How to Use Google Flights to Find Cheap Flights

Save money by using the power of Google to book the cheapest flights

Updated 3 January 2020
Google Flights is an excellent tool for finding cheap flights, and operates a little bit differently to Webjet and Skyscanner. You can’t purchase a ticket directly with Google Flights; instead, you're promoted to visit the airline or travel agent who offers the lowest price. It has additional features that make finding a cheap flight very easy, especially if you’re flexible with dates and what airline you fly.

In this guide, we explain how to use Google Flights to find the cheapest flights, and what to watch out for along the way. We cover:

​Google Flights has many specific advantages:

  1. It’s really fast – the power of Google engineering lets you see cheap flights within seconds of picking your route.
  2. The calendar feature – Google Flights lets you see fares on any date, up to 11 months in the future.
  3. Multiple airport search – You can select up to seven destination airports, for example, if you wanted to go to Asia, you could enter in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo. Google Flights will show you the cheapest flights for all those destinations.
  4. Map-based search - It’s straightforward to see the cheapest places to fly by selecting your departure airport and dragging the map to where you want to go.
  5. Transparent pricing – for many direct flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Google Flights reveals more often than not that the cheapest tickets are found from booking directly with the airline (LINK).

Google Flights could improve in some areas:

  1. ​Not every airline shows up – for example, Air China, which routinely offers bargain deals out of Auckland to Beijing and beyond, doesn’t list on Google Flights.
  2. It doesn’t display major travel agencies for booking – you won’t find live prices from Flight Centre, and House of Travel isn’t featured. Instead, you’ll find airlines, online travel agencies or sites like Expedia and GoToGate.
  3. It’s not always the best deal – travel agents like Flight Centre regularly offer flight deals that not even the airlines themselves can beat. For example, Flight Centre’s recent ‘take a mate’ deal cost $698 return for two people to go Auckland to Sydney. The best price Google Flights could get was $955, some 43% more expensive.
  4. No packages – Flights with hotels or car rental included are not a feature.
  5. Prices that don’t exist – by far the most frustrating feature is that you select your flights only to find out the fare doesn’t exist. In such instances, you’ll either see a jump in the fare and/or a prompt to “Book with a travel agent” or “Call (airline name) to book”. No travel agent or airline will honour the fare, so it’s a waste of time trying.

How to use Google Flights to find cheap flights

​Google Flights searches flights on most airline websites, as well as trusted online travel agencies like Expedia and Mix & Match (a House of Travel platform). We walk through the process to maximize Google Flights' features and find cheap flights, step by step. 
Google Flights NZ Review
Google Flights booking options

Choosing your departure and arrival cities on Google Flights

  • You’ll be prompted to enter where you’re leaving from and where you’re going, along with your preferred dates.
  • Flying to Europe or America? Many cities have multiple airports so be general and just enter the city.
  • London, for example, as Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), City (LCY), Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN) and Southend (SEN). If you insert ‘LHR’, Google Flights won’t consider prices to other local airports, which may offer cheaper airfares.  

Selecting travel dates

  • Google Flights is unique from other booking sites – it shows prices as you enter your travel dates. If you’re flexible, you can choose the cheapest day. As you move months with the scroller, prices for each day will appear.
  • If you’re booking a return flight, the cheapest days to travel will be displayed in the same way. Once confirmed, the total price will show up with the airlines and booking options.
Google Flights NZ Review
Google Flights price calendar reveals the cheapest day to fly

​Specifying one-way or return, passenger numbers and travel class

You can edit your preferences further using the drop-down options above the dates (marked in a blue box in the above illustration). The default settings are ‘return journey, one passenger flying in economy.
​

​Adding bags and specifying airlines and stops

  • Below the destination field, as marked in green above, you can add luggage and specify any preferred airlines.
  • We found that while researching Google Flights, the Bags feature doesn’t accurately reflect the flight prices from Jetstar and Air New Zealand flights, among others.
  • What does this mean? If you are looking for domestic New Zealand flights, or Australia, Pacific Island and regional leisure (Bali, Hawaii etc.) flights, the prices probably won't be accurate until you add luggage on the airline's website.
​

