What you might want to learn about utilizing Google Flights for award flight searches

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With its interactive maps, historic value charts and quite a few filters that will help you discover the right flight, there’s a lot to like about Google Flights.

Whereas there are many on-line journey companies and flight comparability web sites, there are none like Google Flights. When you cannot use Google Flights to point out the costs utilizing factors and miles, many options could make it worthwhile to make use of when redeeming your hard-earned factors and miles.

Exploring routing choices

One of many hardest components of reserving a long-haul flight on factors and miles is determining all of your routing choices, notably these with the least journey time. It is not laborious to determine which airways run nonstop flights between two cities. For instance, British Airways, United Airways and Virgin Atlantic function nonstop flights between San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).

However what if you happen to’re flying to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) as a substitute? With no nonstop choices, Google Flights might help you rapidly discover one-stop routings.

On this instance, the positioning discovered greater than 80 one-stop choices:

You may uncover new routing choices that will help you search for award area. For instance, on this search, Google Flights exhibits that Air Canada operates a flight immediately from Vancouver Worldwide Airport (YVR) to Bangkok. Assuming there’s award area, that may very well be a perfect strategy to journey to Thailand utilizing Air Canada’s Aeroplan candy spots.

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Filtering by alliance

You probably have factors and miles with an airline member of Star Alliance, Oneworld or SkyTeam, you’ll be able to usually use your loyalty account to e-book award journey on associate airways.

With so many associate airways, it may be tough to trace all of them. However don’t be concerned: Google Flights has you coated.

Say I wish to redeem my United miles to fly to Bangkok on Star Alliance. Sticking with Star Alliance, I am going to obtain my Star Alliance Gold advantages, corresponding to business-class lounge entry on any member service. Click on “Airways” on the high and choose your required alliance:

Your outcomes are then filtered to solely show carriers in that alliance, permitting you to hone in on the precise flights you need. On this case, Google Flights offered me with the 4 greatest Star Alliance matches from SFO to BKK (contemplating information and comfort). A distinct Star Alliance service operates every flight. I also can change the order of the flights to point out the bottom value, earliest departure/arrival instances, and most minimal journey instances and emissions.

For added recommendations on leveraging these applications, try the next guides:

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Evaluating costs

Whereas every of us has completely different standards when deciding whether or not to make use of miles, Google Flights might help examine money and award costs.

For instance, within the search above from San Francisco to Bangkok, which has a Singapore Airways flight for $571, I’d most likely choose to save lots of my miles for one more use when money costs are increased. To e-book this flight, I might think about using fixed-value rewards. In spite of everything, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, I might e-book this flight for 38,000 Chase Final Rewards factors and sure earn Premier qualifying factors to assist me qualify for United Premier standing subsequent yr.

Even if you happen to’re not wanting to make use of your factors and miles, beginning your search with Google Flights nonetheless is smart. Typically when reserving a round-trip flight, it’s cheaper to e-book two separate one-way tickets, even on two completely different airways. Whereas not each on-line journey company gives this selection, Google Flights exhibits you the bottom value and identifies that you simply’re reserving separate tickets.

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Exhibiting alternate airports

You may wish to be nicely knowledgeable about your choices when trying to find award area. That features realizing about all of the close by airports.

While you initially search, you’ll be able to choose a metropolis as a substitute of a selected airport, so the outcomes will embrace all relevant airports within the metropolitan space:

Many vacationers are prepared to make plans relying on award area, so the distinction between flying into, say, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport (FLL) as a substitute of Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) is insignificant. The identical holds true for different cities with a number of airports, corresponding to Heathrow and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). Google Flights will present flight itineraries to close by airports.

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Inspiring your subsequent journey

You’ll be able to go away the vacation spot field empty if you happen to want inspiration on your subsequent award journey. Google Flights will show a map with costs out of your origin metropolis to varied home and worldwide locations. You’ll be able to drag the map to see different components of the world and apply filters to search out flights that be just right for you. On the lookout for a nonstop flight that leaves after work within the subsequent six months? You’ll be able to modify your filters accordingly to supply an extremely custom-made search.

This map also can present all of the nonstop flights obtainable from your private home airport. Here is a search with the most affordable nonstop flights from Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN) that embrace no less than one carry-on bag.

In fact, this doesn’t imply these flights can be found as awards, however Google Flights is usually a nice jumping-off level to see the place you’ll be able to journey from a given airport or metropolis in case your ultimate vacation spot is versatile.

Associated: 9 superior options you won’t learn about Google Flights

Further filters

These search options come along with Google Flights’ glorious extra filters, which allow you to customise your search just about nonetheless you need. You’ll be able to filter by the variety of stops, airways, baggage, costs, instances, emissions and way more.

I additionally love the calendar view, which rapidly exhibits you a two-month snapshot of costs primarily based on the search standards you’ve already chosen. On this calendar, you’ll be able to see the costs for the assorted filters I added: a nonstop flight from SFO to Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) on United that features one carry-on bag (i.e., not primary economic system).

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2 essential notes

Whereas Google Flights is a incredible strategy to rapidly see flight choices, there are two crucial issues to bear in mind.

Google Flights shouldn’t be an OTA

Whereas Google Flights is aware of extra about flight costs than another web site on the web, it’s not a web-based journey company by way of which you should purchase airfare. As an alternative, when you’ve discovered the flight you need, Google Flights will examine costs for you and assist you to discover the most affordable choice — whether or not with an precise OTA or by way of a direct airline reserving.

On this instance, if you happen to began your search with Expedia, you could be paying nearly $50 greater than essential.

In some ways, it is ultimate that Google Flights isn’t an OTA. Usually, it’s cheaper to e-book immediately with the airline.

By reserving immediately with the airline, you are assured to earn your bank card bonus factors if you happen to’re paying with a card like The Platinum Card® from American Categorical or the American Categorical® Gold Card (since these bonuses are solely awarded on flights booked immediately with the airline). It’ll additionally be sure that your flight received’t code as a particular fare or bulk fare that might be ineligible for mileage accrual and will not rely towards elite standing qualification.

Google Flights doesn’t show award area

Along with not permitting you to pay for flights, the positioning has nothing to do with award availability. Simply since you discover a flight or an itinerary on Google Flights doesn’t assure that it’s obtainable utilizing factors or miles. It will depend on whether or not the working service (or carriers) have opened award seats on the flight(s). For that step within the reserving course of, you’ll want to look on a selected airline’s web site or use a service like ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s dad or mum firm, Crimson Ventures).

For some recommendations on the perfect methods to search out award availability, try the next posts:

Associated: What are factors and miles value? TPG’s December 2022 month-to-month valuations

Backside line

Google Flights has grown to be a much-appreciated software for a lot of vacationers. Merely put, I have never seen one other web site that gives the diploma of intuitive customization that Google Flights gives.

Whether or not you’re in search of routing choices, low cost paid flights or obtainable backup itineraries within the occasion of delays, Google Flights’ huge knowledge units and intuitive consumer interface make it a go-to software for many of your flight wants.

Further reporting by Ethan Steinberg.