Finding the best deals on flights can be a hassle. With countless websites offering airfare comparisons and promises to save you money, it’s hard to know which ones truly deliver on their promises. One often-overlooked tool for scoring great flight deals is none other than Google Flights. Let’s explore the incredible hacks and features that make Google Flights the go-to tool for travelers looking to book affordable flights with flexible dates.
Why Choose Google Flights?
At first glance, Google Flights might appear to be just another search engine limited to displaying options like Expedia or Orbitz. However, there’s much more to it that meets the eye; it was designed specifically with the user in mind, aiming to provide all the necessary information in a clear and easy-to-navigate way.
The power of Google Flights lies in its flexibility, allowing users to have increased control over their flight choices and pricing options. Additionally, Google doesn’t earn any commissions from bookings, ensuring that the displayed results are unbiased compared to many online travel agencies (OTAs).
Unlocking the Power of Flexible Dates
Discovering the Calendar Feature
One of the most powerful tools provided by Google Flights is its ability to display the cheapest flights based on date ranges. To utilize this feature, enter your origin, destination, and preferred travel dates, and hit search. Once you’re on the results page, click on the small calendar icon – this will open up a larger monthly calendar view where you can see the prices for each day within that specific month.
This tutorial will help you visualize the available options and even identify potential deals on nearby dates that you may not have considered before. Once you find the perfect combination of dates and prices, simply click on them to update your search and book your flight.
Tapping into the Price Graph
If you’re even more flexible with your travel dates and are open to longer ranges, Google Flights offers another valuable tool called the “Price Graph.” Clicking on this button will reveal a bar graph representing the fare prices over time. Mousing over specific data points will show you the cheapest flights for those dates. This feature can help you make informed decisions about when to plan your trip based on pricing trends.
By combining the Calendar and Price Graph features, Google Flights empowers you to take control of your travel expenses and fit your trips around your budget constraints.
Unlock Exclusive Google Flights Hacks
Finding Multi-City Bargains
An interesting hack in Google Flights is its ability to search for multiple cities at once within the same itinerary, which could lead to great savings. When planning a trip that involves visiting multiple destinations, simply select the “Multi-city” option from the main search page. Then input the different legs of your journey, and Google Flights will display the most cost-effective options across all chosen destinations.
Instead of booking separate one-way tickets or opting for pricey direct routes, let Google Flights do the work for you by comparing various itineraries and offering flight combinations that might just leave room in your budget for further adventures.
Explore Nearby Airports
Another helpful tweak for finding affordable tickets is considering alternative airports around your desired destination. Google Flights allows users to expand their search radius by adding nearby airports to the mix. The search box not only lists the main airports but also suggests nearby options that might be more cost-effective.
For example, if you’re flying to Miami, it might be worth considering a flight to Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach instead, and then traveling onwards to Miami by train, bus and car rental. This trick could result in significant savings for your trip without adding too much hassle or inconvenience.
Become an Incognito Connoisseur
One long-standing rumor surrounding flight searches is the claim that airlines or OTAs hike up prices after seeing the same person repeatedly searching for a specific route. While this concept may or may not be true, there’s never harm in taking precautions when booking flights online.
To maintain your privacy while searching for flights on Google Flights, use an incognito or private browsing mode. This option is typically available in most web browsers by simply clicking on “File” and selecting “New Private Window” or “New Incognito Window.” This ensures that your search history and cookies don’t get tracked allowing you to start each search session fresh with no worries about potential price manipulation.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we’ve unveiled some of the best hacks and features for using Google Flights as a budget-friendly tool to secure affordable trips with flexible dates. From mastering the Calendar and Price Graph functions to exploring alternative airport, and multi-city searches, the secrets are now at your fingertips. So why wait? Let Google Flights guide you toward your next unforgettable adventure.