It’s the deal of the century – your heart races with excitement, you book – and only moments later, you realize you get no bags. Or maybe it’s no overhead space? Or seat selection? Perhaps they’ll even make you board last during the walk of flight deal shame? You get the point. Airlines are stripping away benefits to offer headline prices, and now Google Flights will let you know what’s up before it’s too late.
Before
Google Flights is one of the best ways to find the cheapest flight deals and set price alerts. The tool offers handy information about legroom, wifi and in first and business class – whether a seat is fully flat or just extra room. But that’s not the entire ticket picture. As airlines have unbundled fares, the red tape surrounding them is seemingly endless. Passengers often have very little warning that their great deal includes endless fees – and now Google Flights is changing that.
What’s New
Google Flights now warns passengers in great detail about the restrictions of their prospective ticket. Not only will it tell you if a ticket is basic economy, on many airlines it will now spell out exactly what that entails. You’ll know instantly if you can: select a seat, if you’ll board last, earn miles or if you can bring a full sized carry on. That’s very handy stuff. The difference between a restrictive basic economy ticket and standard economy ticket can be as little as $20, but knowing the important difference can save you $100’s in fees if you need some of the restricted perks, after booking.
Is It The Best?
Google Flights is our preferred method for searching flight deals. We always suggest checking the other best booking sites before completing your reservation, but Google Flights is almost always the winner and helps you book directly with the airline. This new breakdown of what basic economy means, on each airline instantly makes it the most advanced search engine for finding the “true cost” of a deal and knowing if you should just pony up for the higher fare without restrictions.
