Google Updates Its Travel Search With Enhanced Flight Pricing Tool

    
    Google adds new features that aim to make planning travel a breeze.?
    Sarah Tew/CNET
    Google is making improvements to its travel planning features. People will now be able to track the pricing of a flight for up to six months, according to a blog post released on Monday.
    Price tracking is activated by searching for flights on Google Flights between two cities. At the bottom of the filters, there is a “track price” section. Toggling “any dates” to On will allow Google to send you emails if the algorithm detects a lower than typical fare in the next three to six months.?
    Google also released enhancements to Maps for those looking to reach destinations by car. The Explore tool lets you explore locations worldwide by budget and trip length. It defaults to flight prices, but now you’ll see a pink dot and a bubble that reads “Explore nearby.” Hitting this reveals places that are within driving distance, along with hotel prices in the area and even the local weather.?
    Also starting Monday, people can enter the address or location of a specific landmark in the “hotel and vacation rental search bar” and toggle to see places to stay within a 30-minute walk or drive. You can now tap the bookmark icon on any hotel or rental property to save it for future perusing.