Google’s new ‘Flight Deals’ lets you find cheap flights with a plain‑English prompt

Beta rolls out in the U.S., Canada, and India; classic Google Flights also gets a long‑requested “no basic economy” filter.

What’s new
Google has launched Flight Deals, an AI‑powered way to search Google Flights using natural language. Instead of juggling calendars, filters, and destination lists, you can type something like “a week in December somewhere great for street food, nonstop only,” and the tool translates that intent into real flight options. Google announced the feature on August 14, 2025, positioning it for travelers who are flexible on where and when they go and mainly want the best price. It lives inside Google Flights and appears in the menu as Flight Deals. blog.google

How it works (and how Google defines a “deal”)
Behind the scenes, the system parses your prompt, infers suitable destinations and dates, and pulls live availability from 300+ partners in Google Flights. Google labels a fare a Savings Deal when it’s ≥20% cheaper than the typical price for a similar trip (that benchmark is the median of the cheapest prices seen over the past 12 months, adjusted for seasonality, trip length, and cabin). Results are ranked by the percent savings first; ties break by lower price. You’ll also see “Cheap Flights” that are simply among the lowest fares, even if they aren’t 20% below the norm. Because prices change quickly, availability and ranking can shift as you click through. Google Help

Where it’s available
Flight Deals is experimental (beta) and currently limited to signed‑in users in English in the U.S., Canada, and India. Google says no special opt‑in is required; it will appear over the coming week either via the dedicated Flight Deals page or from the top‑left menu in Google Flights. Google Help blog.google

What it can’t do (yet)
As a beta, there are gaps. Today’s limitations include:

Multi‑city itineraries
Multiple departure cities in one search
Very distant future dates
Specific passenger types (e.g., children) or groups over four
Exact layover requirements
If your prompt includes these elements, you may get no results or partial matches. Google Help

A quality‑of‑life upgrade to classic Google Flights
Alongside Flight Deals, Google is adding an option to exclude basic economy fares in the U.S. and Canada—handy if you want to avoid restrictive ticket types when comparing prices. Travel outlets report this long‑requested filter is rolling out broadly. blog.google The Points Guy

Under the hood & privacy
Google confirmed to TechCrunch that Flight Deals runs on a custom version of Gemini 2.5, and that queries are treated like search history—you can manage or delete them in My Activity. TechCrunch

Quick start: prompts that work well
Try phrasing your idea the way you’d tell a friend. For example:

“Four‑day October getaway with snorkeling, departing NYC, nonstop only”
“Two weeks next March to a warm city with great street food, under $600 roundtrip”
“Ski trip in January, world‑class resort, carry‑on only, from Toronto”
“Cherry blossoms trip to Japan with 10 days on the ground, flexible dates in April”
If you’re too specific—say, multi‑city or exact layover durations—switch back to classic Google Flights or simplify your prompt. Google Help

Early impressions
Hands‑on tests from tech and travel press describe the tool as promising for inspiration and deal‑hunting, while noting some quirks and occasional misses on certain queries. Reviewers observed strong ideas for beach, ski, or food‑focused trips, while some highly constrained prompts didn’t return useful results—consistent with Google’s own “experimental” label and listed limitations. The Verge Thrifty Traveler

Why it matters
AI‑assisted trip planning is becoming table stakes across travel platforms. Competitors from Expedia to Booking and MakeMyTrip are weaving AI into search and planning flows, while Google’s entry lands amid antitrust scrutiny of how it presents travel results. The scale of Google Flights plus a conversational front‑end could shift more “I have a vibe, not a destination” searches into Google’s ecosystem—if the beta matures. TechCrunch

How to get the most out of Flight Deals

Lead with intent. Mention the vibe (beach, ski, food), trip length, a month or season, and must‑haves like nonstop or carry‑on only.
Set a budget in your prompt (“under $500”).
Stay flexible. Looser prompts surface more destinations and bigger savings.
Mind the fine print. Prices move; confirm baggage and fare rules before booking. If you’re in the U.S./Canada and don’t want bare‑bones tickets, use the new “exclude basic economy” toggle in classic Google Flights. Google Help blog.google

Key facts at a glance

Launch: August 14, 2025 (beta)
Where: U.S., Canada, India (English; signed in)
Model: Custom Gemini 2.5 (per TechCrunch)
Deal logic: Savings badge at ≥20% below typical price; rankings prioritize percent savings
New companion feature: Filter out basic economy fares (U.S./Canada) in classic Google Flights