Last week, after Google announced its two new phones, VR goggles, an always-on speaker-receiver combo to compete with Amazon's Echo, a new Wi-Fi routing system, and a new version of their Chromecast streaming service that supports 4K video, Traveler explored how this new hardware would only further the search engine's swift rise as a major power player in the travel world. This week, the Googleverse continues that rise, with an announcement that Google Flights—the brand's flight search engine—will soon begin notifying fliers as to when airfares will expire.
Previously, Google Flights allowed users to see an airline’s fluctuating prices and a calendar of fares, and would also alert users of price drops or spikes. With this new feature, to be rolled out in "the coming weeks," the app will now notify you as to when that fare you're seeing will expire, so you'll know how much you stand to lose if you don't, say, book that one-way, $292 ticket to Amsterdam within eight hours. Though rival apps like Hopper and Hitlist also notify fliers of low fares and send price alerts, neither tell curious purchasers whether or not the ticket price they're seeing will be the same several hours from now, and whether that person has time to mull it over. (Neither do Kayak or Skyscanner.) The feature isn't infallible, of course, but Google's wealth of historical flight data at least helps to get us one step closer to the age-old question: When is the best time to buy airline tickets?
Other notable upgrades: If you are tracking a destination instead of looking for a specific route, Google Flights will display tips on picking the best route—think recommended airports, cheaper dates, or tentative price increases. One level below that stage of planning, the app's integrated "Explore" tab lets users put in their month, region, and number of travelers, and will then spit out suggested destinations. Looking for a winter escape, and have your eye on the Caribbean for one week in December? Aruba is nonstop for $275, and Punta Cana rings in at $417. Google has also recently launched Google Trips, a mobile travel guide, and will soon add more features to its "hotel search" function. Stay tuned...