Sorting the results

  • ​Google Flights orders airlines based on what they think are the “Best departing flights”. By doing so, Google says it chooses options to “give you the best trade-off between price and convenience, based on factors such as duration, number of stops and airport changes during layovers”.
  • It’s worth looking beyond this shortlist to “Other departing flights” to see if the times, airlines, duration and prices work better for you.
  • Important: The price displayed by Google Flights will (usually) be in New Zealand Dollars, and will always include taxes, surcharges and booking fees. Check that the currency is NZD by scrolling to the bottom of the page. This will avoid nasty surprises of booking thinking it’s NZD but being charged AUD, or, and even worse, USD.
Google Flights NZ Review
Setting the currency to NZD using Google Flights

Booking on Google Flights

  • The next step is to confirm your outbound and return dates, which will prompt you to select an online travel agency (OTA) or an airline. In the example below, the OTAs listed are Trip.com (a Chinese company) and Expedia (the American giant). You can also book directly with Malaysia Airlines. You’ll notice the significant price difference – this happens regularly with Google Flights, so booking the cheapest flight is always the best idea.
  • Remember - Google Flights is only a flight search engine; it’s not an OTA. Google Flights doesn’t sell tickets, so whatever flights you see will need to be purchased with an OTA or airline. Google Flights simply displays the price options and makes money if you buy the ticket by taking a commission from the airline or OTA.
  • For example, if you click to book with Air New Zealand, you’ll be taken to the Air New Zealand fare selection page, and you’ll enter in your personal and payment details. Once confirmed, Air New Zealand will issue your ticket.​
Google Flights NZ Review
A typical example of Google Flights booking options

Google announces if the flights you’ve chosen are ‘cheap’ flights

​If your price is seen as ‘low’, Google Flights will tell by showing you the price compared to the typical price range.
​
However, a good price flight might have punishingly long layovers in Australia (or somewhere not a transit-friendly) or see you fly a less-direct route. Just because the price is ‘good’ doesn’t mean it’s right for you.  
Google Flights NZ Review
An example when Google Flights states that the price for a trip selected is below the average price paid

Be aware: Some prices may change or disappear when you try to book them

In some instances, Google Flights shows cheap flights, but when you click through to booking options, they vanish or jump higher. In some cases, you’re told to call the airline or book with a travel agent.

​In such instances, we believe it’s a dead-end as the prices offered won’t be honoured by the airline or travel agent. Such instances are rare for flights ex Auckland (or anywhere in New Zealand), but they can happen. In such cases, it’s best to scroll back to the starting screen and select different flights.
Google Flights NZ Review
An example of 'unbookable' Google Flights results

Track prices by ​setting up Google Flights Alerts

  • ​If you know your dates but are not ready to buy, you can set a price alert for the flights you want.
  • This is done by toggling on the "Track prices". You’ll need to be signed in to a Google account (i.e. Gmail) for this to work.
  • What happens is good and bad – you’ll get an email every time the price changes, but this may also flood your inbox as changes can occur multiple times per day (for some flights).
  • Google Flights won’t let you set parameters around the alert, i.e. “email me when the price gets below $...”. You’re unable to set alerts for a date range either.
Google Flights NZ Review
An example of a user switching on Google Flights price alerts

Understand that Google Flights, Skyscanner and Flight Centre offer different things

It depends on what route you’re looking at. For flights from New Zealand to Australia, Asia, America and Europe, Google Flights is a safe bet to get an idea of prices. Our suggestion is to do the following:
  1. Price your preferred dates on Google Flights
  2. Compare using Skyscanner to see if any better deals are available – Skyscanner uses smaller online travel agents who may be cheaper (but you take a risk with their terms and conditions)
  3. Check out Flight Centre offers to see if any sales apply to your intended travel plans

Frequently asked questions about Google Flights

Google Flights is easy to use, but it's not for everyone. The FAQs below explain the limitations and what to watch out for.

How does Google Flights get its prices?

Google Flights is connected to airline and online travel agent airfare inventory which lets it show prices near-instantly to anyone using the tool. The prices are continuously updated, but the final price may, in some instances, be different from the first price quoted. Unlike Skyscanner, there’s no app, so all bookings must be made via the website.

