Google Flights is one of the new ways innovation is changing the rules of the game and enabling ordinary people take very informed decisions without breaking the bank. The travel app recently released new features that help users who plan to take a trip such as this upcoming holiday. During the holiday season, the app will update users on when flights are likely to increase in price, helping them find good hotel deals, and making travel planning easier on mobile.
After selecting a flight for instance from Lagos to Paris, on the Google Flights app on your mobile, there is a notification that informs you when the current fare is expected to expire. If you press “learn more” you can also see how much you can save if you book at that particular time. You can set up a price alert to send an email whenever prices are expected to change if you are not ready to buy a ticket on the spot. There is also a feature that informs you the cheapest day or month to fly.
When a user presses the small calendar icon located at the top left corner, you will notice prices listed for any given day. It enables you identify prices for both round trip and way tickets. When you are not sure the destination you want to go, a feature under the explore tab can give ideas on destinations to visit based on your preference. For instance, if you intend embarking on a honeymoon destination that boasts good food for one week, you can click the icons and several recommendations will appear.
You can look for destinations in the Caribbean with direct flights only for example. The app also makes it easier to immediately recognise and find more deals when searching on Google for hotels in the location of your choice. Deals are labelled when a hotel’s price is lower than usual compared to historical pricing, or if there are discounts to the normal rate for those dates.
If you will also prefer to just look at hotel deals you can tap in the upper left to filter deals. For users who are spontaneous and love adventure but will want to stay within budget, the app also enables them to pick a destination at random on a map and they will get the estimated price. You can click the map that says, “explore destinations”.
If you type a particular continent like Africa for instance, you will find lots of red dots. Each red dot locates a popular city with transportation. When you hover your mouse over the dot, the estimated price will appear. Apart from empowering you with information, it also reduces the cost of the middlemen. You do not necessarily have to deal with flight agents as you can book the flight yourself from the convenience of your phone.
