Google Updates Flight Search Results To Help Find Cheaper Fares via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has introduced new features and insights to help people find cheaper flights through Google Flights.

In a blog post, Google announces search results now provide more information on historical pricing trends, price tracking notifications, and a price guarantee badge.

New Insights Show Cheapest Time to Book Specific Trips

Screenshot: blog.google/products/travel/google-flights-find-deals/, August 2023.

Google Flights will now display insights on the cheapest historical booking window for your destination and travel dates.

This lets you see whether prices are typically lower when booking farther in advance or closer to departure.

The tool looks at past pricing data to tell users if they’re in the “sweet spot” for booking the lowest fare. This takes some guesswork out of deciding whether to book now or keep monitoring prices and wait for a better deal.

Price Tracking Alerts Notify Travelers of Fare Drops

Screenshot: blog.google/products/travel/google-flights-find-deals/, August 2023.

In addition to the historical data, Google Flights has improved its price tracking feature.

You can enable alerts to be notified if prices for their searched itinerary drop significantly at any point after setting up tracking.

Price tracking works for specific travel dates or more flexible date ranges within the next 3-6 months.

The feature lets you automatically monitor fares rather than checking manually.

Price Guarantee Badges

Screenshot: blog.google/products/travel/google-flights-find-deals/, August 2023.

Google is piloting price guarantee badges on some flight search results. This indicates Google is confident that the current fare won’t decrease before departure.

If you book a flight with the guarantee badge and the fare does happen to drop, Google will refund the difference.

The price protection applies to ‘Book on Google’ flights from the U.S.

2023 Flight Booking Trends

Based on historical pricing data, Google has released flight booking trend predictions for 2023.

Tips from 2022 remain useful, like saving money by taking a layover flight or avoiding weekend departures. However, there are notable changes for Christmas flights and flights to Europe.

The best deals for mid-December trips will likely be found in early October this year. The typical low price range is now 54-78 days before departure, a significant shift from the 22-day window in 2022.

For flights from the U.S. to Europe, average prices are usually lowest 72+ days before departure. Fares from the U.S. to Europe tend to get more expensive over time, especially within ten weeks of the departure date.

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