If you want to save money on flights this holiday season, or
any time of year, a little bit of planning can go a long way. Most of the time,
it’s better to book on the early side, especially when your plans aren’t very
flexible. But flight prices do change frequently, and there are often low fares
to be found with the right tools (and some perseverance).
So, for all the thrifty travelers out there, we’re sharing a
few new and existing ways Google Flights can help you find a great deal.
1. Get new insights on the cheapest time to book
On Google Flights, you can already see whether current
prices for your search are low, typical or high compared to past averages for
the same route. But the age-old question remains: Is it better to book now or
wait for lower prices to come along?
So, beginning of September 2023, the team launched upgraded
insights to make that choice a bit easier. For searches with reliable trend
data, you’ll now see when prices have typically been lowest to book your chosen
dates and destination.
For example, these 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.
2. Turn on price tracking
If you do want to wait for lower fares before you
book, price tracking can do most of the heavy lifting for you. When
you enable price tracking, we’ll automatically notify you if flight prices drop
significantly. You can set up tracking for specific dates, like your best
friend’s destination wedding in February. Or, if you’re more flexible, you can
turn on “Any dates” price tracking to receive emails about deals anytime in the
next three to six months. To enable this feature, make sure you’re logged into
your Google account.
3. Snag a price guarantee
On some flight results, you’ll see a colorful 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. These price guarantees are
part of a pilot program available for select Book on Google
itineraries departing from the U.S.
2023 flight booking trends
Outside of these tools, we’ve gathered other information to
help you travel on a budget. Last year, we shared money-saving insights based
on historical pricing trends on Google Flights. We ran the numbers again with
the latest data1,
and most of the tips from 2022 still hold true: Taking a layover or avoiding
weekend departures are among the best ways to save on your next flight booking.
But things have changed a bit for flights
around Christmas and flights to Europe. In both scenarios, you’ll want to book
even earlier than usual, especially if you’re heading across the pond. Here’s
what we found:
Best time to book flights for Christmas: For
trips starting in mid-December, you’re most likely to find deals around 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.
Best time to book flights from the U.S. to Europe: Average
prices have been lowest 72 days or more before departure. In other words,
average airfares from the U.S. 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.
Source: https://blog.google/products/travel/google-flights-find-deals/
