Typically, the first site I visit when planning a trip is Google Flights. It’s fast and easy to use, and every major US airline lists its flights there (even Southwest). If you’ve ever used Google Flights, you are likely familiar with the way that the site displays search results — the flights with the best combination of price and convenience are listed at the top, and all the others are below that. But what if your number one priority is saving money?
This week, the company announced an all-new “Cheapest” tab that is now rolling out for Google Flights. As the name suggests, the tab will surface the most affordable routes it can find for your trip, even if that involves more work on your part.
As Google Search product manager Wishy Arora said in a blog post, you might have to resort to more creative itineraries if you want to save the most money. This might involve longer layovers, red-eye flights, or “self-transfers,” which require you to recheck your luggage.
The Cheapest feature on Google Flights might also prompt you to book different legs of your trip through more than one airline or booking site. Again, this will be more difficult and stressful than booking a direct flight, but it could save you hundreds.
Finally, Arora also points out that the company’s insights suggest that “the cheapest fares for U.S. domestic trips around Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually bookable in October.” Now might be a good time to test out the new feature.
The update is rolling out globally over the next two weeks, so don’t fret if you can’t find it yet.
