Google Launches New AI Shopping and Travel Features, Including Checking Store Inventory and Tracking Single Hotel Prices
Google announced on Friday local time that it will roll out a series of new features for its AI Mode before this summer's peak travel season, helping users plan their summer trips more efficiently. These features include "agent-like" AI contacting local stores to check product availability, and price tracking for individual hotels in search results.
According to the introduction, with this update, users can have Google call nearby stores while using AI Mode to confirm the availability of a specific product and obtain store information. This feature was previously launched in regular Google Search last November and will now be expanded to the AI Mode experience for US users in the coming weeks. Users only need to describe their needs in natural language, such as "I forgot my prescription sunglasses and want to find a pair of polarized clip-ons that can be clipped onto my existing glasses. Where can I buy them nearby now?" Google will then automatically make the call, confirm the goods, and provide feedback with the results.
In terms of travel booking, Google has also upgraded its hotel price tracking function. Currently, users can already track hotel price changes at the city level, and the new version allows users to directly set price reminders for a specific hotel they like. On the desktop, simply search for the hotel name and click the new price tracking switch; on the mobile, you can find the corresponding option on the "Prices" tab after searching. Once set up, users will receive an email notification if the hotel's price changes within the selected date range.
Google also shared some data on summer travel trends in 2026. On Google Flights, popular international and domestic flight destinations this summer include St. Martin in the Caribbean, Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and Kansas City, Missouri and Sarasota, Florida in the United States. In response to this, user interest in keywords such as "AI travel assistant" and "AI concierge service" has risen sharply in the past year, with an increase of 350%. In addition, "How to use AI to find cheap flights" has become one of the popular search questions related to "cheap flights" recently, and the search popularity of "AI flight booking" has also increased by 315% in the past year.