How to Find Cheap Flights in 2023 : 9 Important Tips for Smooth Travel Planning

Introduction :

In today's fast-paced world, traveling by air has become inevitable and an integral part of our lives. Whether it's for business, leisure, or for emergency travel, finding the right flight at the right price can either make or break your travel experience. Different people make flight bookings in different ways. Some entirely depend upon Travel Agents who charge abnormal charges, some book by themselves by Google search on cheap airfares, and some by visiting the airline website.  One tool that has gained immense popularity in recent years for flight searches and bookings is Google Flights. This powerful platform combines user-friendly features with comprehensive search options to streamline the process of finding and booking flights. In this article, we'll deep dive into 8 essential tips for effectively using Google Flights, along with common mistakes to avoid.

Now we will go through the 9 useful and important tips for finding cheap flights and yet have smooth air travel. 

Tip # 1 Alter your Search Approach.

Normally what we usually do before going on a vacation is to analyze the Trip, such as When can I take a vacation? Where do I want to go?  and then finally negotiate for a flight deal.  But by using this search approach, you will only end up paying more for your flight tickets.  Instead using the following search approach will drastically reduce your flight tickets and yet visit your favorite destination. 

First Search for cheap flights using the following tips and tips that we are going to discuss in detail, then pick the destination to where you want to go ? and finally choose a date based on the optimum timing and Pricing that are available and which will suit your needs.  Believe me, you will definitely find a huge difference in the travel cost that you are going to allocate for your vacation.   The reason is when you have already decided on a particular Destination and date you have a limited choice of what the airline could offer you for that particular date and destination.  Instead, if you go by searching the cheap flights first, then the destination and the date, you can definitely get a better deal even for the same destination that you are planning to go to, but with a different date, route, and time.  

Tip # 2 Use Google Flights Option

What is Google Flight?

Google Flights is a valuable tool for travelers seeking convenience and efficiency in their flight search and booking process. Its intuitive interface, extensive search options, and unique features make it a go-to platform for finding the best flight deals and making informed decisions when planning air travel.

One of the standout features of Google Flights is its ability to display flight prices across a range of dates using the "Date Grid" feature. This allows users to identify the most cost-effective travel dates, giving them the flexibility to adjust their plans to save money.

Another useful aspect of Google Flights is the "Explore" feature, which is especially handy for users who are open to various travel destinations. This feature displays a map with different destinations and corresponding flight prices, helping users discover new places to visit based on their budget.

Google Flights also offers the option to set up price alerts, notifying users via email when the prices of specific flights drop. This feature allows users to closely monitor flight prices and make bookings when rates are at their most favorable.

When users select a flight, Google Flights provides a link to the airline's website or a travel agency where the booking can be completed. This ensures that users have a direct link to the source of the booking, which can be beneficial for making changes or addressing any concerns related to their flights. 

So, Use Google Flights, the search engine for flights for searching cheap flights.  It aggregates the flights and the pricing information across most airlines and gives you recommended airlines and itineraries based on your search criteria. 

Now the basic way to use this is to:

1. key in your departure and arrival airports, and your dates and hit search.  You can also add Filters such as airline alliance, price max, dep arrival times, etc., and hit the itinerary you like and Google will give you the options where to book.  Remember Google Flights is a search engine for flights and not a booking engine.

2. Then click Date Grid: Google will highlight in green the best price available dates. Please note that the more flexible you could be about when you travel can fetch you the more savings for your ticket. 

Tip # 3 Search Multiple Airports

Cities often have multiple airports, and choosing the right one can impact both your travel time and budget. Google Flights enables you to search for flights from and to various airports simultaneously. Expanding your search to include nearby airports might open up better deals or more convenient flight times.

Do you know that you can Search upto 5 different airports and arrival airports in Google Flights, when I do a search in Google Flights, I would key in a bunch of airports that are away with only 2 hours of travel from my destination that I am looking for just to see if any of those airports are cheaper than my closest airport.  You may ask, hey I am not an expert in geography and do not know about the airports that are nearby.  Here you can use the option, “Explore tab” and then Instead of keying in Departure and arrival airport, just key in only Departure airports which gives you a broader area for arrival.

For example, instead of searching say, Chicago to Frankfurt just search Chicago to Europe.  Here Google is going to give you results of what is going to cost you to get to all of these airports across Europe.

Now depending upon how you are searching this actually going to be a very helpful way to decide where you want to go and see if any of the airports listed by Google is cheaper than the destination airport that you are looking for.  In many International destinations, especially Europe, it is ridiculously cheap to get from one place to the other where there are many $20 Liner flights to get from one country to another.

Tip # 4 Use Favourite Tool: Keep Track of Your Options.

Google Flights allows you to save flights to your favorites, making it easy to revisit and compare them later. This feature is particularly handy when you're still deciding on your travel plans or waiting for prices to drop. Your favorites will be accessible across devices, so you can continue your research seamlessly.  There is no guarantee that you will be able to allocate say about an hour’s time in finalizing your flight booking, you may get an important call in between or you may have to leave your laptop for doing some other important work. In this case, Favourite Tool comes in handy so that you can save your work and then revisit it when you are back from your other important work. 

Tip # 5 Use Flight Connections

The flight Connections Option makes it a Smooth Transition Between Flights.  For longer journeys or more remote destinations, flight connections are often inevitable. Google Flights lets you filter results based on the number of layovers and their duration. This feature ensures that you can select the most convenient flight path and minimize the hassle of long layovers.

