Trying to find the best flight deals can be stressful, as what seems like a great price one day can change the next. To help travelers figure out if it’s the right time to book, Google Flights is launching a new feature and updating some existing features.
Here’s what users will find:
- Cheapest time to book - Google Flights already lets you see if the current prices for your search are low, typical or high compared to past averages for the same route. But starting this week, for searches with reliable trend data, users will now see when prices have typically been lowest for their destination and dates.
- Price tracking - By turning on a price tracking feature, Google will automatically notify you if flight prices drop “significantly.” You can set it up to track for specific dates or for “any dates” to find out about deals anytime in the next three to six months.
- Price guarantee - On some flight results, you’ll see a price guarantee badge pop up and if you book one of those flights, Google will monitor the price every day before takeoff. If the price goes down, they’ll pay you back the difference through Google Pay. The price guarantees are part of a pilot program available for certain Book on Google itineraries departing from the U.S.
According to Google, the best time to book flights for winter holiday vacations is around early October. The company shares, “Average prices tend to be lowest 71 days before departure – a big change from our 2022 insights, which found that average prices were lowest just 22 days before departure.”
Google has also released the most-searched destinations on Google Flights so far this year for trips from December 20th, 2023 to January 5th, 2024, from U.S. airports. The top 10 most-searched winter holiday destinations are:
- Cancun
- Miami / Fort Lauderdale
- London
- New York
- Tokyo
- San Juan
- Honolulu
- Orlando
- Paris
- Los Angeles
Source: CNN