Google Flights has recently become an incredible resource for finding the cheapest airline tickets online. You can use Google Flights to compare ticket prices across multiple airlines, find the lowest fares and even book your tickets all in one place, but it can be difficult to navigate all of the different features if you’re not familiar with how it works. Read on to learn all about how Google Flights compares to other travel booking sites and what you can do to make sure you get the lowest price on your next trip! Google Flights: How to Get the Cheapest Deals on Airline Tickets
The first step: picking your flight
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After you enter your location and travel dates, Google will provide you with a map that shows all of your options. This is where things get a little tricky, because each airline has its own pricing strategy. If you want to find cheap flights, search for them one by one. This can be time consuming, but it’s worth it if you end up saving yourself some money. And don’t forget to check out low-cost carriers like Frontier Airlines or Spirit Airlines. They might not fly everywhere you want to go, but they do offer deals from time to time.
The second step: pick your airports
When planning your cheap flights, think about what you can afford and where you want to go. Decide which airports are convenient for you, then do some research based on your preferences and needs. In general, if you’re not fussy about traveling during a certain time of year—or even from a specific city—you can get cheaper tickets by choosing airports that aren’t as popular. For example, flying into or out of smaller regional airports is often less expensive than flying into major hubs. If you don’t mind taking connecting flights or breaking up your trip with layovers, try searching for multi-city trips to find lower fares. You might also be able to save money by flying into one airport and out of another; sometimes it costs less to fly into an airport in one state and leave from another state (if there are direct flights).
The third step: check in dates
If you’re not an expert at using Google Flights, it can be easy to overlook another important factor. Make sure you check your flight’s check-in date before booking. Some airlines let passengers check in early, but others charge a fee for any flights booked outside of 24 hours before takeoff time. And if you have frequent flyer miles or credit card points, they may expire sooner than that if you don’t use them often enough. In some cases, checking in earlier is free. In others, it’ll cost you. Either way, always double check before buying tickets—or risk losing out on rewards and perks that come with loyalty programs.
The fourth step: flights from nearby airports
When you’re using Google Flights, there’s a simple process you can follow that will let you find flights from nearby airports. Let’s say your original flight is out of Chicago O’Hare airport; it could be faster and cheaper to fly into Milwaukee, only about 75 miles away. You might not want to stay overnight there, but when it comes time for your next leg (and if it’s cheaper), that’s what you’ll do. You may even be able to catch an earlier flight by booking through a different airport. For example, if your final destination is in California, why not book a connecting flight in Los Angeles instead of San Francisco? The point is that you should always look at nearby airports before settling on one location.
The fifth step – look at your other options
If you do not have a credit score, your best bet is going to be getting a secured card. However, if you are looking at airline miles, you could potentially get those with Chase by signing up for their co-branded cards – Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve. These cards both offer sign-up bonuses of 50,000 miles once spending $4,000 in 3 months. The catch here is that these cards come with an annual fee of $95 per year (but they do come with perks like a free companion ticket after meeting spend requirements). You can also look into travel rewards credit cards that don’t require a high credit score like The Amex EveryDay Credit Card from American Express which offers 2x points at US supermarkets and 1x points on all other purchases.
Final tips
Use Google Flights’ multi-city search feature when booking flights. You can filter results by departure and arrival times and price ranges, which helps you find a route with cheap flight options. Remember that not all dates are created equal—for example, airfare is typically cheaper during the week than it is over weekends. If you want to save money, avoid flying on peak days like Saturday or Sunday.