Google Now Lets Consumers Book Hotels/Flights from Google Search

In a recent blog post, Google revealed that it intends to make planning a trip much easier for consumers. It aims to reduce the number of searches and tools (including websites and mobile apps) that consumers use to find and book flights and hotels, a process that Google calls "cumbersome."

To help, Google said it is evolving the way its hotel search works on smartphones to help users explore options and make decisions on their smallest screens. The new hotel search experience will include better price filtering, easier-to-find amenity information and the ability to book right from Google.

The company also said that some countries will soon be receiving a new option for travel. If a consumer, searches for a flight in Google Flights, they will be able to click right in to “Hotels” at the top of the page. This lets users easily click over to check hotel availability and prices in the destination city for the dates already selected. It will work the same way if the user starts by searching for a hotel instead of a flight. He or she can click to the “Flights” tab to check prices and fare options, and easily book a flight when ready. The same options will appear if the consumer wants to learn about a specific place, or when searching for things to do there.

If a consumer clicks on “More Destinations” it will let consumers explore other destinations, weekend getaways and suggest trips they might be interested in. It has also included a feature called "Your Trips" that helps consumers see, at a glance, all of their upcoming and past travel reservations from Gmail. These results are private, and only the consumer can see this information. However, if the consumer wants to share the information, he or she can email the trip reservations to friends or family right from Your Trips, and also make edits and access them directly offline with the Google Trips app (Android, iOS) when you’re traveling.