How a new Google Flights update could help you save

Do you use Google Flights to book trips? This week, Google Flights formally announced a new feature on its flight booking website that could help customers save and plan to save on flights.

What is the new feature on Google Flights?

There will now be “Google guidance” on when is the cheapest time to book the destination of your choice at the time you are looking, per a release from Google.

Google Flights has allowed searchers in the past to see if the dates and destination they are booking are in the typical price range or if they’re buying when it’s especially high or low in comparison.

But by following this guidance, you can get a better idea if you should book early or wait and hope prices drop. Say you’re booking a trip to Switzerland in hopes of seeing Taylor Swift live in concert for July of next year. Google Flights will now tell you if booking now or waiting could be more advantageous.

“Either way, you can make that decision with a greater sense of confidence,” a statement from Google read, per USA Today.

One example Travel + Leisure found was when to buy tickets from New York City to London over the Christmas holidays. According to the search, it “shows that prices are currently typical for this time of year and that the cheapest time to book is between now and Oct. 7.”

What is Google Flights price tracking?

Another feature on Google Flights is price tracking. You can turn on price tracking for a specific destination and date range so that you will get a notification when prices drop significantly.

So if you know you want to go to Los Angeles at the end of November to celebrate your grandma’s 100th birthday, you can sign up to be notified when to book when prices will be lowest.

Using Flights From Home or other social media to get deals on flights

Another tool you can use to keep an eye on flight deals is to find social media accounts dedicated to following low flight alerts.

One example is Flights From Home on Instagram. They post deals that fly from Salt Lake City to multiple different locations, including mistake fares, which are flight paths airlines create accidentally at especially low prices.

In 2019, I snagged a one-stop roundtrip flight on American Airlines to Amsterdam and back for only $300 when I got one of their alerts and booked through Google Flights. A large majority of the people on my flight had found the same deal, and many of the families and couples I talked to were experiencing their first trip outside of the United States.