Google Flights - Changes, Updates, Glitches and Help [consolidated thread]
Dec 23, 2015 | 8:22 am
#94
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, AS & DL GM Marriott TE, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,575
Jan 2, 2016 | 4:02 am
#95
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Seattle & Seoul.... and now, Maastricht....
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, NWA WorldPerks deserter, Alaska Airlines Something-er-Other...
Posts: 1,953
It looks like Google Flights got an update and changed their Map Search. Instead of the price/date slider that pops up when selecting a destination, it now has a sidebar with the first three flights and some other random information.
The removal of the price/date slider there was extremely convenient when you had flexible dates and destinations for your travel. Now it requires quite a few more steps when looking for cheap, flexible date destinations, especially for MR or Segment Runs.
The removal of the price/date slider there was extremely convenient when you had flexible dates and destinations for your travel. Now it requires quite a few more steps when looking for cheap, flexible date destinations, especially for MR or Segment Runs.
I used to love that feature!
Feb 12, 2016 | 9:57 am
#96
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BTV
Programs: UA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 487
Error booking on AA.com
I see some other folks are encountering itineraries on google flights not bookable on AA.com.
I am trying to book:
PVD > CLT > SJU (AA1700, AA756 12/17/16)
SJU > CLT > PVD (AA1847, AA1729 12/31/16)
Prices out to $283 on google flights. Here's a link. Same itinerary shows up on Matrix ITA, Kayak and Hipmunk. However, when I link to AA I get: "The system was unable to process your search. Please try again."
If I try multi city search on AA.com, I go through an endless loop where it keeps repricing @ $283 but it keeps saying, "price no longer available" and reprices with the same itinerary. Very frustrating
Any advice?
Update: interesting, now (a day later) the itinerary is pricing out correctly on AA.com linked from Google Flights... so I guess the moral of the story is, keep trying?
I am trying to book:
PVD > CLT > SJU (AA1700, AA756 12/17/16)
SJU > CLT > PVD (AA1847, AA1729 12/31/16)
Prices out to $283 on google flights. Here's a link. Same itinerary shows up on Matrix ITA, Kayak and Hipmunk. However, when I link to AA I get: "The system was unable to process your search. Please try again."
If I try multi city search on AA.com, I go through an endless loop where it keeps repricing @ $283 but it keeps saying, "price no longer available" and reprices with the same itinerary. Very frustrating
Any advice?
Update: interesting, now (a day later) the itinerary is pricing out correctly on AA.com linked from Google Flights... so I guess the moral of the story is, keep trying?
Last edited by AirD0c; Feb 13, 2016 at 5:24 am
Jun 12, 2016 | 5:38 am
#97
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,579
What database technology is Google Flights using?
...such that the search is so much faster and more flexible than any I've seen used by any of the airlines?
I would assume that they're not just throwing lots of server capacity at it, but that they are querying fare databases much more efficiently or something. To the point where in the amount of time to see the results for one day in any other search engine, I can see a month's worth of the result in Google Flights with the complicated criteria I want.
Very curious to know why they're able to do this...
I would assume that they're not just throwing lots of server capacity at it, but that they are querying fare databases much more efficiently or something. To the point where in the amount of time to see the results for one day in any other search engine, I can see a month's worth of the result in Google Flights with the complicated criteria I want.
Very curious to know why they're able to do this...
Jul 18, 2016 | 8:09 am
#100
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GoldMM, BA Bronze, SQ Silver, UA base, HHonorsGold, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 4,618
It's based on ITA. A key reason it is faster is that it does not interactively check availability.
I wouldn't mind that ITA takes more time-- but 50% of the time, it comes back with a server time out.
Jul 19, 2016 | 2:39 am
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK Gold, AY Gold
Posts: 13,675
It's not just ITA. Google consumes travel provider APIs directly as well. Due to its size, it is able to impose a number of complex API standards (including built-in filtering). I would imagine it uses a self-developed NoSQL style DB as a front-end cache, and a mix of pre-filling and online queries depending on the frequency of the query.
Aug 9, 2016 | 8:46 am
#102
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lisboa
Posts: 651
Google Flights - email function
I have the email notification turned on for Google Flights, but I have yet to receive any emails after a couple of weeks of tracking a few flights. I am checking them manually and I know there has been movement in prices. Am I doing something wrong?
Aug 18, 2016 | 10:34 am
#103
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,470
A question about Google Flights
On Google Flights if I wish to do a search for something like 'Anywhere in Euope' to NYC, how do I enter Europe? If I type in 'Europe', I always get results for Lille Europe (XDB).
How can one resolve this?
How can one resolve this?
