Google launches flight search tool

Google has introduced a nifty flight information search function that makes vacation planning a tad easier.

The function allows those with a particular destination in mind to find out which airlines serve that route, and when they fly. Those who are looking to fly from Hong Kong to Thailand, for example,can search for “flights from HKG to BKK.”

The search will then return with a list of non-stop flights, including when the flights take off and land, what airlines offer them, and what days of the week the flights operate.

Flight fares are not part of the new feature, so sites like Expedia will still be the main hub for travelers looking to book tickets. 

First foray into flight info

But this is a useful tool to see quickly and easily if any airline offers direct flights between your chosen cities, and with Google’s announcement that they acquired ITA last month, it probably won’t be a long before they list prices too.

Users can also search for all the destinations served by non-stop flights from a particular airport by typing, for instance, “Flights from Okinawa.”

The search function only gives routes connected by direct flights. For instance, searching “Flights from Hong Kong to Bhutan” will not return any results other than the usual travel sites.

The function is currently available in 10 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Turkish, and Catalan.