How to Use Google Flights Explore to Find Cheap Flights? 

Editorial note: Google Flights features, prices and booking options can differ by country, route, device and travel partner. This guide was reviewed against Google’s current official Travel Help documentation.

Quick Answer: How Do You Use Google Flights?

To use Google Flights, enter your departure airport and destination, select your dates and compare results under the Best and Cheapest tabs. Use the calendar, Date grid, Price graph, baggage and airport filters to improve your search. You can also use Explore to search anywhere or turn on price tracking before booking.

Google Flights compares offers from more than 300 airlines, online travel agencies and travel aggregators. It normally redirects you to an airline or booking provider to complete the purchase.

What Is Google Flights?

Google Flights is a flight-search and comparison tool. It can help you:

• Search one-way, round-trip and multi-city flights
• Compare airlines and booking providers
• Browse flexible travel dates
• Find alternative airports
• Explore destinations on a map
• Include baggage costs in displayed prices
• Track fares and receive price alerts
• Compare lower-emission flights
• Discover deals through its experimental AI tool

Google Flights does not include every airline or every available fare. A carrier or booking provider must share its information with Google for its flights to appear.

How to Use Google Flights Step by Step?

1. Enter Your Departure Airport

Enter your city or airport code.

Travelers near several airports should add multiple departure options. For example, someone in New York could compare:

• John F. Kennedy International Airport
• Newark Liberty International Airport
• LaGuardia Airport

A cheaper departure airport is only worthwhile after including transportation costs, parking and additional travel time.

2. Enter a Destination

Add a specific city when you know where you want to go.

When you are flexible, you can:

• Enter a country or region
• Leave the destination open and use Explore
• Search several arrival airports
• Use the Search Anywhere map

3. Select Your Trip Type

Google Flights supports:

• Round trip
• One way
• Multi-city

Then select the number of passengers and cabin class.

4. Choose Your Dates

Open the calendar to compare prices across nearby dates. Google highlights lower-priced combinations based on the route and trip length entered.

Do not focus only on the green dates. They are the least expensive choices within the dates currently displayed, not necessarily the cheapest dates of the year.

5. Compare Best and Cheapest Results

Google divides results into two main tabs:

The Cheapest tab may include:

• Less convenient booking providers
• Self-transfer itineraries
• Different airports within the same city
• Separate tickets
• Longer or more complex journeys

Always review the itinerary before choosing the lowest headline price.

6. Apply the Necessary Filters

Use filters before comparing final prices. Useful options include:

• Stops
• Airlines
• Airline alliances
• Price
• Departure and arrival times
• Flight duration
• Connecting airports
• Bags
• Emissions
• Cabin class

Avoid adding too many filters at the beginning. Over-filtering can hide less obvious but better-value options.

7. Select Your Flights

For a round trip, choose the outbound flight and then the return.

Check:

• Operating airline
• Total journey time
• Layover length
• Airport changes
• Fare type
• Baggage inclusion
• Separate-ticket warnings

8. Review the Booking Options

After choosing an itinerary, Google normally shows one or more ways to book.

You may be redirected to:

• The airline
• An online travel agency
• Another approved booking provider

The cheapest provider is not automatically the best choice. Compare customer support, payment currency, refund terms and change conditions before paying.

9. Confirm the Final Price

The price displayed in Google Flights can differ from the checkout amount because of:

• Fare availability changes
• Baggage charges
• Seat-selection fees
• Payment fees
• Currency conversion
• Optional services
• Provider-specific terms

The final price is the amount confirmed by the airline or booking provider immediately before payment.

How to Use Google Flights Search Anywhere?

Google Flights Search Anywhere is useful when you know your budget or departure airport but have not chosen a destination.

Search Anywhere Steps

1. Open Google Flights.
2. Enter your departure airport.
3. Leave the destination open or choose a broad region.
4. Open the Explore map.
5. Select exact or flexible dates.

1. Set your maximum price.
2. Apply stops, airline, duration and baggage filters.
3. Move or zoom the map to compare destinations.
4. Select a city to review the available flights.

The map lets you browse destinations rather than running a separate search for every city.

When Google Flights Explore Works Best

Use Explore when:

• Your destination is flexible
• You want a weekend trip
• You have a fixed budget
• Several travel months are possible
• You want to compare domestic and international destinations
• You live near multiple airports

Use regular Google Flights when your destination and dates are already fixed.

How to Find the Cheapest Dates on Google Flights

Google Flights provides several tools for flexible travelers.

