How to Use Google Flights in Canada

Google Flights is a travel search engine that pulls results from hundreds of airlines, making it easy to compare trips by cost, distance, and even carbon emissions. You can't book flights directly on the site, but it redirects you to the airline or service page where you can enter your credit card details and complete the booking process.

While this sounds fantastic, a few tricks can help you use the search engine effectively. We'll give you tips for searching and filtering the results so you can find flights that fit your travel needs and budget.

What is Google Flights?

Google Flights is a dedicated search engine tailored to finding flights.

Sure, you could use Google's search bar, but you'll likely end up sorting through dozens of websites before finding the flight information you need.

Instead, you can start your search with Google Flights. You'll see all your flight options in one place, plus travel tips on the cheapest times to travel, the shortest flights, and how often nonstop flights are offered.

The search engine also stands out for its fantastic filtering options (more on that below). If you struggle with the fear of missing out, Google Flights can reassure you that you're getting the best flight for your needs.

How to use Google Flights: Search for flights

Once you land on the Google Flights page, enter some basic trip information like your departure and destination locations, number of passengers, fare class, travel dates, and whether you're searching for round-trip or 1-way tickets.

As soon as you enter your departure and destination, flight information will pop up beneath them. Specifically, Google lists top flights based on price and convenience. If you prefer, you can toggle to select the cheapest flights.

You'll also see a few useful boxes appear with helpful travel information. For instance, Google gives you a timeframe for booking the cheapest flights and tells you whether the prices for your search are average or higher/lower than usual.

Use the calendar to find the cheapest dates

The best way to score a deal on your next flight is to search far enough in advance that you can use the fare calendar.

Here's how it works: Specify your departure location and destination, but don't fill in the dates. Instead, click the search button to see the fare calendar for the next 2 months. The cheapest fares will appear in green.

The example below shows the price fluctuations for a trip from Vancouver to Edinburgh:

Data lovers will appreciate the alternate ways to view the information – you can see search results as a date grid. This is from our sample trip from Vancouver to Edinburgh:

As you can see, it's quite easy to use. If you were to leave on September 14, you'd pay $58 less than the same trip on September 12.

You can also view flight results as a price graph:

Pro tip: Sometimes, you'll get pop-ups that suggest even better prices. Often, these show up just underneath the "Date grid" button.

Filter your results

With so many airlines and travel options, filters help narrow your search by letting you weed out flights you don't want.

Google Flights lets you apply the following filters to your search:

• Stops: Search all flights, only nonstop flights, or flights with 1 or 2 stops.
• Price: Specify how much you're willing to pay.
• Airlines: Search a specific airline (helpful if you want loyalty points), remove some airlines, or see all results. You can even specify specific airline alliances.
• Bags: List how many checked and carry-on bags you plan to bring.
• Times: Select ranges of time for your outbound and return flights.
• Emissions: Decide if lower emissions are important for your booking.
• Connecting airports: You can filter flights by layover length and choose which airports you'd like for your connecting flight.
• Duration: Narrow your options by flight length.
• Separate and self-transfer tickets: This allows you to purchase several 1-way tickets with different airlines – which can be the cheapest option – instead of booking a round-trip flight.

You'll see all of your filter options directly below the departure and destination search bar, as shown here:

Keep in mind that Google does not add carry-on fees by default. If you see an icon showing crossed-out luggage, your luggage is not included, so your total cost may be higher.

How to check whether your flight is a good deal

So, you've read through all your options, filtered the results, and picked a flight. Now, you're wondering if it's your best option.

Fortunately, Google can tell you how your chosen flight's price compares to the average.

When you select a flight, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the small infographic with the details. It looks like this:

If you're looking at a flight that isn't leaving for several months, you can get a handle on whether or not you're getting a good deal – and make a more informed decision on whether you should take the plunge and book your flight.

Book flights directly with the airline

On the same page, you'll see booking options. To be clear, you're not booking through Google. Instead, Google connects you directly to the airline to complete the reservation.

If the flight is sold through a booking agency, Google will inform you that additional fees might appear when you make the purchase.

When you're ready to buy your tickets, you'll see options to select a fare type. For instance, if you're booking an Air Canada flight, you might choose from Basic, Standard, Flex, Comfort, or Business Lowest.

Select your fare, and you'll be immediately taken to the airline's booking page, where you can review your itinerary and make your payment.

Travel experts recommend booking directly instead of through third-party sites because you have more control over changing your reservation, can earn loyalty rewards, and generally receive better customer service.

How to use Google Flights: Set flight price alerts

The most important thing you can get from Google Flights is the price tracking. Google will monitor the flight prices for you and email you when they change.

