Google Flights will now help you avoid sudden price increases
Seemingly random price changes can be one of the most frustrating parts of booking a flight. Now, Google is making it easier to know when prices will change so you can get a better deal on airfare.
The company is updating its airline search tool with new features that predict fare changes and notify you about price changes for flights you're interested in.
The new features are rolling out to the Google Flights website (the service still doesn't have its own dedicated app yet) "in the coming weeks," according to Google.
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Once they do, the site will let you know how long until the current fare is expected to change when you're browsing specific flights. The feature, which uses uses historical flight data to make its predictions, should make surprise price increases at least a little easier to avoid.
For cases when you don't yet have a specific flight in mind, the service will also now provide "tips" for specific routes.
"Tips can include things like recommendations for alternate airports or dates," Google Flights product manager Nabil Naghdy writes in a blog post. "You may also see a new tip telling you about an expected price jump based on historic prices for that route."
Though Google's flight-tracking service lacks a standalone mobile app, the company is making its mobile site a little easier to use with the ability to keep tabs on saved flights.
Similarly, Google is updating its hotel search with a new "deals" tab that shows discounted rates as well as when there are lower rates as part of a hotel's loyalty program.
Topics Google
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
