Google Flights Unveils New Feature to Help Travelers Find the Cheapest Airfares

According to News Week, Looking to book cheap flights for the upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas? A new feature launched today on Google Flights aims to help travelers find more affordable flight options through a new “Cheapest” tab.

New “Cheapest” Tab Launches

The introduction of this feature comes at an opportune time, as October is identified as the best month to book U.S. flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to Google’s latest travel trends report. Starting this week, travelers can enter their trip details on Google Flights and click on the “Cheapest” tab to discover “more options with even lower prices.”

A Google spokesperson shared with Newsweek that this feature will launch globally over the next two weeks, showing more affordable options that include additional offers from online travel agents and “creative” itineraries. This may include longer layovers or booking different segments of a trip with multiple airlines or booking providers.

Layover Flights Gain Popularity

Search interest for “layover flight(s)” peaked in January this year, highlighting a growing trend among travelers looking for cheaper options. The new Google Flights feature accommodates travelers who are willing to endure multiple layovers or sacrifice certain conveniences to secure the best flight deals.

For instance, travelers might find lower prices through third-party booking sites compared to airline prices. Additionally, returning to a different airport in the same city, such as departing from LaGuardia and returning to JFK, may lead to further savings.

Insights from Google’s Travel Trends Report

According to Google’s 2024 travel trends report, nonstop flights are, on average, 25% more expensive than flights with layovers. Furthermore, the cheapest days of the week to fly are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which are found to be 13% cheaper than flying on weekends.

The report also indicates that, for Thanksgiving travelers, prices tend to be lowest 45 days before departure, with a low price range occurring 26-59 days out. This suggests that early October was the optimal time to book flights for those traveling just before or after the holiday.

For Christmas travelers, the best booking window is the latter half of October, as prices are typically lowest 58 days prior to departure, with a low price range of 36-72 days out.

Future Travel Trends

Looking ahead to spring breaks, domestic trips in March or April can also benefit from strategic booking. The lowest prices are typically found 44 days before departure, with a low price range of 33-59 days out.

For those planning domestic trips in July or August, last-minute bargains may be available, with prices lowest 21 days before departure and a low price range of 13-43 days out.

Record Travel Anticipated This Year

The latest announcement from Google Flights coincides with forecasts of “record highs” in travel this year. Global tourism spending is projected to reach $2 trillion, according to a December 2023 survey by Euromonitor International. An October report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) noted that total passenger demand in August increased by 8.6% compared to the same month last year, with a record load factor of 86.2% for available airline seats.