Save Money With Google Flights

Find the Best and Cheapest Flight

Google Flights does what similar sites do. It finds flights to and from destinations, during specified time ranges, non-stop or with layovers. But this search engine’s options go far beyond the basics to make shopping for air travel actually pleasant. Here are six Google Flights options you find amazing.

Google found that a lot of vacation planners start with only a vague idea where they want to go, i. e., “Europe.” So Google Flights lets you pick a general region, then shows you flight destinations and prices in that region. You can even click on the interactive map to see other nearby airports, and the prices to fly to those alternate locations. Often, flying from or to a smaller regional airport saves a lot of hassle.

Alternatively, you can even “feel lucky” and let Google Flights suggest destinations and flights based on your search history and what’s popular. It also displays a graph showing when flights will be cheapest. The “Best flights” checkbox help you decide whether time lost in layovers is worth the money saved by foregoing non-stop flights. Google highlights its pick in green.

A calendar page shows prices for your trip on every day of the coming month, with the cheapest days highlighted in green. This feature alone revolutionizes the shell game of airfare information. You don’t have to re-enter dates and recalculate everything to see what difference is made in the price, or worry about missing the cheapest date. (In playing with this option, I found the price of a particular round trip was cut in half by booking a week earlier; ordinarily, you save more by booking further in advance.) A bar graph at the page’s bottom indicates whether fares are likely to rise or fall.

Money-saving “swaps” are suggested automatically. For instance, choosing to fly out of an alternate airport or a couple of hours earlier can save significant money. And here's another feature I like: Google Flights will tell you the average legroom, and if Wi-Fi, in-seat power and on-demand video are available on your flight.

Getting a Ticket

Once you find a flight that interests you, Google Flights can monitor its price. An Android app will check the current price of your “saved itinerary” at any time, and if the price drops dramatically Google will send you an email alert.

You cannot buy a ticket directly via Google Flights, but it does provide you with direct links and phone numbers to the airline(s) so you can book and pay for the flight. If you prefer, you can note the desired flight numbers and dates, then go to another travel site and search for that specific flight. There, you will learn if baggage and other fees apply. (See the inset for links to air travel sites.)

Google Flights is more like an airfare advisor, and not a travel agent. It doesn't make any attempt to build package deals including flight, hotel and rental car. But Google Flights does show how airfare searches could be more useful, transparent, and friendly to travelers. If only air travel sites worked for travelers instead of airlines!

Your thoughts on this topic are welcome. Post your comment or question below...