Airline Alerts: Travel Site Tricks

Flight alerts are a useful tool for travellers who want to stay informed about their flights and get the best deals. They are offered by many travel companies and are usually free. Alerts can be set up on travel sites such as Kayak, Skyscanner, Airfarewatchdog, Google Flights, Hopper, Going, FareCompare, Momondo, and DealRay. They can also be set up directly with airlines, which will send alerts through text or email.

To set up a flight alert, users typically need to input their origin, destination, and travel dates. They can then choose to be notified about price changes, seat sales, error fares, early-booking opportunities, and more. Alerts can be sent via email or push notification, and can be managed or turned off at any time.

Using Google Assistant

Google Assistant can be downloaded on your phone (iOS or Android) and synced with any smart device, such as your laptop, TV, watch, or smart speaker. To use Google Assistant, you need to have a Gmail account, which is easy to set up if you don't already have one.

• Once you have downloaded Google Assistant, turn on your "personal results". This will allow you to receive personalised results when you type a query into Google, including flight information pulled from your Gmail, calendar, or Google Photos.
• When you initially download the app, it will ask if you want notifications, including alerts, sounds, and icon badges. Select "allow" to ensure you receive push notifications.
• Assistant will also ask for permission to make a Bluetooth connection so that you can connect your accessories, such as headphones and speakers.
• To set a reminder or alert, tap your profile icon, select "services," then "reminders," and add the reminder with the specific day, time, place, and whether you would like it to be repeated.
• You can also set flight alerts by holding down the microphone icon in Google Assistant and asking, "Hey Google" or "Okay Google," followed by your exact question. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard icon to type your question.

Please note that "personal results" only work for existing flights. However, you can still search for flights by region, dates, specific airline, or destination.

• Be flexible with your travel dates as prices tend to fluctuate based on demand. Choosing to fly during off-peak times can save you money.
• Set a realistic price range. If you set your price range too low, you may receive irrelevant alerts or miss out on good deals.
• Use the "Explore" feature if you are unsure about your destination. This feature will help you find cheap flights to various destinations based on your budget.

Now you know how to take advantage of this awesome tool, go and set up price alerts for your next trip!

Alerts from your airline

Most major airlines have their own apps to help you keep track of your flight information and any upcoming flights you have booked. This makes it very convenient to know what's happening with your specific airline and receive notifications directly by text or email.

From the app, you can set up notifications to send you alerts when you have a flight or multiple flights. Some airlines, such as AA, also allow passengers to send alerts to their friends and family.

You can sign up or change your preferences by going to the "BeNotified" link in your AAdvantage profile to receive alerts, including:

• Delays and cancellations for the day of travel
• Reminders for departure

You can also set up alerts for specific flights through the website by entering the city of departure and arrival, hitting "search", and choosing "get alerts for this flight".

• FlyDelta App: Open the app and go to "settings", then open the notifications option and select what you want to be notified of. These notifications will include tracking your baggage, delivering electronic boarding passes, and providing seat, gate, and flight information.
• JetBlue: Download the app and create a user account. The "Flight Tracker" tool allows you to receive alerts by enabling notifications in your settings. JetBlue also uses a real-time automated system called the Flight Status Notification Tool (FSN-T) that will send emails to the primary customer if there are any changes to your travel itinerary.

All Alerts in One Place

If you don't want to use multiple apps to keep track of your flights, you can use Google Assistant. This can be downloaded on your phone (iOS or Android) and synced to any smart device (laptop, TV, watch, or smart speaker). To use Google Assistant, you need to have a Gmail account. Once you have downloaded Google Assistant, turn on your "personal results". This will personalize the results you receive when you type a query into Google, allowing it to show you flight information pulled from your Gmail, calendar, or Google Photos.

When you initially download the app, it will ask if you want notifications, including alerts, sounds, and icon badges. You'll want to select "allow" to ensure you receive those push notifications. Assistant will also ask for permission to make a Bluetooth connection so that you can connect your accessories, including headphones and speakers.

Through Google Assistant and personal results, you will be able to:

• See and hear the date, time, origin, destination, and airline of your next trip.
• See and hear the on-time/delay status.

You can also set an alert by:

• Tapping your profile icon
• Selecting "services", then "reminders"
• Adding the reminder with the specific day, time, place, and if you would like it repeated

"Personal results" only work for existing flights, but you can still look for flights and check for them by region, dates, specific airline, and specific destination.

Setting up fare alerts

Choosing a Platform

First, you'll need to choose a platform that offers fare alerts. Some popular options include Skyscanner, Kayak, Google Flights, Airfarewatchdog, Hopper, Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights), and FareCompare. These platforms offer different features, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Creating an Account

Once you've selected a platform, you'll need to create an account. This usually involves providing your email address and creating a password. Some platforms, like Airfarewatchdog, also allow you to sign up with your Facebook account.

Setting Up Alerts

After creating your account, you can start setting up fare alerts. Each platform has a slightly different process, but it generally involves entering your preferred destination and travel dates, then enabling alerts.

On Skyscanner, for example, you can input your departure city, destination, and travel dates, then click on "Get Price Alerts." On Kayak, you can turn on flight tracking for any flight search by toggling the flight price tracker in the upper left-hand corner of your search results window. Google Flights allows you to track prices by clicking the "Track prices" button above your search results.

Some platforms, like Hopper, require you to create an account before setting up alerts. Once you've created an account, you can search for your desired flight and enable notifications.

Managing Alerts

Most platforms allow you to manage your alerts through your account settings. You can typically edit or delete alerts, as well as specify how you would like to receive them (e.g., via email or push notification).

