Flying from point A to point B can take a bite out of your wallet, sometimes a big one. Google, for years, has let you compare prices via its Google Flights tool, but now the site is taking things a step further.
Google Flights has added a “Cheapest” tab, letting would-be travelers find the rock-bottom fare to their preferred destination. Saving cash sometimes comes at a cost, though. To get the cheapest flight, you’ll have to be willing to brave a red-eye travel schedule, change planes and sometimes even change carriers mid-flight.
The tab is visible to mobile users of the tool. Once you search for a flight, you’ll be given the “best” options, based on price and convenience, per usual. But to the right is the “cheapest” tab, which will focus solely on price.
“Sometimes, there might be cheaper options available for those of you who are willing to give up some convenience for the best deal,” Google said in a blog post. “For example, there could be a third-party booking site offering a lower price than the airline itself. Or you might be able to save by flying back to a different airport that’s in the same city you departed from — like flying out of New York’s LaGuardia and returning to JFK.”
The tab will roll out globally over the next two weeks.
Even Google admits some of the low-cost itineraries can be “creative,” but if you’re flying on a budget, those inconveniences might be worth it to you.
Cheap flights are increasingly hard to come by. Over the past year, the consumer price index for airlines tickets has jumped 25%, the largest increase since the Federal Reserve of St. Louis began tracking prices in 1989.
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