Google Adds AI to Flight Deals Amid Antitrust Pressure

Regulators still wonder if Google’s dominance in travel discovery affects competition, but the search giant on Thursday unveiled a new AI-powered search tool to assist travellers locate flight deals.

The new service, called Flight Deals, is accessible through Google Flights and is intended to assist “flexible travellers” in locating more affordable tickets. Users can describe how and when they wish to go by typing natural language questions into a search field, and the AI will present possible search result of that match.

Google stated in a blog post that these queries could be similar to “10-day ski trip to a world-class resort with fresh powder” or “week-long trip this winter to a city with great food, nonstop only.”

The deployment of a customised version of Gemini 2.5 by Flight Deals was verified by Google to a media new agency. Real-time data feeds with airlines and other travel agencies provide the pricing information. Although Flight Deals employs AI to process natural language queries and also revealing matched destinations, the rates displayed there are identical to those in the user’s current Google Flights settings, according to the company.

According to the firm, the tool ranks results according to the percentage of savings, with the largest savings showing up first. The lower absolute price is displayed first if the savings percentages are equal. According to the company, deals that don’t have a savings logo are ranked by lowest price.

Also Google told a media new agency that the ranking and availability of offers on the tool may differ due to the rapid changes in travel prices.

Currently, regulators, notably the European Commission, are looking into whether Google interferes with competition by favouring its own search goods, such as Google Flights. In an effort to reduce the influence of significant tech platforms, EU regulators are targeting Google for enforcement under the Digital Markets Act. According to reports, the Alphabet-owned company intends to respond by suggesting adjustments to satisfy authorities, such as adding a price-comparison box to search results.

With plans to launch Flight Deals in the U.S., Canada, and India over the course of the following week, Google has first made which is now available in beta. The beta release’s objective is “to gather feedback and explore how AI can improve travel planning,” according to the company.

Google told the media news agency that it handles user enquiries similarly to search history and that users can visit MyActivity to change or remove the history that was generated by the program.

By incorporating generative AI into travel search, Google is trying to keep up inn competition with OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity, and other significant AI players. This latest move is a part of a larger experiment.

To make trip planning easier, rivals like Booking.com, Expedia, and Indian travel giant MakeMyTrip have already implemented their own AI interfaces. Google is a little behind schedule in that regard. However, given its size and scope, the business can still present a significant obstacle – provided the technology works and becomes popular.

The traditional Google Flights interface will still be available, though. An option not to include the basic economy rates for travel within the United States and Canada is even being added to the 2011 initial flight search engine.

In general, this feature is a component of Google’s plan to integrate generative AI into all of its products in order to compete with industry leaders in AI like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity. Technology has advanced significantly with the capacity to analyse complex natural language questions and produce personalised travel recommendations. Data privacy, the morality of AI-driven proposes, and the openness of the AI models’ workings are still issues, though. There is still opportunity for more investigation as Google has not yet revealed the precise AI models or data sources utilised for “Flight Deals.” 

Google has stated that the classic Google Flights interface would continue to function in spite of the new AI capability. In order to accommodate customers who would rather have a more traditional search experience, it is also getting updates with new features, such as the ability to eliminate basic economy rates for flights in the United States and Canada.

The Flight Deals tool’s capacity to reliably provide precise, affordable, and specific with customised travel options will determine its level of success. Google has two challenges as it continues to innovate in this field: overcoming regulatory demands and maintaining an advantage in the rapidly changing AI travel tech industry. This breakthrough highlights Google’s larger goal to use AI to reinvent convenience in trip planning, despite the company’s challenges with governance and competition.