How Google Flights Will Change Your Trip Planning For Good

If you’re like most travel planners, you may not have even known that Google Flights was a thing, until the recent updates were rolled out. Originally called Google Flight Search, the search tool has been shaking up nerves at other flight search companies for a few years now.

Travel Pulse spoke to Seth Cassel, co-founder of a marketing company called EveryMundo that helps airlines with their online presence. He said that while the company was initially worried that Google Flights would cause problems for airlines, he’s since revised that opinion. After all, travelers don’t book their flights directly through Google, and most searches end up sending the user to the airline to book. Ultimately, Google Flights will probably have more of an impact on websites like Expedia and Kayak, which travelers use to search and purchase their tickets.

So why should you switch over to Google Flights to plan your next vacation?

Google Maps

According to Google, more than half of travelers aren’t sure where they want to go when they start planning their destination. When you first go to the Google Flights website, you’re presented with normal search bars, but you can also click on a map to zero in on a region, and see what flights might be in your price range. If you’re just curious what’s out there, you can click “I’m feeling lucky,” and based on your search history, Google will suggest destinations that might tempt you.

Search Features

Suppose you know where you want to travel, but your dates are flexible. Once you’ve searched for your destinations, you can click on the map to look several months into the future and see when flights for the span on time you have will be less—or more—expensive. While I was searching for flights to Washington, DC, from my home town, Google Flights let me know that by adding a day on each side of my trip, I could save $185. To take advantage of that, all I had to do was click on the tip, not change my dates at all.

Track Pricing

As Huffington Post points out, once you’ve decided on a flight, you can use Google Now to track the price before you book. Eric Zimmerman, manager of Google Flights, recommends against this practice at Pix11 , however.

Though it’s sometimes hard to pull the trigger because you’re afraid the price will drop tomorrow (or next Tuesday, maybe?), our experience shows it’s usually best to book right away.