Google Flights - Changes, Updates, Glitches and Help [consolidated thread]
Mar 8, 2015, 5:12 pm
#46
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 466
Is how Google Flights calls fare data significant?
I know that Google Flights has been around for a while now, but its latest iteration is clearly geared towards a wider consumer base.
Anyways, I was playing around with the tool today, and I couldn't help but notice that the site spits tags into the URL as you enter search parameters:
https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...100,t1900-2400
For example, departing airports appear after f, return date after r, etc. Mp is maximum price and so on.
String ordering doesn't seem to matter.
I thought this was pretty interesting because, as far as I know, Google Flights is the only site that calls fare data like this.
The problem is I am not technologically smart enough to see whether this is significant. Are there any potential ways to build on this? For example, could I integrate a link with a feed aggregator to get alerts when a very specific flight goes below a certain price?
I wrote up a short post on this, including a fairly comprehensive syntax glossary. But not surprisingly this concluded with a rather anticlimactic "this is cool but I don't know why anyone would want to use this."
So I thought I'd post here to see if some of the more technologically savvy FT'ers can connect dots I can't even see.
Anyways, I was playing around with the tool today, and I couldn't help but notice that the site spits tags into the URL as you enter search parameters:
https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...100,t1900-2400
For example, departing airports appear after f, return date after r, etc. Mp is maximum price and so on.
String ordering doesn't seem to matter.
I thought this was pretty interesting because, as far as I know, Google Flights is the only site that calls fare data like this.
The problem is I am not technologically smart enough to see whether this is significant. Are there any potential ways to build on this? For example, could I integrate a link with a feed aggregator to get alerts when a very specific flight goes below a certain price?
I wrote up a short post on this, including a fairly comprehensive syntax glossary. But not surprisingly this concluded with a rather anticlimactic "this is cool but I don't know why anyone would want to use this."
So I thought I'd post here to see if some of the more technologically savvy FT'ers can connect dots I can't even see.
Last edited by SansSerif; Mar 8, 2015 at 10:28 pm
Mar 17, 2015, 6:56 pm
#48
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Google Flights is adding all the time. AusBT / Australian Business Traveller has an article with some interesting observations and comments: http://www.ausbt.com.au/google-fligh...ot-more-useful
Google Flights now includes airline-specific and indeed aircraft-specific details such as average leg room, availability of laptop and USB sockets, inflight WiFi and even live TV (mainly on US flights) from the RouteHappy online service.
May 13, 2015, 1:59 am
#49
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
How Do You Turn off Google Flight Search Sponsored Results?
Once upon a time, when you google "flights from abc to xyz" Google will churn you out a good list of all the flight times and schedule as well as connecting points for that specific route. Now when you do that, more often it not it gives you a 'sponsored' search into Google Flight Search which is infinitely inferior for many reasons. Is there a way to disable this, or is it another one of Google's chances to it's flight-related products?
Cheers
Cheers
Sep 2, 2015, 11:39 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Google Flights - Changes, Updates, Glitches and Help [consolidated thread]
Hello everybody,
Do you know if it is possible with Google Flights Explore destination feature when you enter source, max price (and airline/alliance, if needed) - is there a way NOT to have specific days but rather display minimum price available for any time period?
Do you know if it is possible with Google Flights Explore destination feature when you enter source, max price (and airline/alliance, if needed) - is there a way NOT to have specific days but rather display minimum price available for any time period?
Sep 3, 2015, 12:24 am
#52
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Just go to the Google Flights site, enter departure city, select the beginning and end dates for the period that you are interested in traveling and set the maximum price using the slide (after clicking on the price tab).
Sep 3, 2015, 1:52 am
#53
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Just go to the Google Flights site, enter departure city, select the beginning and end dates for the period that you are interested in traveling and set the maximum price using the slide (after clicking on the price tab).
Sep 24, 2015, 9:27 am
#56
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Location independent
Programs: AA PlatPro, Asiana Diamond, IHG Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 287
Google Flights - Map Search Changes
Google Flights seems to be screwing with me... The cheapest price I can find anywhere is Austin-Dallas for $199 one-way. When I click through to a website to book it, it does not reprice to the true cost - as it can be found by searching directly on that website's page.
Is this happening to anyone else? Is Google Flights messing with me for all of my ~hourly searches?
Is this happening to anyone else? Is Google Flights messing with me for all of my ~hourly searches?
Sep 24, 2015, 8:47 pm
#60
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Loud, dark, warm, lots of ethernet cables, and in some rack space.
Programs: AA:EXP
Posts: 369
It's mostly due to cached inventory. Various buckets are opened and closed to the distribution system.
The airports being searched might have had a change in frequency of searches. Usually if it changes more often it will not cache, but if does not change prices often or dramatically your city will get old inventory. Thus will not synchronize with the GDS often.
Not a big deal since before Google flights existed, ITA required you to book it off-site anyway.
The airports being searched might have had a change in frequency of searches. Usually if it changes more often it will not cache, but if does not change prices often or dramatically your city will get old inventory. Thus will not synchronize with the GDS often.
Not a big deal since before Google flights existed, ITA required you to book it off-site anyway.