How To...Travel: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks
Our down and dirty guide on how we travel.
4/25/2017
How to...Use google FlightsI am going to make a very bold statement--Google Flights is the best thing to come to air travel since the jet engine. For those who are unfamiliar, Google Flights is a service offered by Google that allows you to easily search flights and prices all around the globe. There are several apps and websites that do similar (many are familiar with SkyScanner) however, as expected, Google does it best. Let's say I’m trying to send my parents to Europe for their 35th wedding anniversary. Now, they've never been to Europe, so anywhere would be great. I know they aren't too comfortable with foreign languages so let's take a look at how much it might cost to get to London, with Paris as a second choice, during the timeframe I think they can go. First let's take a look at google flights... here you can see the interface is very simple. Departing location, destination, and dates The best thing about Google flights, in my opinion, is the filters. Some other sites do this however, Google does it exceptionally well. The speed with which Google is able to provide results is impressive considering the wait times on some airline sites. Also google includes the vast majority of airlines virtually instantly. Back to our search. Since this is a gift, I’d like for them to fly Business class so I’ve selected that filter. And you can see, Google gives you the total price, not the per person/per leg price that the airlines like to give you. I think this gives a very easy way to compare costs. This price includes fees charged by the airlines, so when you go to buy, this is the number you will see at checkout. What's also very cool is the calendar option. When you select the date, it will list the lowest available price, within your pre selected filters, for each day. To get the best deals as you look for flights, you may want to change your departure location. Particularly for long-haul flights, you may be able to get some decent savings out of a little longer drive. Google will also offer you some tips. Let's say I select Philadelphia as my departing location. Google will tell me that I could fly for hundreds less from New York-JFK which is relatively close. If you don't see the price you want today, just turn on the tracking option and google will update you with any changes in price. In the end London was a bit expensive however, I was able to book my parents a flight in business class from Philadelphia to Paris for under $5,000 round trip with the help of Google Flights. My original search on my preferred airline’s booking page resulted in a fair much closer to $10,000 (love you mom and dad but...no). DanDan is a founding writer with WeWent and is currently looking forward to several upcoming local trips in addition to planning a major international trip this fall. |
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