Google Flights’ new price-guarantee booking feature
Back in January, Forbes published an article asking the question, “Is Google Flights the best place to buy flights?” The article concluded, “In most cases, the answer is yes.”
Google Flights is a flight search engine launched in 2011. One of its main attractions is its convenience, enabling people to compare different flights, search by interest or travel dates, and more. In time for summer bookings, the search engine has been adding to its list of services.
This month it introduced ‘Price Lock,’ a price-guarantee booking feature.
The pilot programme has been launched in the United States (US). Although the engine already shows whether a flight’s cost is low, high, or typical compared to historical averages, this gives customers a level of certainty when booking. Running the trial, the company has assured that flights with the price guarantee badge will be monitored every day until departure.
During the pilot, which has no specified end date, if at any time the fare drops at least $5, Google pays the difference back via Google Pay. Travellers can receive up to $500 back total per calendar year for up to three price guaranteed bookings at any one time. The price guarantees are also only available for ‘Book on Google’ itineraries that depart from the United States.
However, Google announced that it will be phasing out ‘Book on Google’ in the US sometime after 31 March. Spokesperson Craig Ewer said to extend the Price Lock beyond the pilot, “that means doing so without the Book on Google requirement.”
In September 2022, Google announced it would disable Book on Google for non-US users on 30 September 2022 and for US users after the 31 March 2023.
Article by Jess Brownlow
