Google Flights is one of the fastest, free tools for finding cheap airfare. It combines the prices of hundreds of airlines and agents, shows which date is cheapest to fly, and lets you search the whole world by budget. This guide walks you step by step through Google Flights' main features — the Explore map, the price graph, the date grid and price tracking — so you save as much as possible on your ticket.
🔎 What Google Flights is and how it works
Google Flights (google.com/travel/flights) is a metasearch engine: it doesn't sell tickets itself but gathers prices from airlines and agents and shows them on one screen. The interface is fast and the filters flexible — you can exclude long layovers, choose carry-on only or a specific airline.
Once you pick a flight, Google redirects you to the airline's or agent's site to pay. So Google Flights is ideal for finding and comparing a price — for the buying logic, see the flight comparison sites guide.
🗺️ Explore — find the cheapest destination
If you don't yet know where you want to go, use Explore. Enter your departure city (e.g. Tbilisi or Kutaisi) and leave the destination as "Anywhere", and the map shows how cheaply you can fly to each city. Flexible dates (e.g. "any week") lower the price even further.
This trick is great for spontaneous trips — you see where the deals are and pick by budget, not the other way round. For cheap European destinations, see the cheapest European cities guide.
📊 The price graph and date grid
- Price graph — shows how the fare changes over the coming months; green is cheap
- Date grid — combinations of departure and return dates in one table, with the cheapest highlighted
- Flexible dates often save 20-40% — the same logic the cheapest days to fly guide recommends
- "Cheapest" and "Best" filters — Best factors in both price and layover length
🔔 Tracking prices
Pick a route and dates, turn on "Track prices" and Google emails you when the fare changes. This helps if you're not buying yet but waiting for a cheap moment. Google sometimes advises directly — "prices are low" or "prices are expected to rise".
In parallel, set a price alert on Travel365 too — two sources give you a better chance of not missing the cheap moment. For when to buy, see the when to buy tickets guide.
Turn on Track prices for several routes at once — that way you see which destination is getting cheaper and flexibly choose where to fly.
⚠️ Limits and how to work around them
Google Flights isn't all-powerful: some low-cost fares (e.g. certain Wizz Air tariffs) and add-on services don't show up in full. So before your final comparison, check the airline's own site too — often booking directly with the airline is cheaper and more convenient for changes.
Remember, too, that baggage and seat selection are priced separately — turn on the carry-on filter to see the real price. In the end, use Google Flights to find a fare, and the Travel365 price calendar to quickly compare cheap dates from Tbilisi and Kutaisi.
The Google Flights price is indicative — confirm the final fare on the airline's site, since it can change slightly in real time.
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