Calendar

The calendar displays fares for different departure and return dates. Prices are based on the trip length and route currently selected.

Changing a seven-night trip to six or eight nights can produce different results.

Date Grid

The Date grid compares combinations of departure and return dates.

Use it when you can shift the trip by one or two days. A small date change can sometimes produce a lower fare without changing the trip significantly.

Price Graph

The Price graph displays fare patterns across weeks or months.

It is useful for identifying:

• Cheaper travel periods
• Seasonal price differences
• Sudden fare increases
• Better weeks for a trip of the same length

Google officially recommends its interactive calendar and Price graph for comparing fares.

Flexible Dates in Explore

Explore can display fares for:

• A weekend trip
• A one-week trip
• A two-week trip
• A selected month
• A broader travel period

This is more useful than entering fixed dates when price matters more than the exact schedule.

Best vs Cheapest on Google Flights

The cheapest itinerary is not always the lowest-cost trip.

The Best tab usually suits travelers who want a reasonable balance between price and convenience.

The Cheapest tab is useful when budget is the priority and you understand the itinerary’s trade-offs. Google specifically warns that the Cheapest tab can contain self-transfers and different airport combinations.

How to Include Baggage Costs

Select the Bags filter and enter the number of carry-on or checked bags required.

Google then attempts to update the displayed prices to include the reported baggage fees. In most cases, this filter changes the price rather than removing the flight.

This matters when comparing a full-service airline with a low-cost carrier.

For example:

The $135 ticket looks cheaper until the required baggage is added.

Google receives baggage information from its partners, so verify the current allowance on the airline’s website before paying.

How to Track Prices on Google Flights

You must be signed in to a Google account to manage price tracking.

Steps to Set a Google Flights Price Alert

1. Search your route.
2. Select passengers, cabin and stops.
3. Choose fixed travel dates or flexible dates.
4. Turn on Track prices.
5. Select a specific route or individual flight.
6. Review alerts through email or the Tracked Flights page.

You can track:

• Exact dates
• A specific flight
• A route
• “Any dates” for flexible travel

When tracking Any dates, Google can notify you when the route’s minimum price drops significantly within a month. It may also send alerts when a tracked fare is likely to increase or expire.

Price alerts are useful, but they do not guarantee that a fare will remain available when you open the email.

For broader timing advice, read our guide to the best day to book a flight.

How to Use Google AI Flight Deals

Google’s AI-powered Flight Deals lets you describe the trip you want instead of entering every airport and date manually.

Example prompts include:

• “A week-long beach trip under $600”

The Price result we got

• “A nonstop European city break in September”
• “A warm weekend destination from New York”
• “A solo adventure with one checked bag”
• “An affordable business-class trip to Asia”

Google interprets the request, suggests possible destinations and searches inventory from more than 300 partners. The tool is currently experimental and requires the user to be signed in.

What Counts as a Deal?

Google compares the current fare with typical pricing based on the lowest fares found for similar trips over the previous 12 months.

A fare may receive a “% less than usual” badge when it is at least 20% below the typical price calculated by Google.

Current Limitations

AI Flight Deals may not properly support:

• Multi-city itineraries
• Multiple departure cities
• Dates far into the future
• Groups larger than four
• Specific child-passenger searches
• Detailed layover requirements

Use AI Flight Deals for discovery, then repeat the itinerary in regular Google Flights before booking.

How to Search Multiple Airports

Comparing nearby airports can reduce airfare, but you must calculate the complete travel cost.

Examples

Before choosing another airport, include:

• Ground transportation
• Parking
• Hotel costs
• Toll charges
• Travel time
• Baggage-transfer requirements

A fare that saves $70 but adds a $100 transfer is not cheaper overall.

How to Book Multi-City and Open-Jaw Flights

Select Multi-city from the trip-type menu.

A multi-city itinerary might look like:

New York → London → Rome → New York

An open-jaw trip might look like:

New York → London
Paris → New York

You arrange transportation between London and Paris separately.

Google Flights supports multi-city searches in its standard flight-search tool.

One Ticket vs Separate Tickets

A single ticket is generally easier to manage when:

• Flights connect on the same day
• Checked baggage is involved
• The connection is short
• Missing the second flight would be expensive

Separate tickets may cost less, but they carry additional risk. If the first airline causes a delay, the second airline may not be required to rebook you.

Allow a long connection—or preferably an overnight stay—when combining unrelated tickets.

