Google flights can help you maximize your next travel booking
This flight search engine is a go-to tool for us when looking for flight deals. With its impressive capabilities and user-friendly interface, it's definitely one of our favorites.
To help you book your next travel with ease, we have put together a comprehensive guide that covers all the essentials for using this tool effectively.
To initiate a basic flight search, the first step is to visit the website https://www.google.com/travel/flights.
In the left sidebar of the page, you will find additional features for your trips, such as hotels, vacation rentals, things to do, and a useful tool named "Explore." However, for now, we will concentrate on using the tool specifically for booking flights.
The fields and drop-down menus on the page are straightforward to understand:
Ticket class - economy, premium economy, business, or first class
Departure (the place you are flying from)
Destination (the place you want to fly to)
Date(s) of your travel
Number of passengers (even if traveling in a group, search for a single ticket)
Type of trip - round-trip, one-way, or multi-city
If you know where and when you want to go, just input the information into the respective fields and click on the blue search button.
For instance, suppose you are looking for flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In that case, you can either search by destination or airport code. Here are all the available options you will see on the page.
In this instance, I opted to book a Delta flight for my outbound journey.
Once the first leg is selected, google flight will display the return flight options.
You can also apply different filters to return different results (as shown below):
After selecting your preferred flight, you can choose to book your ticket directly through Delta Airlines website.
When I click on the given link, I am directed to Delta Airlines' website with the selected flights and prices already loaded. There, I can provide my passenger information, and loyalty number, select a seat, and make the payment for the ticket.
Booking directly through the airline's website via Google Flights ensures that all elite and other loyalty benefits are upheld. However, if you book through a third-party site, this may not always be the case. It's recommended to ensure that you book your tickets directly through the airline's website whenever possible.
One of our favorite features is that Google Flights shows you the flight's historic price fluctuation, so you can directly see if you are buying at a high price or not.
If you don't travel frequently, the airline operating the flight may not be a significant consideration for you compared to the ticket price.
However, if you have started earning miles and building status with a particular airline, it can become an addiction to remain loyal to that carrier and its loyalty program. The exclusive perks that come with elite status can be thrilling, and there's no better feeling than booking your first award flight, especially when you know you've secured an incredible deal.
Google flights can help you search the cheapest dates
Suppose I want to travel from JFK to Los Angeles in September, but I'm flexible with my travel dates. In that case, Google Flights offers a useful tool to help me find the most affordable option.
On the search page, I can click on the calendar icon to view the lowest price available for each day. Dates highlighted in green represent the cheapest option available across all travel dates, while the blue highlighted dates indicate the currently selected dates. This feature can help me determine the most cost-effective travel dates for my trip.
Congratulations on completing your diligent search! You have probably found the most suitable flight option for your needs.
While some people may be ready to book their flights right away, others may need a few days to finalize plans with their travel companions or work schedules. Not to worry, as Google Flights provides a helpful tool to track your chosen flight and notifies you if the price changes.
This feature allows you to monitor the price of your flight and helps you determine the best time to purchase your ticket, ensuring you get the best deal possible.
As you can see from the picture above, Google Flights even now pays for the price difference if you purchased a flight through them and the price went down. I have never used this feature before, but I was very excited to see that Google Flight is launching this benefit for its customer! It gives people like me another piece of mind.
To summarize, Google Flights is a powerful tool that can help you make better decisions when booking flights online. If you have not yet tried this flight search engine, we highly recommend you check it out before booking your next flight.