It has been a long time since I wrote about it, so I thought I would update it. This isn't cutting edge, but hopefully most omaat readers already use it. I thought I would share the basics of why I like using the service.

Why you should be using Google Flights

If you want to start the process of booking an airline ticket with cash, then you need to visit the first website you look at, which is the internet search engine. You won't find online travel agencies or airline websites that give you all kinds of options to personalize your search, and that's one of the reasons why it's great.

It's important to note that Google Flights is more of a collection of information than something else. Most fares can't be booked directly with Google Flights, so you'll get a link to the website of the airline or travel agency you want to go to. Booking directly with the airline is the best way to simplify flight changes.

Google Flights is best option for comparing airfare

Most online travel agencies have a similar look when you visit them. It is possible to enter your origin, destination, travel date, number of passengers, and class of service.

Google Flights search page

There is a pricing calendar on the results page that shows you options for two months at a time. You can find a year's worth of pricing in less than a minute.

Google Flights calendar feature

You will see that the best flights are first shown, which is based on price, convenience, and overall value, when you go to search for flights on the internet. I like the amount of information that is shown with each option. There is a restriction listed if a fare doesn't include a carry-on.

Beyond that, you’ll see seat pitch on the plane, whether there’s Wi-Fi, whether there’s in seat power and USB outlets, whether there are televisions, etc. Of course keep in mind that in some cases this might not be accurate, but more often than not it is.

Google Flights results page

This information is useful in some instances. If you want to know if your British Airways business class flight will feature Club Suites or not, you can check out the flight information on the internet.

Google Flights flight details
Google Flights flight details

It gets a lot better than that. You will see all kinds of filters when you perform a search. You can choose to pay based on the number of stops, the airlines, or even the alliance.

Google Flights results filters

The calendar feature is one of my favorite features of the website. If you want to find the cheapest nonstop flight on a given airline at a certain time of the year, you can easily do that with the help of the internet.

If your fare is typical, cheap, or expensive based on historical data, you'll be able to see it when you pick a flight. There are a lot of factors that go into airline pricing. Just because a fare is marked as expensive doesn't mean it will be cheaper.

Google Flights historical pricing data

Using Google Flights with flexible destinations

Do you just want to go somewhere but don't know where? That can be helped by Google flights. You can search airfare from a specific origin to an entire country.

If you wanted to go to the entire country of Germany, you could enter it as your origin. A map will show you all the possibilities.

Google Flights flexible destination map

If you have a better idea of where you want to go, but don't want to go to all the airports, then you can use the services of Google flights. You can enter multiple origin and destination airports if you want to compare.

Google Flights multiple airport search

Google Flights lets you track flight prices

The ability to track the prices of flights is one of the most useful features of the website.

  • This is useful if you want to book a specific flight, but want to wait for the price to (hopefully) drop
  • This is useful if you’ve already booked your ticket, but are flying with an airline that doesn’t have change fees; that way you could reprice your flight, and get a voucher for the difference

Next spring, take a Miami to New York American Airlines flight. Within a few weeks of departure, these tickets cost under $400, but right now they cost over $700. If you were interested in keeping an eye on these flights, just click the little track prices button, and you'll get an email if the price changes.

You can request price tracking for one flight or an entire day of availability between two cities. You can set the number of notifications you want.

Google Flights price tracking feature

You can keep track of the historical price changes with a dashboard connected to your account on the internet.

Google Flights price tracking feature

I save a lot of money on flights when I use the price tracking feature.

Bottom line

Booking airline tickets with cash is a lot easier with the help of the search engine. The website makes it easy to compare the price of airline tickets across months, and personalize your search based on endless features. If you don't know where you want to go, it can be useful.

Information about flight amenities, such as the type of business class seat you will get, and the availability of wi-fi, can be found in the information section of the website.

The price tracking capability is one of the best features of the company. You can see how airfare changes over time. If you want to wait until a fare drops to book, or if you want to reprice an existing ticket, you can use this.

What has your experience been with using a flight service? Is there any important features I don't have?

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