Additional Tips

• Start tracking early: The earlier you set up fare alerts, the better your chances of finding great deals, such as seat sales, error fares, and early-booking opportunities.
• Set up multiple alerts: Consider creating alerts for nearby departure and arrival airports, as well as different travel dates, to increase your chances of finding a good deal.
• Use multiple platforms: You don't have to stick to just one platform. Try using a combination of websites and mobile apps to maximize your chances of finding the best fares.

Using third-party websites and apps

There are several third-party websites and apps that can help you set up flight alerts to monitor prices and notify you of any changes to your travel itinerary.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant can be downloaded on your phone and synced to other smart devices. You will need a Gmail account to use it. Once downloaded, turn on your "personal results" to allow Google to pull your travel information from Gmail, your calendar, or Google Photos. When you download the app, you will be asked if you want to receive notifications, alerts, sounds, and icon badges; select "allow" to receive push notifications.

You can set an alert by tapping your profile icon, selecting "services," then "reminders," and adding the reminder with the specific day, time, place, and if you would like it repeated.

Google Flights

Google Flights is a popular flight search tool that allows you to see numerous flight and airfare options from multiple airlines. You can filter based on the number of stops, the airline, whether bags are included, and even compare flights' carbon emissions.

To track flights, enter your departure and arrival cities, dates, and any other preferred filters. After you hit search, you will see a "track prices" toolbar on the left side of the screen. Click on this to sign up to receive email updates on price changes.

Note that Google Flights does not capture price information from certain airlines, such as Southwest Airlines. You also do not purchase tickets directly through Google Flights; instead, the website redirects you to the airline's website or another third-party site.

Hopper

Hopper is a flight price search and booking tool that notifies you when a price drops and predicts whether fares could rise. To set an alert, go to Hopper's website or download the app, select "Flights," and fill out your destination and dates. The next page will show current flight prices and Hopper's prediction about whether you should buy now or wait. If it suggests waiting, there will be a "Watch This Trip" button that allows you to opt into email updates or push notifications for the flight(s) you are tracking.

Kayak

Kayak aggregates a list of the cheapest flights, hotels, and rental cars for a given date or range of dates. To get alerts, you will first need to create an account with Kayak. After searching for your destination and dates, click on "track prices" on the page that lists the flight options. Kayak will send you daily notifications about ticket prices unless you change the settings in your personal profile.

Kayak is unique in that it allows you to set flexible price alerts. For example, if you want to fly from Los Angeles to Bali but are flexible with the dates, you can select "flexible dates" and "anytime" to receive alerts when the price drops below average.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner pulls prices for flights, hotels, and car rentals from across the internet. After adding your dates and preferred route, you will find a "get price alerts" button near the top left of the screen. You will need to create an account with Skyscanner to receive price alert emails. If your flight is within 100 days, Skyscanner will typically email daily updates, and if it is further out, notifications will come once a week.

Going.com

Going.com is a newsletter service that sends domestic and international flight deals to your inbox. It has a free version called "Limited," which provides a selection of international economy-class deals for up to five airports of your choice each month. The Premium version costs $49 per year and includes deals from up to 10 airports, while the Elite version costs $199 per year and includes deals from an unlimited number of US airports.

Flight Alert

Flight Alert is an app that lets you watch flights you are interested in and sends a notification if the price goes down. You can track as many flights as you like and check the price history. The app will notify you of the airline with the current lowest price for your desired flight.

Flightview

Flightview is an app that can be downloaded on Apple and Android devices and is not limited to a particular airline. To track a specific flight, enter the airline's name or 3-letter code, the flight number, and the departure date, then press "track flight." To track the entire route of the flight, enter the departure and arrival airport codes, the airline (optional), the flight time and date, and select "track flight." This app can notify you about flight arrivals and departures, airport delays, weather, and parking.

Google Flights alerts

Google Flights is a powerful tool that helps travellers find and compare flights from different airlines, including both domestic and international flights. Google Flights alerts are a feature that enables users to track the price of a particular flight and receive notifications when there is a price change. This means that you can save money by purchasing your ticket when the price is lower than usual.

Step 1: Enter your travel information

Enter your travel details into Google Flights, including the origin airport, destination airport, dates, and number of passengers. You can enter up to six airports in each box if your origin and/or destination are flexible. If your dates are flexible, use Google's drop-down calendar to find the cheapest dates.

Step 2: Click the "Track prices" toggle

Right below the search criteria, you will see a "Track prices" toggle. Click on this to start tracking flights that match your search details. You will need to be signed in to your Google account to track flights.

Step 3: View the flights you're tracking

Once you move the "Track prices" toggle, you will see a black pop-up box with a "View all" link. Click on this to see all the flights you are tracking, as well as the flights you have tracked in the past. From this page, you can see Google's data on the flights you have asked it to track.

Step 4: Monitor your email

Google will send you an email alert if the price of your flight decreases. You will also receive an email notification when Google thinks the price will likely increase.

Other tips:

• If you have already booked your flight, keep tracking prices. Many U.S. airlines no longer charge change or cancellation fees on eligible fares, so if the price of your flight drops, you can cancel and rebook or change your flight.
• Be flexible with your travel dates. Prices tend to fluctuate based on demand, so choosing to fly during off-peak times can save you money.
• Set a realistic price range. If you set your price range too low, you may receive irrelevant alerts or miss out on good deals.
• Use the "Explore" feature if you are not sure about your destination. This will help you find cheap flights to various destinations based on your budget.

Frequently asked questions