Google Adds Flight Delay Information To Assistant

By Noah Long ● Dec 18, 2018

Google has added flight delay information to Google Assistant and the online flight booking Google Flights service. Plus using historic flight status data combined with machine learning, Google is able to make predictions in advance of the airlines confirming the delays. Based on historical data, Google is 85% confident about the delays.

And you can ask Google Assistant questions like “Hey Google, is my flight on time?” or “Hey Google, what’s the status of the Delta Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit?” In the next few weeks, the Google Assistant will also start proactively notifying you if it predicts a flight delay and tells you the reason if it knows why.

Google has been proactively adding new features to its travel service. For example, Google recently launched a tool that shows you historic flight price trends, top cities with hotel deals, and things to do.

“Whether you’re coming off a holiday high or in need of relaxation after all the hustle and bustle, the beginning of the new year is a prime time to think about your next trip,” said Google Travel VP of Product Management in Richard Holden in a blog post. “Earlier this year, we unveiled a tool that shows you historic flight price trends, top cities with hotel deals and popular things to do. Now you’ll also see upcoming holiday and school breaks, so you can plan trips around those dates.”

Google Flights will also show what is included in your ticket price. So you will see if prices include a carry-on bag and you can filter to see the prices that include carry-on luggage. Plus you can also filter to include checked bag fees for domestic flights within the U.S.