How to Set Up Google Flights Alerts and Never Overpay for Flights Again

If you’ve ever booked a flight and then watched the price drop days later, you know the feeling. A sinking, “I should’ve waited” feeling. Airfare changes constantly, and without help, it can feel impossible to know when to book—or when to wait.

That’s exactly where Google Flights alerts come in. Instead of refreshing search results or guessing on timing, Google Flights lets you track prices and notifies you when fares change. Used correctly, these alerts can take much of the stress—and guesswork—out of booking flights.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to set alerts on Google Flights, what they’re good at, where they fall short, and how to combine them with other tools (including Going) to consistently get better deals.

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What are Google Flights alerts? 

Google Flights alerts are automatic price-tracking notifications that monitor airfare for specific routes or flights and notify you when prices change. You can set alerts for:

• A general route (e.g., NYC → Paris)
• Specific travel dates
• An exact flight itinerary

Once activated, Google tracks prices in the background and sends updates via email, or through the Google Flights alerts app experience if you’re logged into your account.

How Google Flight alerts work

Behind the scenes, Google Flights uses historical pricing data and real-time fare changes to monitor flights. When a price drops (or sometimes rises significantly), you’ll get a notification.

These alerts don’t predict the future perfectly, but they’re excellent at reacting quickly when prices move.

Benefits of using flight price alerts 

Google Flights alerts are especially useful because they:

• Require almost no setup time
• Track prices automatically
• Reduce the need to check fares daily
• Work for both domestic and international routes

They’re one of the simplest answers to how to set up Google alerts for cheap flights without needing third-party tools.

Limitations of Google Flights alerts

That said, they’re not flawless. Google Flights alerts:

• Don’t surface mistake fares proactively
• May miss ultra-short-lived flash sales
• Don’t always explain why prices changed
• Track prices, but don’t tell you whether a deal is truly rare

This is why alerts are most effective when paired with broader deal discovery tools, such as the Going app.

Why use Google Flights for price tracking? 

Google Flights isn’t just another search engine. It’s a comprehensive tool that takes price tracking to the next level. One of its many great features is the ability to track prices and send a flight alert when the price of your tracked flight changes. But while Google Flights alerts can make price tracking convenient for travelers, this feature is not foolproof.

For starters, these alerts are not instant. This means you miss the chance to catch a mistake fare (an accidental discount on a flight far below what the airline intended). Another drawback is that it only works on fixed dates and destinations. So you can’t, for example, set an alert for the month of February for all the Caribbean. 

That’s why if you’re not constrained by travel dates and your main goal is to score the lowest possible fare, there are even better ways to stay in the loop for great deals (like the Going app). However, if you’re interested in following a trip with a certain departure and destination and certain dates, setting up alerts on Google Flights can help you keep track of the prices. 

If you’re still learning the timing side of airfare, Google’s insights pair well with broader guidance like Going’s guide to the best time to book with Google Flights. Whether you’re looking to explore new destinations or secure the best price for a planned route, Google Flights and Going are valuable tools to make budget-friendly travel a reality.

Step-by-step guide to setting up Google Flights alerts

When it comes to how to set price alerts, Google Flights is pretty straightforward. 

Step 1: Log in to your Google account 

Price tracking only works when you’re logged into your Google account. This allows Google to:

• Save your alerts
• Send email notifications
• Sync alerts across devices

Step 2: Enter your flight information

Explore the flight options. For more information, you can check our guide and learn how to use Google Flights. Once you have decided your destination and dates, enter the details of your trip:

• Select your departure and arrival cities. Google Flights can track fares from multiple airports, so you can input several nearby airports to increase your options.
• Pick your travel dates. For more options, explore flexible dates.
• Remember to add the number of travelers you need to get a price estimate for the whole party.
• What’s your trip type? Are you going on a roundtrip, one-way, or multi-city trip?

Step 3: Adjust your filters

Before setting alerts, refine your search:

• Cabin class
• Number of stops
• Airlines
• Baggage preferences

If you want to avoid restrictive fares, consider excluding basic economy using our guide: How to exclude basic economy on Google Flights.

Step 4: Activate price tracking 

Toggle “Track prices” near the top of the results page.

Track prices for a route 

If you have more flexibility, you can search a broader route (e.g., New York to Tokyo) by toggling the “Track prices” button on the left hand side of the results page. This way, you’ll receive notifications for any significant fare changes on flights between your selected cities.

Track prices for a specific flight 

Instead, if you have a particular flight in mind, select the specific flights you want to take by clicking on them (like you want to book them). You’ll be redirected to a page to select the airlines.

Now, you can toggle the “Track prices” button for that flight (this time it’s on the righthand side) to get alerts specific to that airline, departure time, and other details. This helps you lock in the best price for the exact itinerary you want.

Step 5: Get price alerts

Once you’ve started tracking your desired flights, you will find out every time the flight you chose changes prices, for better or for worse. Additionally, you can choose to receive a list of alternative flights that you may want to take a look at instead. In fact, you can activate alerts for all of them at once in order to track and find the cheapest one.

Step 6: Monitor price trends 

Other Google Flights tools can help you visualize fare trends. Price Graph and Date Grid let you compare prices across different months or weeks, giving you a clear picture of the best times to travel.

If you’re open to different destinations, try using the Google Flights Explore Map. Simply enter your departure city and leave the destination open, or select a specific region like Europe or South America.

