Would you let AI pick your vacation? Google’s betting $700M you will

Gemini AI Replaces Calendar Grids

Finding cheap flights used to mean clicking through calendar grids, guessing at dates, and trying different airport combinations until something affordable appeared.

Google just changed that.

On August 14, 2025, the company launched Flight Deals, an AI tool that lets you type what you actually want, like “week-long trip this winter to a city with great food, nonstop only,” and get back a list of real flights you can book.

The tool runs on Gemini 2. 5, pulls prices from over 300 airlines, and just expanded to more than 200 countries.

It took Google 14 years and $700 million to get here.

Gemini 2.5 Powers the Search

Flight Deals uses a custom version of Google’s Gemini 2.5 AI to understand what you’re looking for. The AI connects your vague travel idea to specific airports, dates, and fare classes.

When you type a request, the system interprets the meaning behind your words, identifies destinations that match, and then searches Google Flights’ inventory.

Pricing comes from real-time data feeds with airlines and travel companies, so the numbers you see match what you’d find searching the old way.

Searches Read Like Conversations Now

The tool accepts open-ended prompts that would have confused the old search system.

You can ask for “10-day ski trip to a world-class resort with fresh powder” or “somewhere with mountains and great food in the spring” and get actual bookable results.

One tester asked to see the Northern Lights in December for a week and got suggestions for Alaska, Iceland, and Norway with deals across the month.

The more casual your phrasing, the more the AI has to work with.

Biggest Discounts Show Up First

Google ranks Flight Deals results by how much you save compared to typical prices.

Flights priced at least 20% below normal get a badge showing the discount percentage, with the steepest savings appearing at the top.

When two flights have equal percentage discounts, the lower absolute price wins. Flights without a savings badge still appear but get sorted by lowest price.

Because airfares change constantly, the ranking and availability can shift.

Three Countries Got It First

Flight Deals launched in beta on August 14, 2025, for users in the United States, Canada, and India.

Google chose those markets to gather feedback and test how well the AI handles different types of travel requests.

One test asking for “world-class scuba diving and mountain biking” suggested Durango, Colorado, which sits at 6,500 feet elevation with no ocean in sight.

The beta label meant some searches returned imperfect matches. Google acknowledged the tool works better for flight-specific queries than destination-specific ones.

Now It Works in 200 Countries

On November 17, 2025, Google expanded Flight Deals globally to more than 200 countries and territories.

The rollout added support for over 60 languages and brought the tool to markets including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea.

Users can access it through a dedicated Flight Deals page or through the menu on the main Google Flights site.

No sign-up or opt-in is required.

A $700 Million Purchase Started It All

Google Flights exists because Google bought ITA Software for $700 million in April 2011.

ITA had built QPX, a system that processed airline pricing and scheduling data for companies like Kayak, Orbitz, and Expedia.

The Department of Justice approved the deal only after Google agreed to license ITA’s software to competitors for five years.

Google launched Google Flights five months later, on September 13, 2011, using ITA’s algorithms to search millions of flight combinations per second.

The Original Search Tool Stays

Google made clear that Flight Deals is an addition, not a replacement. Travelers who prefer entering exact dates and airports can keep using the original tool.

The classic Google Flights interface with its calendar grids, price graphs, and detailed filters remains fully available.

Google positioned Flight Deals for flexible travelers who prioritize savings and don’t have a fixed destination in mind.

Both tools pull from the same airline data and show the same prices.

Basic Economy Filter Finally Works

Alongside Flight Deals, Google rolled out another feature travelers had requested for years: the ability to exclude basic economy fares.

A dropdown in the fare type section now lets you switch between “Economy (include Basic)” and “Economy (exclude Basic)” for flights within the U.S. and Canada.

Basic economy tickets often lack seat selection, carry-on bags, and the ability to change flights, so filtering them out makes price comparisons more accurate.

Google tested the feature with select users starting in spring 2025 before expanding.

Competitors Built AI Search Tools Earlier

Google was not first to add AI to flight search.

Booking.com introduced AI trip planners powered by large language models that suggest destinations and deals. Expedia launched conversational trip planning in 2023.

Skyscanner rolled out Savvy Search in 2024, which responds to queries like “find me the cheapest flights to sunny destinations in September.”

But Google’s version connects directly to real-time booking data, which most general AI tools like ChatGPT lack. That integration lets users go from a vague idea to a bookable flight without switching platforms.

Regulators Are Watching Closely

The Flight Deals launch came as European regulators investigated whether Google favors its own travel products over competitors.

The European Commission is examining Google under the Digital Markets Act, which aims to limit how major tech platforms can promote their own services.

Google Flights already appears at the top of search results for flight queries, above links to Kayak, Expedia, and airline websites.

Critics argue this placement gives Google an unfair advantage, though Google maintains the display helps users find information faster.

AI Booking Is Coming Next

Google announced plans to let users complete flight and hotel bookings entirely through AI Mode in the future.

The company is working with partners including Booking.com, Expedia, Marriott, and IHG Hotels to build an experience where travelers describe what they want and finish the transaction without leaving the AI interface.

For now, Flight Deals still sends users to airline websites or travel agencies to complete purchases. But the direction is clear: Google wants AI to handle the entire trip, from the first vague idea to the final confirmation email.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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