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Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points...
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Just in time for summer, Google has introduced new tools that will help you save money and find your perfect hotel when booking your vacation.
You can now book your flights with the bonus of an automatic price guarantee, as well as the ability to search for hotels in a reimagined way.
Let’s take a closer look.
Cheapest Flights, Now Guaranteed By Google
Umming and ahing about when the best time to book your flights can be a thing of the past thanks to Google’s nifty new tool. Google is piloting a new feature which gives its users the ability to guarantee the lowest price possible.
When the multicolored guarantee badge appears, it means that Google is very confident that the price won’t get any higher before you fly.
Once you’ve locked in your guarantee, Google will monitor the price and automatically refund you the difference via Google Pay.
However, there are a few stipulations worth noting. For the time being, price guarantees will only be available on flights departing the U.S. In order to get a refund, the fare difference must be at least $5, and you can receive a maximum of $500 back per calendar year — with a limit of 3 refunds at one time.
This new function is in addition to Google Flights’ price history indicator which shows you whether the price you’re seeing is low, typical, or high for your particular itinerary.
Hot Tip: When paying for flights and hotels using cash rather than points, we highly recommend using a credit card that will reward you for spending on travel. One of our favorites is The Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns you 5x points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com (up to the first $500,000 spent per calendar year, then 1x points).
Swipe Hotels Like Tinder
That’s right, Google is introducing a swipe feature when browsing hotels on your phone that enables you to sift through the images like you’re swiping for a match on Tinder.
Simply type in what you’re looking for, such as “Hotels near Montmartre Paris,” tap to view more, and you’ll be able to find all sorts of information about each hotel in your desired area. Happy swiping!
Using Google’s travel tools, especially for flights, has already been one of our preferred ways to book travel.
Now, with the addition of these new tools, it makes even more sense. What’s not to love about being sure you’ve got the cheapest price possible for your flight?
We’re hoping that Google continues to expand this flight price guarantee program to more flights, and we’ll keep you updated on the latest developments!
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.