Google's AI Mode wants to make custom travel planning cheaper and easier

Google is continually improving the AI-powered Search experience to make it one of the few apps you use, whether for homework, shopping, or everyday searching. Earlier this month, we learned that the AI Mode in Search is getting better at helping you choose the proper attire for the upcoming holiday season. Now, Google is adding more features that will simplify planning your vacation.

In July, Google introduced Gemini’s Canvas feature to AI Mode in Search. This update was primarily aimed at helping students study more effectively, where the Canvas would allow them to seek detailed responses on specific aspects of the initial result. Now, Canvas in AI Mode is being expanded to help travelers make better itineraries.

Using Canvas while planning your vacation will now allow you to access information about flight and hotel prices, letting you choose based on your budget, preferences for services, or even the cuisines served in the restaurants. Additionally, AI Mode will scan through talking points in Google Maps reviews for various destinations, helping you decide whether to include them in your agenda.

And if you want to refine your plans further, you can use Canvas to ask specific questions about a specific property or a destination, or ask questions about destinations closer to the hotel.

In addition to Canvas support for travel plans, Google is also expanding its recently-launched Gemini-powered flight booking tool, Flight Deals, globally. It was announced for the US, Canada, and India in August, and is now available to travelers worldwide.

With Flight Deals, you can share a vague (or detailed) prompt to help find potential getaways, with the primary objective of saving money. Based on your description, the tool offers several options, allowing you to select the one that best suits your budget. Clicking these options redirects you to results on Google Flights, with details pre-filled based on your query.

Unlike Flight Deals, Canvas for travel planning in AI Mode is currently available only to folks in the US, and you must first enable the experiment in Labs to use it. It is currently only available on the web interface for AI Mode, with no information available about its availability on mobile devices. 

Lastly, Google is also expanding agentic features beyond restaurant and concert bookings, or appointment hunting. With the latest update, AI Mode will also be able to search and book hotels for you with minimal intervention.