Google Makes It Easier To Plan Trips

Google is launching a product that will make it easier for users to plan and organize their travel plans. The new product will integrate flight and hotel search functions, as well as organize people’s travel plans and save any research on a destination. While the offerings were made available on smartphones last year, they are now available on desktops at google.com/travel.

“It often takes days or weeks to plan a trip. When you need to pick up planning again, we’ll keep track of your trip research across Google. Recent searches, saved places and flights you’re tracking are added automatically to your trips when you’re signed into your Google Account. Soon, we’ll add viewed things to do, and saved and viewed hotels to your trips. When you want to continue planning, all of your research will be waiting for you at google.com/travel. If you don’t want to see private results, you can opt out by adjusting your results, and web and app activity settings,” wrote Richard Holden, VP of product management and travel at Google, in a blog post.

While planning their trip, a user will be able to easily read articles and find out more about a destination, such as suggested day plans, popular restaurants around their hotel and events happening during the travel dates. In addition, Google will showcase things to do, restaurants and more via Google Maps.

“Our goal is to simplify trip planning by helping you quickly find the most useful information and pick up where you left off on any device. We’ll continue to make planning and taking trips easier with Google Maps, Google Search and google.com/travel — so you can get out and enjoy the world,” said Holden.

The tech giant’s new offering means it’s taking on travel companies, such as Expedia and Booking Holdings, which owns Priceline. In fact, last year, Expedia CEO Mark Okerstrom called Google his company’s most-important rival, according to Bloomberg.