Google to monitor flight prices to ensure deals don't slip through the cracks

12-04-23

Google has added new tools focused on organising trips that help users to search for hotels from their mobile phones and to decide when buying a plane ticket, with a programme that monitors prices to ensure that offers do not slip through the cracks.

The company has introduced new functions for its search page and Google Maps, with which it aims to make it easier for users to organise their trip to make it "memorable", as well as offering services that guarantee the best price when booking flights or hotels.

In this sense, the technology giant has introduced a new format for searching for hotels on mobile devices, which simplifies the comparison of data such as reviews, prices and locations.

As explained in a statement on its blog, Google has introduced a new option to explore each hotel or accommodation offered by the search results in a sliding story format.

When searching for hotels in a particular area with information such as number of people and dates of stay, the user can click on 'see more' in the results to display a selection of available accommodations that are shown in a visual format similar to social network Instagram stories.

By clicking on these stories, photographs of the hotel rooms and stays are displayed to help the user 'get a feel' for the location. Also, as you scroll through the stories, user reviews are also displayed with comments about the stay, the price per night or the exact location of the accommodation on Google Maps to see the area where it is and what is nearby. Direct access to the hotel's website is also provided.

From these stories, the user can save the hotel to view it again later. So, when you have finished exploring a hotel, simply swipe up to go to the story of the next accommodation option offered.

Saving money on flights

On the other hand, Google has added a price guarantee pilot programme to its Google Flights search engine, with which it is able to indicate which flights will remain at the current price to help the user know whether to wait to buy the ticket because it could go down in price or whether, on the contrary, it is a good option to buy it now and if you wait to buy it you could end up spending more.

In other words, if a flight includes the price guarantee mark, it means that Google is sure that "today's price will not be lower before take-off". This is because the search engine analyses whether prices are low, typical or high "compared to historical average prices".

At the moment, this programme is only available to users in the United States. And in case the price of the flight on the day of departure is lower, Google will refund the price difference to the user via Google Pay.

To this end, Google monitors the price of the flight on a daily basis until departure. Specifically, the company details that the user can receive a maximum of USD 500 (EUR 458.53) per year in compensation.

Travel activities

Another of the new features included by Google aims to facilitate the discovery of activities or excursions when travelling, allowing users to book tickets or tickets to these activities directly from the search results.

To do this, the user will only have to search for an activity both in the web search results and in Google Maps and, among the results offered, Google will display a list with the ticket prices for that activity. In addition, next to the prices, it includes a direct link to book the ticket on the website of the company organising the activity.

This tool also offers suggestions with experiences related to the searched activity. For example, Google can promote a tour of an area near the historical monument to be visited.