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Holiday travel can be expensive, but booking with Google Flights can allow you to save money, without a mandatory middle seat or red eye.
This tool alone is pretty amazing, but knowing how to use it right can allow you to save even more. Here are five Google Flight tricks you need to know before booking your holiday flights.
Don’t Fill in the Blanks
When searching for holiday airfare, you might think inputting your destination and preferred travel dates would be one of the first steps. However, TikTok has another idea, according to the New York Post.
Enter your departure city, type “anywhere” in the destination spot and leave your travel dates blank — you can also add specific filters like non-stop flights, if you prefer. This will present you with a variety of options to choose from, all with prices right in front of you, so it’s easy to compare.
Of course, since you’re trying to fly during the holidays, you’ll need to add some type of date range. If possible, instead of adding specific dates, opt for flexible dates, selecting December as your travel month, along with either a weekend, one-week or two-week trip.
Use the ‘Cheapest’ Tab
Google Flights automatically defaults to the “best flights,” but that doesn’t mean they’re the cheapest. Typically, these include features like flying with the same airline, no excessive layovers and no airport transfers.
However, if you’re laser-focused on price, you might be willing to sacrifice convenience for cheap tickets. In this case, take a look at the “cheapest” tab.
This will be visible after you choose a destination city. Simply click on “view flights,” then you’ll be taken to a page with “best” flights on the left and “cheapest” flights on the right.
Sign Up for Flight Alerts
If you don’t see any prices that meet your budget yet, sign up for flight alerts. You can track flights on certain dates or flexible dates, then you’ll receive an email when prices change.
This will allow you to save time, as you won’t have to check flight prices every day.
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Check Price Insights
No one wants to buy plane tickets when prices are higher than normal. Google Flights offers real-time price insights, so you can better understand ticket prices for your destination and travel dates.
If the price falls under green, it’s the least expensive, yellow is moderate and red is the most expensive. Data also includes price history for your flights, so you can see the cheapest and most expensive times to book.
Consult the Date Grid
When you’ve figured out where you’re headed, you can choose the cheapest dates by using the Google Flights date grid. Simply click on the calendar and you’ll be able to see which roundtrip dates are the cheapest.
This can save you a great deal of money. Simply traveling to the same destination on certain days of the week instead of others can save you hundreds of dollars, so don’t skip this step.