Google announced on Friday local time that it will launch a series of new features for its AI Mode before this summer’s peak travel season to help users plan summer travel more efficiently. New features include services such as “agent-type” artificial intelligence contacting local stores to check product inventory, and price tracking for individual hotels in search results.
According to the introduction, with this update, when using AI Mode, users can ask Google to call nearby stores on their behalf to confirm whether a specific product is in stock and obtain store information. The feature, which previously launched in regular Google searches last November, will be expanded to the AI Mode experience for U.S. users in the coming weeks. Users only need to describe their needs in natural language, such as "I forgot my prescription sunglasses and want to find a pair of polarized clips that can be clipped to my existing glasses. Where can I buy them nearby?" Google will then automatically make a call for the user, confirm the goods, and organize the results and provide feedback afterwards.
In terms of travel booking, Google has also upgraded its hotel price tracking function this time. At present, users can already track hotel price changes in the city dimension, and the new version allows users to directly set price reminders for a favorite hotel. On desktop, just search by hotel name and click the new price tracking switch; on mobile, you can enter the "Prices" tab after searching to find the corresponding option. Once set up, users will be alerted via email if the hotel's price changes within the selected date range.
Google also shared some data on travel trends in the summer of 2026. On Google Flights, popular international and domestic flight destinations this summer include the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, the Swedish capital Stockholm, and within the United States, places like Kansas City, Missouri, and Sarasota, Florida. In line with this, user search interest in keywords such as "AI travel assistant" and "AI concierge service" has increased significantly in the past year, with an increase of 350%. In addition, "How to use AI to find air ticket deals" has become one of the most popular search questions related to "air ticket deals" recently, and the search popularity of "AI air ticket booking" has also increased by 315% in the past year.