Google Flights is a popular online flight booking platform that allows travelers to search and book flights from different airlines. Although Google Flights itself does not operate flights, it provides a convenient interface for searching and purchasing tickets. Your flight cancellation policy may vary depending on the airline you book through Google Flights. In this article, we will provide an overview of the Google Flights cancellation policy and what to expect when canceling a flight booked through this platform.

Google Flights Cancellation and Refund Policy

There is a strange science to finding the “perfect fare.” Are you waiting to see if the price will drop? Do you book on Tuesday instead of Friday? Or do you book the flight of your choice hoping not to see a lower price once it’s too late?

Google Flights is trying to streamline this nerve-wracking process of finding the lowest fare with its new Price Guarantee program.

Selected Google flights only

Google’s price guarantee will only be available for flights that are “confident that their price will not drop.” These flights will appear with a colored price tag as users select outbound and return flights. The refund policy will only affect users if their flight price is reduced after booking and before the departure of the first flight in the itinerary.

Starting April 3, Google said it would test software to monitor prices even after customers book their flight. If a lower price is found, customers can refund the difference.

Only flights departing from the United States are eligible for the program. When an eligible flight is offered, a colorful price guarantee badge will appear. This badge means that Google Flights is ready to offer you good value for your money by ensuring that you don’t discount your fare.

The program is still in its early testing stages, so finding an itinerary on Google Flights with a price guarantee isn’t easy… to say the least.

We tested over 100 different routes and dates on Google Flights, and none offered a price guarantee badge. A Google spokesperson told TPG that it was “too early to tell” whether the program would become a permanent part of Google Flights.

“We are running the beta program to better understand how people react to this type of feature,” the spokesperson said.

Assuming you find an eligible flight with a price guarantee badge, there are caveats as well. You must book directly through Google Flights (not click through to the airline’s website) and you won’t be eligible for a refund if the fare difference is $5 or less. You can also get up to $500 back in a calendar year. If you cancel a flight, you will not be entitled to a refund either.

After you book flights, Google will track prices to see if there have been any changes. If the price of your trip drops, Google will send you an email alerting you of the price change.

A Google spokesperson said feedback from initial tests was positive.

“There is really no inconvenience to the traveler because the guarantee is free,” said a company spokesperson. Likewise, we have had productive conversations with the airlines and they are interested in knowing how this program will evolve.

Google had already experimented with price guarantees in 2019, but the initiative was quickly suspended due to the pandemic.

Google Flights is also not the first to introduce a price guarantee policy.

Other travel booking sites such as Expedia, Priceline and Orbitz offer different versions of the price guarantee. However, they all require you to find the lowest price yourself and usually offer a partial refund. The Expedia Price Guarantee applies only to hotel rates and not to rates.

The Capital One Travel Portal available to eligible Capital One customers also contains certain price guarantees for certain trips. But it also has reservations and eligibility conditions.

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Cancellation policies vary by airline

One crucial aspect to note is that Google Flights aggregates flight options from multiple airlines. Therefore, cancellation policies may vary depending on the airline you choose. Before finalizing your reservation, be sure to check the applicable airline’s cancellation policy to see if it allows cancellations and, if so, what fees or penalties may apply.

Risk-free cancellation within 24 hours

One of the benefits of booking through Google Flights is that it often offers a 24-hour risk-free cancellation window. This means that if you book a flight and realize within 24 hours that you need to cancel, you can do so without incurring cancellation fees. This policy complies with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations for flights to or from the United States. However, not all airlines offer this option, so always confirm with the relevant airline before using it.

Non-refundable or refundable tickets

When you book flights through Google Flights, you’ll find two main types of fares: non-refundable and refundable. Non-refundable tickets are generally cheaper, but have strict cancellation policies. If you need to cancel a non-refundable ticket, you may be subject to high cancellation fees or not receive a refund at all. On the other hand, refundable tickets allow you to cancel without penalties and you can benefit from a full or partial refund, depending on the airline’s policy.

Airline Terms and Conditions

Any flight you book through Google Flight Search is governed by the terms and conditions of the airline with which you book your flight, including its conditions of carriage and any other terms which you may view during the booking process via the hyperlinks in FlightSearch. . Google Flights (“Airline Terms and Conditions”). Google is not responsible for the content of airline terms and conditions. The carrier’s terms and conditions may contain provisions regarding the carriage of passengers and baggage (including dangerous goods), cancellations, rebookings or refunds, payment, delays, cancellations and denied boarding , liability, as well as additional rules. reservation and prices. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with and comply with the carrier’s terms and conditions. Additionally, online travel agents may impose their own terms and conditions, such as additional fees for change/refund requests, which supplement the airline’s terms and conditions.

How does Google’s flight discount program work?

To qualify, your flight must be booked through “Book on Google” and travelers can enter their information through the Google Flights website. Google then confirms the customer’s itinerary with the airline.

How can I refund my plane ticket?

Customers must download the Google Pay app to receive the refund and must create the account within 90 days of the departure of the first flight on their itinerary to receive the ticket exchange difference, which is deposited into your Google Pay. account.

Google Flight Eligibility Criteria

This new feature is only available to Google Flights users in the United States. According to the policy, users must also set USD as the currency to view eligible flights. This policy will apply to round-trip flights departing from the United States and must be booked through the Book on Google page.

To use this feature, users must be signed in to their Google account and will also need to have a US billing address as well as a US phone number. The company has not shared any official details on expanding this feature to other markets.

Google Flight Return Policy

In a blog post, Google says the Price Guarantee feature will pay users “the difference between the flight price when booking” and the “lowest ticket price,” which will be available online. To get the money back, the difference must be more than $5 (around 400 rupees).

Users can get a maximum of $500 (nearly Rs. 40,000) per calendar year. They can also claim the difference up to 3 times a year, whichever comes first. However, users should keep in mind that this feature will only be applicable after the first flight of the booked route has taken off.

Airlines have a role to play

According to the policy, if the airline updates its fares faster than it uploads them to Google Flights, the company may no longer be able to provide the guarantee. Users can find a flight with a price guarantee, but if the price is not updated before booking, the guarantee may not be applicable later, the company claims.