Anyone who's ever bought an airplane ticket or booked a flight knows the dreaded horror of rapidly changing prices, but Google wants to help: enter the new and improved Google Flights.
The company just announced a neat, new feature that aims to help users find the best time to book a flight at the best price. Google Flights now brings new updates to mobile notifications for airplane tickets and hotel accommodation.
As Google explains, the updated Google Flights will notify users when a current fare they're interested in is about to expire for a specific flight. Google Flights will also let users know how much they can save if they book the flight on the spot, before the fare expires.
The updates also allow users to search for specific flights or routes that also include notifications with useful tips on how to get the best price. According to Google, such tips may vary from alternate dates or airports for a certain flight or route to expected ticket increases based on historic prices for a given route. Tapping on that card will display more information such as when the price is expected to jump and by how much.
Over the following weeks, Google Flights will also start rolling out email notifications to alert users of price drops or increases for the flights and routes they're tracking.
"Fare expiration and expected price jump notifications will be rolling out over the coming weeks everywhere Google Flights is available," notes Google. "You'll also continue to receive updates when prices actually do increase or decrease significantly for tracked flights."
The "Explore" feature, meanwhile, aims to serve as inspiration for those who are not yet sure where to go on vacation. The feature will help users find ideas on various destinations based on the type of vacation they're looking for.
Aside from price alerts for plane tickets, Google Flights is also offering a neat filter to signal hotel discounts. Various deals on hotel accommodation can be found under the "Deals" section, just one tap away. Google will also notify users if there are deals for loyalty members on hotels' websites.
According to Google, as much as 69 percent of leisure travelers in the United States worry that they're not taking advantage of the best deals and prices when planning a vacation and booking their flights and/or accommodation. Google Flights could be a good ally in the hunt for the best fares, helping users find the best options.
That said, keep in mind that Google will be sourcing this information based on historic data on flight costs, which means that it may not always be 100 percent accurate.
