Google Flights offers a useful feature for budget-conscious travelers: price alerts. With price alerts, you can get notified when airfare prices drop, allowing you to snag the best deals. This guide will walk you through setting up price alerts, managing them, and using tips to get the most out of Google Flights.
Why Use Price Alerts?
Price alerts can save you time and money by notifying you about fare changes, especially if you’re tracking flights over several weeks or months. They are particularly valuable when you’re flexible with your travel plans or are waiting for the best possible price before booking.
Step 1: Search for Your Flight
To get started with price alerts, first perform a flight search. Open Google Flights in your browser and enter your departure and destination cities. If you’re flexible about where you want to travel, you can even leave the destination field blank or enter “Anywhere” to get suggestions. Select your travel dates or use the flexible dates feature to explore a range of options.
Step 2: Set Up Price Alerts
Once your flight search results appear, look for the “Track Prices” toggle below the list of available flights. You can track prices for a specific flight or multiple flights based on your departure and destination. Switch on the “Track Prices” toggle, and Google Flights will begin monitoring prices for you. Make sure you are logged into your Google account to receive notifications. This ensures you’ll get email updates whenever there is a price change for the flights you’re watching.
Step 3: Receive Notifications
Once price tracking is enabled, you’ll receive email alerts whenever prices drop or increase for your chosen flight routes. Google Flights updates you in real time, so you can act quickly when prices fall. If you’re tracking multiple flights for flexible dates, this can help you spot trends and choose the best time to book.
Step 4: Manage and Customize Price Alerts
You can manage your tracked flights easily by going back to the Google Flights homepage and clicking on the Menu (three horizontal lines). From there, select “Tracked Flights” to see the list of flights you’re monitoring. You can remove alerts you no longer need or modify the details if your travel plans change. If you’re flexible on dates, consider tracking prices for several date ranges to maximize your chances of finding a great deal.
Best Practices for Using Price Alerts
1. Set Alerts Early: The earlier you start tracking flights, the better. This allows you to monitor fare trends over time, giving you a better chance to book at the lowest price.
2. Track Multiple Destinations: If you’re considering more than one destination, set up price alerts for each. For instance, track flights to nearby airports or different cities within the same region to compare prices.
3. Monitor Off-Peak Travel Dates: Price alerts can be especially helpful when you’re planning to travel during less busy times. You’re more likely to see price drops on off-peak days, such as weekdays or shoulder seasons.
4. Act Quickly: Once you get notified of a significant price drop, book your flight as soon as possible. Flight deals are often short-lived, and prices can increase again quickly.
Conclusion
Setting up price alerts on Google Flights is a simple but powerful tool for getting the best possible airfare. By tracking price changes over time, you can monitor multiple destinations, compare flexible travel dates, and act fast when the perfect deal comes up. It’s an easy way to save both time and money, making your travel planning more efficient and cost-effective.
By following these steps and best practices, you’ll have a better chance of finding affordable flights, whether you’re planning a spontaneous getaway or waiting for the right price on a long-planned vacation. Start using price alerts today and enjoy stress-free flight booking!