Google Flights …. slowly becoming interesting

A few years ago, Google bought ITA.  ITA is the most comprehensive airline pricing and routing database available, able to run substantially more complex searches across multiple dates, routes and airlines than, say, Expedia.  I explained how to use ITA Matrix to find cheap British Airways tickets from European starting points here.

It wasn’t clear what else Google was going to do with ITA until Google Flights appeared two years ago.  At that point, it was a relatively unsophisticated flight search engine.  It did nothing that Expedia didn’t do apart and forced you to go onto the airlines own site to complete your purchase.

Slowly, Google Flights is becoming interesting.

If you visit the Google Flights search page here you will see that it now does something clever.  On one page, it shows you flight prices across a range of dates TO A RANGE OF CITIES.  Nobody else does this.

If you want a weekend away at the end of next month to Germany, for example, you can search ‘London’ to ‘Germany’.  You will be shown, on one page, results to a range of airports across a two month period.

My gut feeling is that this is most useful when looking to travel to somewhere with a number of major airports in a compact area.  If you wanted to travel to Florida, for example, this tool makes it very easy to quickly compare prices to Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale etc.

None of this is setting the world alight so far although the technology involved is undeniably impressive.  If I were Expedia, though, I would be getting a little concerned about what Google will do next – the killer app may be just around the corner.

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How to maximise your miles when paying for flights (April 2025)

Some UK credit cards offer special bonuses when used for buying flights. If you spend a lot on airline tickets, using one of these cards could sharply increase the credit card points you earn.

Booking flights on any airline?

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold earns double points (2 Membership Rewards points per £1) when used to buy flights directly from an airline website.

The card comes with a sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points. These would convert to 20,000 Avios or various other airline or hotel programmes. The standard earning rate is 1 point per £1.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

Buying flights on British Airways?

The British Airways Premium Plus American Express card earns double Avios (3 Avios per £1) when used at ba.com.

The card comes with a sign-up bonus of 30,000 Avios. The standard earning rate is 1.5 Avios per £1.

You do not earn bonus Avios if you pay for BA flights on the free British Airways American Express card or either of the Barclaycard Avios Mastercards.

You can apply here.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

Buying flights on Virgin Atlantic?

Both the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard and the annual fee Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard earn double Virgin Points when used at fly.virgin.com.

This means 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 on the free card and 3 Virgin Points per £1 on the paid card.

There is a sign-up bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points on the free card and 18,000 Virgin Points on the paid card.

You can apply for either of the cards here.

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review