Google Flights is a fantastic tool for travelers looking to stay on a budget. It searches multiple airlines and airports, with flexible searching unlike any other travel site. The basics are pretty simple to understand, but if you want to be an advanced used of Google Flights — it takes some insider knowledge.
Read on to get the most of Google Flights as an Advanced User.
Tips for Getting the Most from Google Flights
Be Flexible
For starters, the more flexible you can be in your travel arrangements — the better deals you will be able to find. Of course, it’s not always going to be easy to flexible, but the little bit of wiggle room in dates and airports can save you a lot.
Google Flights Basics & Advanced Tips
Before getting started on your Google Flights search, determine your capabilities. Identifying those parameters first will help you narrow down the broad search results that Google Flights can give you. Ask yourself some of these questions:
What is my starting and ending point?
A perk to using Google Flights over many other travel sites is that it lets you choose multiple airports to find the best deal. You can decide if you are willing to drive a little further to an airport if it means scoring a great flight ticket price.
Am I doing round-trip or multi-city bookings?
Along with your choices in airport, are you booking a one-way, round-trip, or mutli-city itinerary? Google Flights does the traditional one-way and round-trip booking — but also offers the option to plan flights to multiple cities. This is fantastic for longer trips and multiple city tours.
Can I be flexible with dates?
If you can be flexible with dates, Google Flights will show you the best deal. Often flights that leave on weekdays will be cheaper than weekends, for example. Moving the flight dates by a day or two could lead to significant savings.
Additional Advanced Google Flight Tips
The cheapest rates are going to be on discount airlines. Keep in mind that discount airlines keep their prices low by charging for anything extra outside of the basic seat ticket. You will likely have to pay for checked baggage, beverages, food, and preferred seat assignment. If you are ok with that, great — but consider it in the final cost if you need any of those add-ons.
