Some people crochet, knit, paint, etc. Me? I check Google Flights for cheap flight deals. I wouldn’t say it’s an obsession, but there is something satisfying about finding a ridiculously cheap flight even if I’m not planning on going anywhere. Just knowing the deal exists and that I found it feels like winning.

Every journey has to start somewhere, and for me that place is usually Google Flights. Why, you might ask? Simply put, nothing else I’ve tried is as easy, reliable and flexible. So if you’re ready to turn cheap flight-hunting into your new favorite hobby—or just want to score the best fares—I’m excited to share my top tips for mastering Google Flights.

Search One-Way Segments

I always start with one way searches. It can reveal cheaper combos and give you flexibility — Imagine flying from Montreal to Paris, taking a train to London and then another one-way back to Montreal from London. You could visit two destinations for the same if not less than a round-trip ticket.

• Mix and match airlines for each direction. Sometimes flying out on one carrier and back on another saves big.
• Use Google’s Date Grid and calendar view to find the cheapest days for each leg.

💡Pro tip: Compare the combined one-way cost to round-trip before booking. Sometimes round-trips are still cheaper.

Explore with the Map

I love the Explore map! It’s perfect for spontaneous trips or uncovering hidden deals.

• Choose one or more departure airports, set flexible dates, and Google shows the cheapest places to go.
• Even if your dates aren’t flexible, Explore helps you understand what a good price looks like for different routes.
• Use example: If flights to Greece are sky-high, use Explore to find the cheapest flight to Europe. Once you’re there, you can travel affordably to your final destination—and score a bonus stop along the way.

💡Pro tip: Explore doesn’t work well if you try to use a broad departure region, but you can get around that with Google’s new AI Flight Deals feature. Just type something like “cheapest flight from Europe to Montreal in June” and let the AI do the heavy lifting.

Fine-Tune with Filters

When you have non-negotiables like preferred airlines, number of stops, travel duration, or time of day, use Google Flights filters. This helps you see the cheapest days to fly that match your criteria because we’re not always just looking for the cheapest flight but the best one.

• Limit stops, choose preferred airlines or alliances, set departure times, and even exclude basic economy fares.
• Filter for baggage inclusion so you don’t get stuck paying extra later.
• Use the “Cheapest” vs “Best” sort to balance price and convenience.

💡Pro tip: Instead of picking individual airlines, filter by alliances (like Star Alliance or SkyTeam). Why? If you choose an alliance, you’ll see flights from all its member airlines—giving you way more options without having to select each airline one by one.

Track Prices & Set up Alerts

This tracking feature just save me $300 when a new flight was published on a day I was tracking! I love having the historical data to help decide when to buy.

• Set up alerts for any day, specific days or specific flights, and Google emails you when prices drop.
• Check price insights—Google tells you if a fare is low, typical, or high compared to historical data.

💡Pro tip: Do this as soon as you start thinking about a flight you want to take, even if you’re not quite ready to commit yet.

Add Nearby Airports

This is where you can get creative. If you’re trying to decide between a few different destinations, this could be the tie-breaker.

• Include various airports in one search.
• Sometimes flying from a smaller airport or a hub 100 miles away saves hundreds.

💡Pro tip: You can add up to 7 airports in the both the departing and destination search boxes.

Why Google Flights?

It’s fast, free, and packed with features that make finding deals easy. Competitors like Skyscanner, Hopper, and Kayak have their perks. Skyscanner is great for finding obscure budget airlines, for example. However, Google is my go-to starting point for speed and reliability.

✈️Want more travel tips and the occasional flight deal? Follow me on Instagram for travel inspiration, wine adventures, and smart ways to make your trips unforgettable.