost of your trip.
Reschedule your departure or arrival by just a few days and you can potentially save hundreds of dollars on your trip.
Adjust your trips during the off-season or slower months to boost your savings.
Select “Search” to see all flight options.
Browse flight results from Google
The results page shows all available flights, including departure and arrival times, total travel time (including connections), number of stops, and total round-trip ticket prices.
You will see that the default results are for one passenger and back and forth. Results are sorted from cheapest flights to more expensive travel options. Typically, the “Best Departures” section also includes less expensive options with fewer stops.
You can change these search results using the drop-down menus below the search fields at the top. These include:
- Bags: Find out how carry-on or checked baggage will affect prices.
- Stops: Configure the maximum number of stops you want.
- Airlines: only include certain airlines.
- Price: Limit the range of prices for flights.
- Times: Limit the departure and arrival times of departing and return flights.
- Connecting Airports: Exclude specific connecting airports.
- Other: Limit flight duration and enable individual tickets to see if it’s cheaper to buy tickets from different airlines.
Select “Dates” at the top of the flight list to find out how the selected travel date affects the price and how changing it can reduce the cost.
Select Price Chart to get an alternative view of how prices move over longer periods of time. This can help if you have the option to reschedule your trip to another month, which may be less costly.
Select “Airports” to see a map of all airports closest to the origin and destination. See if changing airports anywhere can lower your ticket price.
Sometimes it may require a slightly longer ride from both ends, but the reduced ticket price is well worth it.
If you are not yet before your flight date, be sure to turn on the Track prices slider at the top of the page. The trip will be added to your account’s tracked trips list.
Later, to see the flight prices you are tracking, simply select the menu in the upper left corner and select Track Flight Prices.
If you don’t need to buy right away, you can add multiple routes for one trip and track those prices. As the day of travel approaches, you can use this feature to get a ticket that has dropped in price rather than increased.
You will also see the tracked prices as small blocks on the home page under the “Track Prices” section.
Using Google Flights Explore
On the home page, if you select Explore Destinations, you will be taken to the Google Flights research area.
Here you can select different places on the map and see all kinds of tourist information about flights from your location there.
When you select a location, you can see available flights and prices on the left side of the screen. You will also see:
- Prices for hotels in your destination;
- Peak and off-peak travel seasons there
- The most popular events and attractions in the area
Google Flight Explore is a great tool if you know you need a vacation but don’t know where to go without spending a fortune.
Find the cheapest destination on the map and then plan your adventure wherever the opportunity arises!
Other flight features from Google
There are a number of other useful areas in Google Flight that you may never know about if you don’t know where to look. Here are some helpful tips for the most useful features.
Select Trips from the menu on the left and select Create Trip to Where Next? section.
This allows you to plot a route, one destination at a time.
Select Save to finish. Every trip you create and save will show up if you select Trips from the menu on the left in Google Flights.
Select any of these trips to get flight prices, hotel tips, and other useful information from Google for planning those trips.
Select Hotels from the menu on the left and you will have access to a helpful hotel price search tool. Many people don’t realize that Google Flights can be used to find cheap hotels all over the world.
Select “Vacation Rentals” from the menu on the left to view available vacation rental options on sites such as Booking.com, Vrbo.com and others. These are rental options that offer more affordable prices for long term stays than most hotel rooms.
Select any vacation rental to see more details, photos and prices. You can also view location information such as things to do, nearby airports, public transport information, and more.
As you can see, Google Flights is much more than just airline tickets. You can use it to meet all of your travel needs and make sure you get the best prices for everything during your trip.
Not sure if you want to use Google Flights? Compare that to TripIt and decide for yourself.
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