Google Launches New Feature That Helps Book Cheaper Flights. Here's How It Works

Google Flights has introduced a new feature that will be beneficial for travellers aiming to save money on airfare. The new feature, which was officially announced through a blog post on Monday morning, offers guidance from Google on the most budget-friendly period for booking flights.

This addition complements the existing price tracking alerts and a price guarantee choice that are already available on the platform. The tech giant has promised to give new insights on the "cheapest time to book."

"For searches with reliable trend data, you'll now see when prices have typically been lowest to book your chosen dates and destination," said Google in the blog post.

How does it work?

For example, the new insights could tell you that the cheapest time to book similar trips is usually two months before departure, and you're currently in that sweet spot. 

Or you might learn that prices have usually dropped closer to takeoff, so you decide to wait before booking. Either way, you can make that decision with a greater sense of confidence.

The technology behemoth has also unveiled its flight booking trends for 2023, derived from historical pricing patterns observed on Google Flights.

Secure a price guarantee:

"On some flight results, you'll see a colourful price guarantee badge, which means we're especially confident the fare you see today won't get any lower before departure. When you book one of these flights, we'll monitor the price every day before takeoff, and if the price does go down, we'll pay you back the difference via Google Pay," the blog post notes.

"These price guarantees are part of a pilot programme available for select Book on Google itineraries departing from the US."

The best time to book flights for Christmas:

According to Google, for trips starting in mid-December, you're most likely to find deals in early October. 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. And the typical low price range is now 54-78 days before takeoff.

The best time to book flights from the US to Europe is:

Average prices have been at their lowest 72 days or more before departure. In other words, average airfares from the US to Europe only tend to increase over time, especially once you're about 10 weeks from departure. So if you want to dust off that passport, you should book your flight as soon as possible.