Urgent.News

What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.

AI

Google’s AI Mode can now track flight prices, help book hotels, and more

The updates indicate that Google is looking position to AI Mode as an AI travel agent of sorts, as it's moving beyond simply helping users find information to actually handling parts of the trip-planning and booking process itself.

Google has unveiled new capabilities for its AI Mode conversational search experience, allowing users to plan and book travel arrangements more seamlessly. The updates enable AI Mode to track flight prices, assist with hotel bookings, and even display flight and hotel costs in points or miles. Users can now describe their travel plans, and AI Mode will display the best available options with the latest prices from over 300 airlines and travel sites.

If users want to monitor prices, they can request AI Mode to track specific flight prices, receiving an email notification if prices change for their chosen destination and dates. Additionally, AI Mode can now help users book hotels by presenting a list of options with reviews and key factors based on their preferences.

To complete a hotel booking, users can simply ask AI Mode to handle the process, selecting the "Continue on Google" option to proceed with their chosen hotel chain or travel site. From there, they can finalize their room selection, review cancellation policies, and complete the booking using Google Pay. The tech giant emphasizes that the hotel or booking platform will manage the booking and customer service.

Hotel booking in AI Mode is currently available in the U.S., with partnerships including Booking.com, Choice Hotels International, Expedia, Hilton, Hotels.com, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Priceline, Trip.com, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Moreover, users can request flight and hotel options using points or miles by specifying their airline miles. Google's AI Mode will then provide the number of miles required to book matching flights. This new feature is now accessible globally.

Written by urgent.news from TechCrunch's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

This story

This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.

Read the original at techcrunch.com →

More in AI

Opus 5: How to Review Generated Code

So, just another Tuesday. You ask Opus 5 for a one-line fix: a date parser is choking on a timezone suffix, change the format string. Twenty seconds later the agent reports done.

  • Opus 5 expands task scope beyond requested one line change
  • Anthropic documents reflexive model tendency to overreach
  • Three-layer defense: steering, reviewing, deterministic gates

More from Thursday 27 August →