To set a flight price alert, head to the Google Flights site and enter your departure and destination locations. You'll see all the top departing flights, but if you scroll down, you'll see a toggle switch that says "Track prices."

You can see it illustrated here:

After enabling this feature, you'll receive emails whenever the prices change for your date range. Additionally, you can toggle the "Any dates" option, which sends email alerts whenever the prices are low, regardless of date.

You can also see the history of your tracked searches and toggle email notifications. From the Google Flights homepage, your most recent tracked trips are visible under the "Tracked prices" header. Click any of them to see current prices or "View all" to see tracking history for all of your selected flights.

Here's an example of what you'll see:

Here, you can toggle email notifications about price changes.

How to use the Explore feature to find deals

Google Flights has an Explore feature that helps you plan a trip from scratch.

To access the feature, click "Explore" from the top navigation bar. Enter as much or as little information as you'd like, though it does help to include a starting airport. Once you do, you'll see destinations and fares populate the page's travel map.

If you'd like to see global options, keep zooming out and play around with filters specifying the number of stops, your travel interests, airlines, flight options, and more.

How to use Google Flights: New features to check out

Google is always looking for ways to improve its travel search engine. Here are some of the most recent changes:

Filtering out basic economy tickets

As fares have become more complicated, basic economy tickets have gotten notably worse overall. They offer the least flexibility because you can't cancel them, and you're often charged for every little thing.

If you'd rather not see basic economy tickets appear in your Google Flights search results, just enter your destination in the search (the filter only works for Canadian and U.S. flights) and choose to exclude basic economy from the top drop-down menu – as illustrated below:

Sort for cheapest fares

If you need to know the absolute cheapest flight in a hurry, complete your search, and you'll see 2 options on the results page: "Best" and "Cheapest." Choosing the "Cheapest" filter shows you the lowest-priced fares instantly.

Here's an example:

Just be aware that this feature doesn't work if you exclude basic economy fares.

AI-powered "Flight Deals"

If you're short on time and don't want to play around with the Explore feature, pull up the Google Flights page and use the AI-powered search tab.

Although this new feature is still in beta, you can add any details you'd like it to search, and Google will use AI to generate the cheapest trip that matches your specifications.

Here's what it looks like:

How to use Google Flights: The pros and cons

Google Flights lets you compare multiple carriers at once and see real-time results, which is a huge convenience. However, you can't cancel a booking through this platform. It's not perfect.

Here are the main pros and cons related to Google Flights:

Pros:

• Great search options for flights: Google makes it easier to look for flights based on date range, budget, and destination.
• Compares multiple carriers: Instead of checking each carrier's website, Google Flights pulls options from several of the largest airlines, saving you time.
• See real-time results and score lightning deals: Airline fares change constantly, but Google Flights pulls fares instantly, so you can grab deals before they disappear.

Cons:

• Not all airlines list their prices: Some airlines may not be included, while others may list a lower price but require you to call instead of booking online.
• You might pay more for a round-trip flight: When searching for a round-trip flight, the actual price you pay depends on your return flight. For instance, you might only get the lowest price if you book a return flight with a stopover or connection.
• Google can't cancel your booking: If you need to cancel your flight, you must contact the airline or third-party agency directly, since Google is simply a referral site.

FAQ

Is Google Flights Canada legit?

Yes, Google Flights Canada is legit – it's simply Google Flights with Canadian currency selected. Remember, though, that Google Flights isn't technically a booking platform, since you can't actually reserve flights on the site. It's more of a flexible flight search engine.

Can you explain how to properly use Google Flights?

To use Google Flights, you can search for it by name. Once on the site, you'll see a simple search toolbar where you can enter as many details about your upcoming trip as you like. Google Flights will deliver a search results page that you can easily filter. You can also change how the information is displayed.

Should you book flights through Google Flights?

Google Flights is a valuable travel search engine, but remember, you can't actually book trips with it. Once you find a desirable travel itinerary, you'll be redirected to the airline or travel site's reservation page where you can complete your purchase.

Is it cheap to find flights with Google?

Google Flights helps you find cheap flights, and it's free to use. Instead of charging users, Google makes money from ad revenue. But the flight placements themselves are not ads. Flights are ranked by Google's algorithm, and ticket prices are set by airlines and travel providers, not Google.

What are the pros and cons of using Google Flights?

Google Flights makes searching easy, with quick results and strong filtering options. Handy extras include price tracking and searching by airline network. The downside: booking multi-airline trips can be tricky, since you're redirected to different sites and need to book fast before prices change.

Does Google Flights include all fees?

Google Flights' displayed price doesn't always include every fee. It flags when baggage fees are excluded and warns of third-party booking fees. Selecting a flight redirects you to the airline's site, where you can adjust details and see the final price with all fees included.