I have commitment issues—at least when it comes to booking flights.
I’ll sit there, staring at my screen, my mouse hovering over a flight I’ve found on Google thinking to myself: What if it’s too expensive? What if I’m booking too early? And what if there’s a much better deal around the corner, just out of my reach?
Well, you finally can put those questions to bed, thanks to a new and desperately-needed setting added to Google Flights this week.
What is it exactly? While booking a flight on Google as you normally would, you’ll see your list of available flights—now, beneath that list, you’ll find a feature that will tell you if the flights you’re considering are actually cheaper, more expensive, or typical for that route.
It’s calculated based on the average fares over the previous 12 months for similar trips, taking into account your departure airport, your destination airport, and dates of travel (you can also click on the “Details” tab to find out the general price range for your planned trip, from the steep end to the coveted cheaper fare).
It’s a subtle feature and you should know it isn’t a price indicator, as Pizza in Motion noted, so there are no guarantees. You might also find that the tool is only available for certain routes, so it hasn’t been rolled out for every flight just yet. Still, it’s a necessary tool and it’ll help give you a little peace of mind while booking a flight, especially if you’re unsure about the right time to strike. Fare to Honolulu looks cheaper than usual? No reason not to book it.
If you’re the type to have travel commitment issues, hopefully, this will get you to pull the trigger just a little quicker.
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