Google has upgraded its Search product by embedding travel planning and booking capabilities directly into its AI-assisted experience. In its latest announcement, Google introduced new features in “AI Mode” that allow users to build personalised travel itineraries, uncover flight deals, and even make reservations without leaving the search results.
Canvas: a dynamic workspace for your trip
One of the key additions is a tool called Canvas within AI Mode. When you tell Google what kind of trip you want, Canvas opens a side-panel that brings together live data on flights and hotels, photos and reviews from Google Maps, and recommendations for restaurants and activities. The interface allows follow-up questions too, such as “Show me hotels closer to public transit” or “Choose flights under $600”. Plans are saved in history so you can return and refine later. The feature is currently available on desktop in the U.S. for those using AI Mode via Labs.
Finding deals and acting on bookings
In addition to planning, Google expanded its “Flight Deals” tool globally, users in over 200 countries and 60+ languages can now ask for flight suggestions based on flexible criteria, and the system will propose destinations with strong bargain potential. At the same time Google is preparing so-called “agentic booking” functions: for example, you can already use AI Mode in the U.S. to book restaurant reservations and event tickets. Soon it plans to add hotel and flight bookings via partnerships with platforms like Booking.com, Marriott and Wyndham so that you can describe your travel needs and complete the booking inside the interface.
Why this shifts how travel is booked
Instead of starting at a travel website or app, users can now begin in Google Search and have the system lead them through from “I want to go somewhere” to “I’m booked”. The change decreases the friction between inspiration and action, Google is effectively positioning itself as a full-service travel assistant. For travel platforms and OTAs (online travel agencies) this could alter discovery paths; for consumers it promises faster, more integrated planning.
What to watch as the rollout grows
Key points to monitor: how broadly Google will support full hotel and flight booking beyond the U.S., how deeply Canvas and booking features integrate with other Google services like Maps and Wallet, and how travel-industry partners respond to Google’s increasing role. Also worth noting: user privacy and transparency about how suggestions are surfaced will come into sharper focus as more booking action shifts into Google’s ecosystem.
Implications
For travellers, the update means fewer apps, fewer tabs and a smoother path from “plan” to “go”. For Google, it means deeper engagement and more opportunity to monetise travel-related searches. For the travel industry, it raises the bar on workflow and may force competitive responses around integration and seamless booking. Ultimately Google’s move signals that travel planning is becoming a core feature of modern search rather than a separate task.
Source: Google
