Google Assistant Becomes Virtual Travel Companion

Google has rolled out a new feature in which flight, hotel and car rental bookings are now part of Google Assistant‘s settings.

According to a report in Android Police, when users access their travel reservations via the Google app or the Home app, they will see a new Reservations item under account settings. Currently, the setting will display flight reservations, but it could add hotels and train reservations down the road. When users tap on the reservation, they get details such as the ticket number, confirmation number and other information about the trip.

The report noted that the addition of Reservations is more evidence that Google is moving toward Feed and Assistant with its app, with Assistant getting all information that is relevant to customers.

In February, Google started enabling consumers to book hotel and flight reservations using their smartphones, directly from a mobile Google search — without ever having to leave their search results list. Results would include photos of hotels, as well as the option to customize for dates and prices.

According to Google, the upgrades were focused on making it easier for users to toggle between flights and hotels with a new tabbed layout. Google also allows users to search for specific destinations and choose from a variety of flight and hotel options. Improvements include the “More Destinations” tab, which offers suggestions on trips near the original destination. Google also highlights which trusted partners their users might want to visit on the way.