The search engine shows you all the flights to and from a particular airport.

For example, put Frankfurt in the “To airport” and press enter, it gives all the flights that go to Frankfurt and if we click on any of the resulting airports, it gives details of airlines that fly around and the dates they fly. Between Google Flights, Google Explore, and Flight connections, you can get a handful of information about the options.

There are also some cheap flights that come your way which we will discuss in the next step

Tip # 6 Get price alerts and Cheap Flight emails: Stay informed

Watching flight prices closely is essential to snagging the best deal. Google Flights offers the option to set up price alerts for specific flights or routes. Once the price drops, you'll receive a notification via email. This feature takes the stress out of constantly monitoring prices and helps you book when the rates are in your Favor.

Use Price Alerts and Cheap Flights emails to get cheap flights to your desired destination.

In the Google Flight search if you find an itinerary matching your plan, simply click Track prices and Google will send you email notifications of price changes in the itinerary.  You can also use hopper which tells essentially the same thing.  You can also sign up for cheap flights email services like Scott's cheap flights, or Fare Drop. Basically, these are email lists, that notify you of flight deals and stake fares for your desired destinations.  There are free and paid services for both of these platforms that will save you thousands of dollars for international travel. Depending upon your frequency of travel you can use these services that will save you a lot of money.

Tip # 7 Take Advantage of the 24-Hour Rule: Flexible Bookings

The 24-hour rule, mandated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, gives you a window to cancel or change a flight booking without incurring any fees. Google Flights makes it easy to track this window, ensuring that you can make adjustments if needed without financial repercussions.

In the United States, there is a regulation called the 24-Hour rule that essentially guarantees you the lowest fare, where you can cancel your flight with a full refund if you have done it within a 24-hour window. This only means that if you see a great deal you can book it on the spot and no questions asked you can cancel it within 24 hours if that does not work for you.  However, there are certain conditions tagged to this 24-Hour Rule.

·       Your flight must depart more than 7 days from the date of booking.

·       Book directly with the airline and no third-party bookings like bookings.com

Note that If you have booked through some third party like Skyscanner or Expedia portal you will not get the full refund.

# Tip 8 Booking 1 Ticket at a Time: Optimization for Group Travel

If you're booking flights for a group of people, it's often tempting to purchase all tickets together as you feel everyone in your group can sit together next to you. However, Google Flights offers the flexibility to book each ticket individually. This can be advantageous if there are variations in prices, departure times, or airlines for each traveler, allowing you to optimize your choices.

Book 1 Ticket at a time.  Believe it or not, it is quite expensive to book all the tickets in one vs. separately. Airline pricing is very dynamic and complicated and this would be an oversimplification.   When you search for a flight and book, it tries to put everyone in your party in the same pricing bucket. So, let’s say you and your partner traveler are planning a trip and you find a flight that you are interested in booking, so to search the seats on that flight 1 at a time, and see what the price the airline is giving you back.  Then if you search for both at the same time and the price that the airline gives you is more than double what 1 was you know that it is better to book 1 seat at a time. 

# Tip 9 Mistakes to Avoid

While Google Flights is a fantastic tool, there are certain pitfalls you should avoid to ensure a smooth travel experience:

Avoid these 3 Flight Booking mistakes:

Be careful in booking Basic Economy Ticket. As such there is nothing wrong with booking Basic Economy. But it is important to note what’s included and what’s not included in the basic economy ticket.  First of all, a checked back is rarely going to be included in the Basic Economy ticket. These seats are Nonchangeable and nonrefundable after that 24-hour window. So, if any measure of flexibility is needed, then don’t go in for these bookings. 

Not booking directly with the airlines.  You may find great deals with different 3^rd party booking companies with huge price differences, but it is just not worth it to book through any of these third-party agencies like Skyscanner,  Expedia, Makemytrip, Kayak, Goibibo, Yatra, etc., and book only with direct airline portals.

The drawbacks are :

·       Very hard to change your booking

·       No perks/benefits.

·       Won’t earn Miles

·       Little to No Customer service. 

Be careful with Budget airlines like (Legend and Frontier) in International destinations. Know what you are getting into before booking a budget airline. Bags, seat selection, and Food and beverages all are going to be excluded from the ticket and going to be the over-cart costs that you may have to pay. Another drawback is the Size of the fleet and network. If by any chance your flight gets canceled, you will hardly find any alternate flight that is arranged by the airlines, rather they will refund your money which will not serve your purpose or you may have to wait for 1 more day. You cannot be waiting for a long time for another flight.  Another thing is these budget airlines fly in small regional airports and land in small terminal that is not connected to good transport facility. 

Conclusion :

In conclusion, Google Flights has revolutionized the way we search for and book flights. Its user-friendly interface and powerful features make the entire process smoother and more efficient. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can harness the full potential of Google Flights to secure the best deals, optimize your travel plans, and avoid common booking mistakes. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a first-time flyer, mastering Google Flights can undoubtedly elevate your travel experience. Try Google Flights next time when you travel and commend me in the comment section about your booking experience.  Also forward this article to your friends and colleagues who are frequent fliers, so that they can also be benefited by saving money.  After all, money saved can be spent elsewhere during your trip.

 Also, read the related Article Budget Travel.