Google Flights will now help you predict flight delays thanks to some updates that Google is pushing out to the service today. To be clear, this isn’t the same as the actual flight delays, which Google Flights already shows consumers who have booked a flight. These new flight predictions are still geared towards consumers who have already booked flights, but if no delays are currently present then any potential delays will be listed on the information page of your flight details with a message that will tell you if a delay is likely and how long that delay may end up being. What’s more is that Google will only display a delay prediction for a flight if there is an 80-percent confidence rating.
In addition to delay predictions Google Flights will show the reasons why flights are delayed too. Sometimes it’s not enough to know that a flight is delayed and how long the delay will be. If you’re the curious type and you simply want more information about the delay, you can pop open Google Flights and the information should be listed as to why the delay happened, which would help prevent you from having to contact any airport personnel over the phone or track someone down if you’re already at the airport.
For those that tend to look for cheaper flights when booking tickets, Google Flights is going to start showing some new information that is aimed at making it easier to decide if you want to book those cheaper flights or spring for some slightly nicer seats. On United, Delta, and American Airlines flights, Google Flights will now list whether or not Basic Economy tickets include things like overhead bin space, baggage fees, and seat selection opportunities. If those things are important to you, then you’ll now be more well-informed and can adjust your ticket pricing accordingly when booking. These changes should already be live for all users when searching for and booking flights through Google Flights, but if things aren’t showing up right away it may just be that Google is slowly rolling things out and it could take a day or two for things to be visible.