Google’s online flight finder, Google Flights, has a new feature that allows users to rapidly bring up results for the cheapest plane tickets on the site.
Minimising the guesswork
Being able to quickly sort potential purchasing search results by the lowest price may seem like an obvious functionality for an online sales point. Yet Google Flights has managed to operate for nearly 14 years without allowing users to instantly find the cheapest flight option. Instead the search engine has relied on a range of filters and a slider option effectively requiring users to guess how low the cheapest price might be and move the slider left accordingly until no more flights show up.
Users have also had the option to adjust how many stops they wish to make, what time the plane will leave or arrive, how much baggage they are allowed and which airlines or airline groups they prefer, in order to reach a flight selection that hits the sweet spot between price and other factors.
Cheapest flights in one swoop
Now though, the flight booking service has revealed it is introducing a “Cheapest” tab, which the internet giant says will be available globally by the end of October 2024 and which Simon Calder in the Independent describes as a “game-changer” for bargain hunters. By inputting their desired trip details and hitting the “cheapest” button, potential travellers can see the least expensive flight in one single action, whether the ticket options are being offered by a third-party seller or by the airline itself.
This means, the search engine warns, that instead of the usual return of results optimised for a blend of cost and convenience, its “cheapest” route options may not be optimal, for example taking flyers to nearby airports other than their selected destination, or departing or arriving at awkward times of day, or with a long layover. Anyone familiar with using Skyscanner or Expedia will know that these compromises are usually entailed if achieving a rock-bottom price is a priority.
Price guarantees designed to boost consumer confidence
With fuel prices soaring, routes lengthening as airlines avoid conflict zones worldwide, and pressure on seat availability due to plane shortages, the “cheapest” function is the latest in a series of moves Google is making to help Google Flight users feel confident about their purchase. In spring 2023, it rolled out a “Price Guarantee”, promising passengers a refund of any price difference in the event their ticket goes down in price after they buy it and before departure
Price promises are an age-old gimmick used to increase the likelihood of an immediate sale and deployed by retailers in the knowledge that very few customers ever bother to go to the trouble of insisting on a refund. The pledge is only applicable to Google Flights labelled with the “Price Guarantee” badge and refunds are made via Google Pay. They are limited to a maximum amount of $500 for no more than three broken price promises per year.