Step 7: Adjust or pause tracking 

Managing your flight alerts is simple. If your travel plans shift, you can modify your tracked routes by selecting a new flight or updating your search preferences. If you access the “My Trips” section, you’ll see all your alerts. From there, you can click the toggle switch below the price graph to pause alerts temporarily, stopping notifications for as long as you need.  

Step 8: View all tracked prices 

To monitor all the routes you’re tracking, go to the menu on Google Flights and select “Tracked flight prices.” This section displays a complete list of your tracked routes, along with their price history graphs. Here, you can review trends and manage multiple alerts in one convenient place. Checking this section regularly can give you an idea of fare fluctuations across all your tracked flights. 

How to manage your Google Flights alerts

Viewing all your active alerts

From Google Flights, click Tracked prices to see every route and flight you’re monitoring in one place.

Editing or deleting alerts

You can turn alerts off anytime. Deleting old alerts helps avoid inbox clutter and confusion.

Understanding email notifications

Not every alert means “book now.” Some alerts flag price increases, others minor drops. Always click through to see the full context.

Google Flights alerts vs other price tracking tools

Google Flights vs KAYAK alerts 

Kayak alerts can be helpful, but they’re often slower and less contextual. Google Flights provides better historical comparisons and cleaner notifications.

Google Flights vs Going alerts 

This is the key distinction:

• Google Flights alerts react to price changes on routes you’re already watching
• Going alerts proactively surface mistake fares, flash sales, and rare deals you’d never think to track

For example, Google won’t tell you a $350 Europe fare is unusual—but Going will.

You can also combine alerts with strategies like self-transfer itineraries (Google Flights self-transfer guide) or comfort tools like legroom data (Legrooms for Google Flights).

When to use each tool

Here is the best approach:

• Going → discover deals worth caring about
• Google Flights alerts → track price movement

Price guarantee → protect you after booking (Google Flights price guarantee)

Additional cost-saving strategies

Setting up price alerts is just one way to secure a cheap flight. You can check our flight hacks guide for other tricks. In the meantime, here are some key tips to save even more. 

Booking within the Goldilocks Window

For the best deals, aim to book flights 1–3 months before domestic travel and 2–8 months before international trips. The Goldilocks Window is the sweet spot where airlines tend to offer competitive prices. Remember that peak season requires even earlier booking, so plan accordingly. Avoid booking at the last minute, as airlines tend to charge higher prices the closer you get to the day of the flight.

Tracking flexible dates and routes 

One of the best ways to find great deals is by staying flexible with your travel dates and even your destination. Google Flights’ flexible date tool makes this easy by showing how shifting dates impacts prices. When you’re open to various travel dates, you can set up Google Flights alerts without a fixed timeframe, giving you a wider range of options.

Changes in your route can also impact your flight fare. Most times, adding a layover can lead to a cheaper flight. Options with layovers or multi-city routes can often be cheaper than direct flights, particularly for international trips.

Using nearby airports for additional savings

If you’re open to nearby airports, consider adding alternative departure and arrival locations in your search. For example, if you live in Los Angeles, try tracking flights from surrounding airports like LAX, Burbank (BUR), and San Bernardino (SBD) to maximize potential savings. Sure, you might have a short ride to your final destination, but you can also save hundreds.

Using points and miles to reduce costs

Take advantage of frequent flyer programs to save on flights. If you sign up for your preferred airline’s loyalty program, you can start accumulating miles through flights and travel partnerships. Once you've collected enough miles, you can redeem them for free flights or upgrades.

If you have a credit card that earns points, you can also use them for your trips. Instead of redeeming your points for cash back—which generally offers a low return—you can use them to book flights or transfer them to frequent flyer programs. For more details on credit card points and airline miles, take a look at our guide to credit card points and airline miles.

Change your currency

Google Flights automatically detects your location and sets the language and currency accordingly, but sometimes, this can work against you. Luckily, you can manually change these settings and ensure the rate works in your favor.

Switching to the local currency when booking with foreign airlines might save you money due to exchange rate differences. Just remember to use a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Troubleshooting common issues with Google Flights alerts

Not receiving alerts

Check that you’re logged into your Google account, your alerts are turned on, and your emails aren’t filtered. These are common mishaps that keep travelers from receiving alerts. 

Alerts showing higher prices than expected

Sometimes alerts notify you of increases—not drops. Always verify before pulling the trigger and buying the flight.

How to fix "ghost fares" 

Ghost fares happen when prices change faster than results update. Refresh and verify directly with the airline before booking.

Maximize savings with Going's expert flight deal alerts 

Setting up Google Flights alerts can be a great start to track fares, but Going takes finding cheap flights to the next level. While Google Flights tracks prices on major airlines, Going finds deals from a wide range of carriers, always focusing on quality airlines that can offer comfortable traveling options. 

Besides, our flight experts find deals that often don’t show up on regular search engines, so you can secure the best fares without manual searches. This includes rare deals like mistake fares and flash sales, which can save you up to 90% on international and domestic flights.

Going is the best complement to Google Flights. It offers real-time, personalized alerts tailored to your preferences, from price drop alerts to exclusive deals. Going’s app does all the heavy lifting, finding the best flight deals for you.

Related reading:

• Google Flights vs. Expedia
• Google Flights vs. Skyscanner