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Many people travel to visit friends and family during the winter holidays. It can be a great time of year to gather together, but travel costs can add up quickly if you’re not careful. If you’re leaving town for the holidays this year, take advantage of opportunities to save money on flights.

It may be easier than you realize to save on airfare. You can use free online tools to avoid overspending on plane tickets so you can travel without depleting all the funds in your checking account. Here’s how you can use Google Flights to find cheap holiday flights.

Google Flights can save you money on airfare

Google Flights is a free price comparison tool that makes it easier to find cheap flights. You can search for flights across multiple carriers and compare options. Various included search filters can help you narrow down your search results to find your ideal flight.

You can choose whether you prefer nonstop flights or a certain number of connections, the time of day you prefer to depart, and by ticket class. You’ll then be presented with available flight options that meet your search terms and their prices to help you decide which is best.

Google Flights also includes date grid and price graph tools to help you find the best departure and arrival dates. You can find out which dates are the cheapest to fly.

If you have some flexibility, these tools can help you save big. Once you’ve decided which flights work best for your needs, you can book your tickets directly on the airline’s website.

Want to maximize your savings? We suggest using a travel credit card to pay for your travel purchases. You can earn rewards and redeem them for free flights and hotel stays, which can save you money on future vacations.

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Google makes it easy to monitor flight prices

Will flight prices change before you book? Google can let you know. Price tracking is another feature that Google Flights offers. You can enable price tracking after you search for flights for your preferred dates. You can enable alerts for specific travel dates or any dates. Here’s how:

1. Search for your desired flights
2. After the results load, toggle the “track prices” button
3. Google provides two options: toggle your chosen dates or “any date”

Once you enable price tracking, Google will email you when flight prices change. This can help you stay informed if flight prices become more costly or more affordable. Since you won’t have to monitor prices manually yourself, this tool can save you time.

Earn rewards as you travel the world

In addition to saving money by booking cheap flights, many travelers like to earn rewards. One option is to join free hotel and airline loyalty programs.

You can earn rewards when you fly with your favorite airlines or book stays with preferred hotel brands. Redeeming your rewards for free travel can allow you to maximize your vacation budget.

Many loyalty programs also provide travel perks to eligible travelers. You may qualify for free seat upgrades, early boarding perks, complimentary room upgrades, or free hotel amenities. Benefits like this can improve your vacation experience.

Another way to get rewarded when you travel is to use travel rewards credit cards to pay for your travel bookings. Earning rewards could make it easier for you to travel more affordably, both over the holidays, and all year round.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.