Google Turns 'AI Mode' Into a Travel Agent That Books Flights and Hotels

Google continues to expand the capabilities of its 'AI Mode', its conversational search experience, moving from merely helping users find information to actually performing tasks on their behalf. In a recent announcement, the company unveiled a suite of new features that bring this tool closer to a fully integrated digital travel agent, capable of tracking flight prices, booking hotels, and displaying costs in points or miles.

From a Search Engine to a Trip Planner

These updates demonstrate Google's move toward establishing 'AI Mode' as an assistant specialized in organizing trips. Instead of merely providing links and search results, the tool can now engage directly in the planning and booking process, cutting out many steps that the user previously had to perform manually across multiple websites.

Flight Price Tracking

Users can now describe their travel dates and destination to the tool, which will show them the best available options with the latest prices aggregated from more than 300 airlines and travel websites. If ready to book right away, they can build their trip itinerary directly within the tool.

And if they prefer to wait in hopes of prices dropping, they simply need to ask the tool to track the prices of a specific flight, and they'll receive an email whenever there is any change in price for the specified destination and dates. The flight price tracking feature is currently available in more than 180 countries.

Booking Hotels in a Conversational Style

On the accommodation front, Google has made it possible to discover and book hotels through a natural conversation with the tool. The user explains the details of their upcoming trip and their preferences, receiving a list of options accompanied by ratings and the key factors that help them make a decision.

After choosing the right hotel, the user can request help completing the booking via the 'Continue on Google' option that appears alongside the integrated partners. From there, the process proceeds as follows:

• Selecting the desired room type.
• Reviewing details such as the cancellation policy.
• Completing payment through Google Pay.

Google clarifies that the hotel or booking platform is the party responsible for managing the reservation and customer service, not the company itself.

Booking Partners

The hotel booking feature has begun rolling out in the United States in English, and it will expand over the coming weeks with the participation of several major booking and accommodation service providers, including:

• Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Priceline, and Trip.com.
• Major hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice Hotels, and Wyndham.

Displaying Costs in Points and Miles

Among the notable additions is that the tool is now able to display the cost of flights and hotels in points or miles. For example, a user can ask to find direct flights between two cities on specific dates using the miles of a particular loyalty program, and they'll be shown the amount of miles required for the booking. This feature is already available worldwide.

Conclusion

These developments reflect Google's vision for the future of search, where AI does not just answer questions but takes on completing entire tasks. And as tech giants compete to offer smarter assistants, the travel sector appears to have become an ideal testing ground for this shift, given the many decisions and complex comparisons it involves, which AI can tangibly simplify.

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