​Unlike the Expedia, House of Travel or Flight Centre websites, you won’t pay Google Flights. Instead, you’ll book with the airline or travel agent. Google Flights then charges a small commission to the company you booked with for ‘referring’ you. Google Flights has no control over flight prices, nor does it offer packages or special offers. Like Google, it shows what it believes are the best results for what you’re looking for.

Are all airlines flying from New Zealand available on Google Flights?

​In all but two exceptions, yes. You won’t find Air China or Air Chathams on Google Flights, but that’s it. Around the world, Google Flights prices about 98% of IATA-registered airlines.

Does Google Flights show me flexible airfares?

​No – only the lowest prices, i.e. ‘saver’ or ‘special’ fares, are displayed. If you want flexible airfares (which are popular with those who change flights and want to avoid high fees), it’s generally best to book directly with an airline. Flexible airfares vary between airlines, and Google Flights won’t be able to help you compare.

What are the refund and changes policies of Google Flights?

​Google Flights doesn’t have a refund or flight changes policy – what you need to look at is the policy of who you book with. If you book with an airline, the refund and change fees will be displayed on their website. An online travel agent will, typically, bury it in their terms and conditions.

Is it better to book with an airline, local travel agent or online travel agent?

  • ​It depends on your needs and likelihood of changing or cancelling the flight:
  • Booking with an airline gives you full control and means you can deal with their call centre directly.
  • Booking with a local travel agent, i.e. Flight Centre, means you’ll most likely be told about the change and cancellation fees before you pay.
  • Booking with an online travel agent can be complicated – you may have to call an overseas number, and there may be change fees on top of the airline’s fees. Some OTAs don’t offer refunds even if the airline’s ticket allows refunds.
  • For example, Air New Zealand’s Long haul Global Saver fare conditions allow cancellations and changes, whereas their Trans-Tasman Economy Smart Saver conditions only allow changes. If you booked these flights with an OTA, it’s likely they would charge you fees on top of those charged by Air New Zealand.
  • Generally, for a standard return trip with a very low risk of changes being made, any of the above options would be suitable. But if you’re going away and want flexibility, booking with an airline (and not an OTA) is a popular way to go.

Five sites like Google Flights where you’ll find cheap flights​

Looking to cross-check that you've got the best price? These five sites are quick to use and have an excellent reputation among New Zealanders.
1. Kiwi.com
  • Kiwi.com displays fares on its user-friendly calendar. It's a one-stop solution, meaning all prices are final and you'll book directly with Kiwi.com. The useful pricing map shows you what destinations are cheap per month.
  • Kiwi's guarantee covers for delays and cancellations and is included with every booking. This gives you either a full refund or re-booking if the airline won’t assist.

2. Flight Centre
  • Arguably New Zealand's favourite travel agent, Flight Centre routinely offers exclusive deals that its competitors are unlikely to beat.
  • Unlike Google Flights, you can book accommodation. MoneyHub is a big favourite of the Flight Centre Mastercard as well, which offers 0% foreign exchange fees when you spend in foreign currencies.
  • Flight Centre's website offers the same deals as their stores, and it's Flight Centre policy to offer the lowest price (meaning it will price match).

3. Expedia
  • Expedia is the world's biggest travel website and is particularly good for New Zealand rental car deals.
  • Expedia offers flights, hotels and cars, and you have the option to book them all together.

4. Webjet
  • Webjet is a one-stop-shop for New Zealanders to book flights, hotels, packages, car hire and cruises.
  • Webjet exclusive deals and a user-friendly booking interface are popular features.

5. Cheap Flights
  • Cheap Flights claims to compare 1,000+ airlines and travel agents to show the best deals.
  • While the interface isn’t as friendly as Google Flights or Skyscanner, it’s worth checking your dates to see if you can get a better price. It also offers accommodation and car hire.

Important: Remember, Before booking with any travel agency or online travel agent, check:

  1. What are the contact centre options? The best offering is 24/7 phone, the worst is ‘email only’. If you need help with your booking, you want a person to talk to, and you want them as quickly as possible.
  2. What are the cancellation and change fees? The best offering is a small charge, the worst is ‘no refunds, no changes’. Be aware that online travel agents make lots of money from change fees, and you won’t be able to go directly to your airline to make the changes.
Related guides