It appears that Google is eager to integrate AI into everything these days, and its airfare-booking service, Flights, is the latest to be enhanced. On Thursday, Google unveiled that it is experimenting with a new AI-powered tool called Flight Deals. This tool could be beneficial if you’re planning a budget-friendly trip but are still undecided on your destination.
Rather than just inputting your start and end locations, Flight Deals adopts a more flexible method. You can describe the type of place you wish to visit and specify criteria such as your desired flight duration and the activities you’re interested in once arriving. AI will then generate affordable flight options that align with your preferences. For instance, you might search for “a weekend countryside getaway with trail rides and kayaking” or a “trip to Europe with great cheese and wine in May,” and see what the AI suggests.
While testing Flight Deals, I noticed it offered a blend of well-known vacation spots and some less obvious choices. When searching for “a tropical destination with snorkeling,” it presented places like Cozumel, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, which are common but valid options. However, a search for a “trip to Europe with hiking” brought up unexpected suggestions like Cluj-Napoca, Romania and Ljubljana, Slovenia, ideal for those seeking unique destinations.
Nonetheless, some results were not useful. When searching for “a tropical weekend trip that’s less than 5 hours away” from the Orlando airport, the tool suggested Miami and Key West, which might not satisfy someone aiming to travel beyond the state. Additionally, when searching for “trips to Japan during cherry blossom season,” it reported “no deals” available for this query.
If you don’t specify a travel timeframe, Google defaults to presenting flights within the next six months. You have the option to adjust filters, like the number of stops or preferred airlines, but the benefit of this AI-powered upgrade is that these steps are not mandatory.
Despite some shortcomings, I find the idea of using Flight Deals intriguing when searching for budget-friendly travel ideas. However, I wouldn’t rely solely on AI for complete trip planning. Instead, it can be a starting point for destination ideas, which I would then investigate further. Google Flight Deals is launching in beta for U.S. and Canadian users in the coming week, accessible via the standalone Flight Deals page or the top-left menu on Google Flights.
