Google Flights will now alert you if flying from a nearby airport is cheaper
Google is rolling out changes to its popular Flights platform that will make searching for inexpensive flights a lot easier -- and hopefully cheaper.
Google confirmed to The Points Guy that it had rolled out pop-up updates that will notify travelers if an airport near them offers cheaper tickets and will inform if changing trip dates will result in a lower ticket price. A spokesperson told TPG that these updates have been fully rolled out to all Google Flights users.
The updates were first discovered and reported by Thrifty Traveler.
As TPG's points, miles and deals reporter, I spend much of my day looking for deals on Google Flights. From plugging in cities, to playing around with ticket classes and multi-city options, I'm always on the hunt for a good deal. Google Flights is an important tool for trying to find cheap flights but it's also great to use if you're thinking about an end of the year mileage run.
Google Flights isn't just a handy resource to find cheap cash fares, either. You can also utilize it to find award flights, too. Savvy travelers use Google Flights to figure out routing options that will help you find award availability. Google Flights is also convenient because you have the option to filter by an alliance.
Related: How to Use Google Flights to Plan Your Next Award Trip
An award traveler also knows one of the best ways to redeem points and miles is by utilizing is partner airlines. Whether you're trying to use miles from a Star Alliance carrier, SkyTeam airline or Oneworld partner, it's critical to know which flights would be bookable using the points or miles you're trying to redeem. On the flip side, Google Flights is also useful when determining whether you should pay for your ticket in cash instead of using miles.
Bottom line
The updates are a welcome addition, especially if you live in a city that doesn't see many flight deals but you're close enough to fly from a city that does. However, in future updates, I'd like to see an option to filter out basic economy tickets. If you're on the hunt for cheap airfare, or even if you're searching for award availability, these suggestions should make searching for your next ticket much more straightforward.