AI Mode in Google Search now tracks flight prices and books hotels

Travel planning can easily turn into dozens of open tabs – several for flights, many more for hotels. Google now intends to solve some of the steps necessary for a successfully arranged vacation directly through conversations with AI Mode in Search. It can now handle flight price tracking, an overview of prices in loyalty points, and hotel booking in a few taps.

How does flight price tracking work?

The basic principle is simple: you describe where and when you want to fly, and the assistant will immediately offer you the best connections with current prices. According to its announcement, Google pulls data from over 300 partner airlines and travel websites. If you’re still unsure, you can say something like “track the prices of these flights” – after confirmation, you’ll receive an email every time the price for your date and destination drops.

It’s not an entirely new feature, rather a relocation. Google Flights has been able to track prices for years; now it’s integrated directly into the chat, so you don’t leave your ongoing search. Flight price tracking itself is available in over 180 countries and territories.

AI Mode also considers collected points or miles

The second new feature targets loyalty point collectors. AI Mode now shows, for both flights and hotels, how much a reservation will cost you in points or miles – not just in money. This is not the first time shopping and agent capabilities have been integrated; we recently wrote about how you can buy groceries directly from Search through it.

AI Mode in Google Search now tracks flight prices and books hotels Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

For example, you enter that you want to fly from one city to another and pay with collected miles, and the assistant calculates how many you need for that flight. It works the same way for hotels, and to complete the reservation, it will send you to the website of the relevant loyalty program.

Google is launching the feature with American partners such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hilton, and Wyndham, and plans to add European names like Lufthansa Group, Accor, and Flying Blue in the coming weeks. While the overview of prices in points is supposed to be globally available, Google itself adds that some functions will not be displayed to users in EEA countries – including the Czech Republic.

Hotel booking sounds great, but the feature isn’t coming to us

The third feature goes the furthest. You select a hotel in AI Mode – you get a visual list with photos, guest reviews, and key parameters for comparison – and then ask the assistant to finalize the reservation. For participating partners, a “Continue on Google” button will appear, through which you select the room type, review cancellation policies, and pay directly with Google Pay. The hotel itself or the booking platform remains the seller and also handles any customer support.

Google names Booking.com, Expedia, Marriott, IHG, and Trip.com among its partners. However, hotel bookings are currently launching only in the USA and in English, with the feature reportedly coming to other regions in the coming weeks. But we don’t expect it to arrive in the Czech Republic anytime soon.

Which of these improvements will Czechs appreciate?

AI Mode itself works here – Google launched it in the Czech Republic and in Czech last October. However, travel features will arrive in stages. Flight price tracking, with a reach of over 180 countries, is the closest; the overview of points and miles will likely largely bypass Europe due to EEA exceptions, and we’ll wait the longest for hotel booking directly in chat.

Would you use AI Mode to book a vacation, or would you prefer to open classic tabs for travel planning?

Sources: Google, GSMArena