Google Flights - Changes, Updates, Glitches and Help [consolidated thread]
#361




Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 8,347
Fare tracking? Google flights etc
According to Google, there should be a Fare Tracking option in Google Flights. I just can't find it. Was it removed or is there another website I can use (paid or free) to track flight prices? I do use ITA Matrix but I see no reporting feature.
My husband told me to stop looking at business class flights East Coast, USA to Asia for a trip 10 months away. But I tricked him. I upgraded us to Polaris on our LIS-IAD flight in June, so he'll say "Yes we really do need to travel in business class."
My husband told me to stop looking at business class flights East Coast, USA to Asia for a trip 10 months away. But I tricked him. I upgraded us to Polaris on our LIS-IAD flight in June, so he'll say "Yes we really do need to travel in business class."
#362
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
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slide the slider to start tracking fares for that search. You can track overall prices for one-ways and round trips, and also the price for specific flights once you've chosen an itinerary. I vaguely recall you can't track prices for a multi-city search, I think? And on mobile the slider might be in the middle of the page or at the bottom.
You can view current prices (with historical graphs) of all your tracked flights at https://www.google.com/travel/flights/saves (or from flights dot google dot com click the hamburger menu and then Tracked Flight Prices). You'll also get periodic emails when prices move up or down, but these aren't instantaneous.
#363


Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB Platino / OWE. Mucci (de Barajas)
Posts: 3,257
Just got a GF notification email "Your tracked flight from AAA to BBB: 12% fare increase likely in 22h", is this x increase in y time a new feature? If only it includes z confidence level.
#364
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2015
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the oldest one I can find in my emails is from October, but I periodically delete GF alert emails. My vague recollection is that it's been a feature much longer than that, but don't quote me on it...
#365
Moderator, Finnair



Join Date: May 2011
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If Google sends n thousands of email telling people to buy now, I'd say z is pretty close to 1...
They don't even need to analyze the underlying stats, they just need to trigger enough purchases to empty the current fare bucket.
They don't even need to analyze the underlying stats, they just need to trigger enough purchases to empty the current fare bucket.
#366
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2015
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but sure, there could be some self-fulfilling effect.If I had to guess though, the emails are triggered when the "must book by" date of cheaper fare rules is about to expire.
#367


Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
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Posts: 3,257
The saved examples I have are all for specific flights, so probably not thousands of people tracking an individual itinerary
but sure, there could be some self-fulfilling effect.
If I had to guess though, the emails are triggered when the "must book by" date of cheaper fare rules is about to expire.
but sure, there could be some self-fulfilling effect.If I had to guess though, the emails are triggered when the "must book by" date of cheaper fare rules is about to expire.
The price did go up, by 15% vs the predicted 12% hah.
#368
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
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#369


Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: NYC
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Posts: 728
Stopped Getting Android Notifications on Price Drops
I heavily relied on getting instant Google Flights price change notifications on my phone throughout the years. I still get the emails, but stopped getting the Android Flights price changes about 2-3 months ago. Is anyone else having this problem?
#370
fomerly known as LandingGear (not Landing Gear)




Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 870
, Google goes by what the airlines "offer" Google to list. There are two buckets, one, which Google prioritizes, is complied based on the offers the airlines (or OTA) make to Google. The second (which you usually find under "other options" is composed of the search results that are independent of the offer -- they go by the usual criteria such as the distance from the airports selected, connections, duration, cost, the authenticity of the vendor, etc..
#371
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2015
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perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I don't really see how the above info pertains to what we were discussing above, which was how Google "knows" that fares are likely to go up by x% in y days.The second (which you usually find under "other options" is composed of the search results that are independent of the offer -- they go by the usual criteria such as the distance from the airports selected, connections, duration, cost, the authenticity of the vendor, etc..
#372



Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: CLT
Posts: 3,070
Google Testing New Layouts for Google Flights
I haven't actually seen a new look to Google Flights, but my scripts in the last few days have been occasionally failing because Google seems to be testing different layouts.
They seem to be trying to make the page look a bit more like Kayak / Momondo by displaying what they consider to be the "Best" flights by default. The odd thing is I have the sort set to "Price" which is overriding the "Best" option and probably making the page look like the "Cheapest" option.
New Page


Existing Page
They seem to be trying to make the page look a bit more like Kayak / Momondo by displaying what they consider to be the "Best" flights by default. The odd thing is I have the sort set to "Price" which is overriding the "Best" option and probably making the page look like the "Cheapest" option.
New Page


Existing Page
#373


Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Park, Metropolis
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I've noticed similar things, the lowest priced flight is showing up at the top, but rather at the bottom, or "OTHER Flights" window.
#375


Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB Platino / OWE. Mucci (de Barajas)
Posts: 3,257
Not sure if it's related the the previous GF x CX wonkiness, I'm now only seeing direct CX prices on calendar view and "Best" tab, and the cheaper OTA prices on "Cheapest" tab.
I would say this is an improvement.
Even better if there was an actual OTA on/off toggle.
I would say this is an improvement.
Even better if there was an actual OTA on/off toggle.

