A life hack on how to find cheap tickets through Google Flights has taken the Internet by storm.
Avid travelers are raving about a method for finding better flight deals using the Google Flights search engine that has gone viral on TikTok, the New York Post reports.
A traveler posted a video about how she discovered a little-known Google “cheat code” for finding the cheapest air tickets anywhere in the world. In one day after the video was posted, it received 4 million views and more than 201,000 “saves” from people planning to try this method.
“Did I just discover the cheat code or does everyone already know about it?” – a British journalist under the nickname “Around the Atlas” asked her subscribers.
She explained that you need to go to Google and type “Google Flights” into the search engine. Once you’re in the search, enter the destination you’re flying from. In her case it was London. She then said to type “anywhere” where it asks where you are flying to. “Leave your departure and return dates blank and click the Explore button,” she added.
@aroundtheatlas how to get super cheap flights!! #travel #cheaptravel #fyp #travelhacks ♬ original sound – Around The Atlas🌍✈️
The TikToker was delighted to display a number of destinations with the cheapest airfares. “Does anyone else know about this because I don’t think the whole world knows how crazy it is,” she said. “Literally, it gives you prices on flights at ridiculous prices, like $31 round trip to Bareklon and $65 to Budapest. There are even long-haul flights to the US, for example $408 for a flight to New York.”
She noted that she had to fly on certain dates, but was still shocked by how cheap some flights were, especially to international destinations.
User reaction
Followers wrote that although they are aware of Google Flights, they were not aware of such a feature. “I travel a lot and always use Google Flights. But I didn’t know that you can use the “anywhere” function, thank you,” wrote one of the users. “Apparently, if you search in incognito mode, they will be even cheaper,” added a second user.
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A third said: “I flew from London (to Cologne) for $10, best time to find cheap flights is Tuesday or Wednesday around midnight. Also use incognito mode.”
However, some noted that, despite the cheapness, the timing of such flights is not always convenient. “I was excited to book flights when I discovered this only to find out it’s the worst time (often flights at 12:10am) with a lot of connections,” one person wrote.
Others noted that Skyscanner and Kayak also have similar features for finding cheap flights. “I love Skyscanner and have been using it for years, but since it started showing ads I can’t always find the best flights,” one user wrote.
Google Flights can determine the cheapest time to book
According to “robust trend data,” the new search feature allows you to determine whether prices are overpriced or underpriced. For example, this data might tell you that the cheapest time to book these types of trips is usually two months before departure.
Travelers can turn on price tracking in Google Flights to receive automatic notifications of significant price reductions on selected destinations and dates. Users will receive email notifications as long as they are registered with Google.
If you’re not committed to specific dates, users can turn on the “Any Dates” option to receive offer emails any time over the next three to six months.
If you see a rainbow Price Guarantee icon on some flights, it means Google is confident that fares won’t go down. However, if you do book a ticket and the price of that flight drops, the tech titan will pay you the difference.
“When you book one of these flights, we’ll track the price every day before departure, and if the price drops, we’ll refund you the difference via Google Pay,” the blog explains. For now, however, price guarantees are only part of a pilot program available to a select group of U.S. flights.