Google has introduced a new platform to its Google Flights airfare search engine called Flight Deals, an AI-powered tool allowing users to enter conversational text to find flights. Instead of entering dates, destinations and filters to find the best flight, users can now just describe where, when, and how they want to fly.
“Flight Deals is designed for flexible travelers whose number one goal is saving money on their next trip,” said Jade Kessler, Product Manager at Google Flights. The new tool is now available for travelers in the U.S., Canada and India. Despite the change, travelers can still utilize Google Flights’ original platform. Users can personalize their searches by entering something like “weekend trip to a family-friendly city with an amusement park, nonstop only,” to find results that suit their vacation needs.
“What makes Flight Deals unique is that it uses Google’s advanced AI to understand the nuances of what you’re looking for and identify matching destinations. Then, it’ll tap into real-time Google Flights data to quickly show you relevant, up-to-date options from hundreds of airlines and booking sites,” Kessler said.
We tried it out to see just how easy the tool is to use. When searching for a “week-long trip to a Spanish city with beautiful architecture,” rendered results included the Basque city of Bilbao in December for $389 roundtrip – a steal! Or a search for “Sicily in January for under $800” renders quick results for a trip to Palermo or Catania, two of our favorite Sicilian destinations.
Even if you challenge the tool, say you search: “city with great museums next spring,” tons of options to peruse appear in seconds. Florence, Madrid, Vienna, Berlin, London. It’s a “choose your own adventure” tool.
Play around and be as specific or vague as you want. Whether you have a faint idea of where you want to go or a specific itinerary. The AI filters ideas based on your request whether you want great food, inspiring museums ,or lots of live music in your destination.
What we love about this new tool is how much time it saves us. Finding the best flights can take you days of tracking price fluctuations and reconfiguring your trip details. No more selecting specific filters, changing dates to find the best prices, or swapping airports around. It’s as easy as asking a travel agent to find you the best flight and letting them do the rest.
Plus, no more tab swapping and hopping between Expedia and SkyScanner or TripAdvisor, Flight Deals scans all of these platforms to give you the best results. This also ensures you stay on budget. Instead of pouring over flights and dates on your favorite low-budget flight search engine, just tell Flight Deals what your price range is and it will render results specifically for you.
Though AI is changing the way we travel at warp speed, some changes are undoubtedly better than others. Planning travel is the most painstaking part, and simplifying the process ensures that travelers can focus on enjoying trips to new and exciting destinations.