How to Change Currency, Language or Location

Scroll to the bottom of Google Flights to change:

• Currency
• Language
• Location

You can display prices in USD, GBP, INR, CAD, AUD or another supported currency.

The selected location can affect:

• Booking partners
• Payment methods
• Refund rules
• Available purchasing options

Changing the currency only changes how the price is displayed. It does not guarantee that the airline will charge the card in that currency.

How to Find Lower-Emission Flights

Google displays estimated emissions beside eligible flights.

You can:

• Sort flights from lower to higher emissions
• Open an itinerary to view estimated emissions
• Filter for flights with lower-than-typical emissions

Google’s estimates consider factors such as aircraft type, seating class, passenger occupancy, cargo and estimated distance.

A nonstop Economy flight on a more efficient aircraft will often show lower emissions than a connecting premium-cabin itinerary.

What Google Flights Does Not Do

Google Flights has several limitations:

• It does not show every airline.
• It does not control airline prices.
• It usually does not issue the ticket.
• It cannot guarantee price predictions.
• It may display fares that change before checkout.
• Its baggage information depends on partner data.
• It does not manage your booking after purchase.
• It may show separate-ticket combinations with additional risk.

For changes, cancellations or refunds, contact the company that issued the ticket.

Before Booking: Flying Getaway’s Total-Cost Check

Do not compare only the base fare.

Review:

Our practical rule is:

Choose the lowest complete trip cost that still provides an acceptable itinerary—not simply the first result under Cheapest.

Traveling soon? Read our guide to finding last-minute flight deals.

Common Google Flights Mistakes

Avoid these errors:

1. Checking only one airport.
2. Using fixed dates when your schedule is flexible.
3. Comparing fares without baggage.
4. Ignoring the Cheapest tab.
5. Choosing a self-transfer without enough time.
6. Assuming Google issues the ticket.
7. Booking through an unfamiliar provider for a very small saving.
8. Treating a price prediction as a guarantee.
9. Failing to confirm the fare on the airline’s website.
10. Comparing base fares instead of total travel costs.

There is also no guaranteed cheapest weekday for purchasing every flight. Price tracking and flexible-date searches are more useful than waiting for a fixed Tuesday or Wednesday rule.

Final Thoughts

Google Flights works best when you use more than its basic search bar.

For the strongest results:

• Compare multiple airports.
• Search flexible dates.
• Review Best and Cheapest.
• Include baggage costs.
• Use Explore when the destination is flexible.
• Turn on price tracking.
• Try AI Flight Deals for trip inspiration.
• Confirm the final conditions with the ticket issuer.

Google Flights can help identify better options, but the cheapest displayed fare is not always the best booking.

Need help comparing a flight or understanding the fare conditions shown by a booking provider? Call Flying Getaway at +1 (646) 814-6001 to book our best cheapest and discounted flights to anywhere in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use Google Flights to find cheap flights?

Enter your airports and dates, compare Best and Cheapest, use the calendar, Date grid and Price graph, add baggage filters and track the fare before booking.

How do I search anywhere on Google Flights?

Enter your departure airport, open Explore, leave the destination flexible and browse the map. Apply a maximum price, trip length, stops and airline filters.

Is Google Flights free to use?

Yes. Google Flights does not charge users to search or compare flights. The airline or booking provider determines the ticket price and payment terms.

Can I book directly through Google Flights?

Google Flights normally redirects you to an airline or online travel agency to complete the purchase. It generally does not issue or service the ticket.

Is the Cheapest tab safe to use?

It can be useful, but review self-transfer warnings, separate tickets, airport changes and the booking provider before purchasing.

Does Google Flights include baggage fees?

The Bags filter can adjust displayed prices using baggage-fee information supplied by Google’s partners. Confirm the airline’s current baggage rules before payment.

Can Google Flights predict whether prices will rise?

Google can provide fare insights and alerts based on available and historical data, but future prices are not guaranteed.

Does Google Flights show every airline?

No. Google works with more than 300 travel partners, but airlines or fares that are not supplied through a participating partner may not appear.

Can I track a flight without fixed dates?

Yes. Turn on Track prices and select Any dates. Google can notify you about significant price drops for that route.

Is Google Flights Explore better than regular search?

Explore is better for flexible destinations and dates. Regular search is better when you already know your route and schedule.

Patrick Walker

Patrick Walker is the travel brain behind Flying Getaway. With a knack for spotting flight deals and a passion for exploring new skies, he helps travelers fly smarter and save more with every trip.