Google flights is one my favorite tools and should be your go to tool when searching for flights(even award flights). The site is easy to use and allows you to compare prices across different airlines and alliances. The tool’s great calendar view also allows you to view prices over time, while also allowing you to track airfare prices. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to get the most out of Google Flights.
What is Google Flights and Google Travel
Google Travel is a trip planning service developed in house by Google. The platform allows you to search for activities, flights, hotels, and vacation rentals, providing a comprehensive tool for planning a great trip. Google Flights is a subsection of Google Travel. In my opinion Google Flights is one of the best places to search for flights.
When to Use Google Flights
I like to utilize Google Flights as the primary search tool when planning out flights. The tool allows me to see which airlines are flying out of my home airport to the target destination. For domestic flights, I can also see whether a transcontinental flight or hub-hub flight is offering lie flat seating in business class. Additionally, if a stopover or two is needed, I can also identify airports with a solid selection of lounges (Priority Pass and Centurion Lounge).
For international flights, I like to use Google Flights to identify which airlines can take me to my final destination. Furthermore, the tool also allows me to play around with routing options, potential repositioning flights, and to figure out potential stopover ideas. I’m also able to get a better sense of which loyalty program to turn to once I compile the various flight options via Google Flights.
Should you book flights using Google Flights
Google doesn’t sell flights but rather the platform redirects you to the airline’s website. I assume google get a nice cut (similar to a finder’s fee) for bringing in traffic. If you’re looking to purchase plane tickets using cash, this certainly would be a great option! If you’re looking for premium economy or business class flights, make a quick stop to the American Express Travel Portal to see if there are any good discounts before making a booking.
When to use Google Travel
Google Travel is a great starting point for finding cool activities, great eats, and comparing hotel prices. While Jen and I tend to mostly book our hotels with Hyatt using Hyatt Points, Google Travel’s hotel option is a great place to compare hotels. The platform has everything from IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton to small local/boutique hotels. Similar to Google Flights, Google Travel also redirects you to a booking site as Google does not handle bookings directly.
The best time to use Google Travel is at the beginning of your trip planning, You can cast a wide net and gather ideas before narrowing down your search. It’s great to see a free platform as a one stop search tool without ads.
My Thoughts
I love Google Flights and Google Travels to jumpstart my travel planning. Having everything from airports to hotels, along with an actual map helps me get a better sense of direction. I think this tool is excellent and best of all FREE. Do you ever use Google Flights or Travels to plan your trip? Let me know your thoughts.
