Savvy travelers know that when it comes to booking your next trip, there are plenty of deals to be had as long as you’re open to a less straightforward itinerary. Now, cheap airfare is accessible on Google Flights, thanks to the platform’s latest update.
Google Flights Just Added a Cheapest Tab
Announced today on Google’s blog, you’ll now see a Cheapest tab when using Google Flights to search for airfare. In the past, the platform had only displayed what it considered as the Best flight options, marrying good prices with qualities of convenience, such as shorter durations and fewer transfers. As of today, you can toggle between Best and Cheapest airfare, depending on your priorities.
The Cost of Cheap Flights
Google’s Cheapest flights won’t be for everyone, and they can require a more adventurous spirit. Flight deals found under Google’s Cheapest tab might involve more “creative” itineraries, to use the company’s word. Trade-offs you might find in these less-expensive options include:
- Purchasing airfare from a third-party site, such as Expedia or Mytrip
- Flying in and out of different airports
- Particularly long layovers
- Self-transfers and booking different legs of the trips with separate airlines
How Does Google Compare to Other Flight Aggregators?
Google is not necessarily breaking new ground with the Cheapest tab. Other flight aggregators like Skyscanner and Kiwi.com have long had this feature, along with the same trade-offs. But with a company as versed in scouring the internet for information as Google is, I could see how the platform might exceed those that have been doing it for years. For example, one of the common issues with flight comparison aggregators is inconsistent pricing. I’ve certainly gone after a flight deal on a platform like Skyscanner before, only to find that the price was inaccurate when I ultimately tried to purchase, or that it did not include additional baggage fees.
While I can imagine Google’s technology leading to more accurate representation of available travel deals, no company can make up for the consequences of budget travel. Google does have tools to make travel easier, but the Cheapest tab is not a feature for ease—it’s a feature for your wallet. And hey, cheap flights can be perfect for solo adventurers, but they come at a cost, and that cost is your sanity.
