Decoded: Google’s new flight deals is as much about prices, as it is about vibes

ACursory Google look may swell feature been the repoint from where you commenced reservation your upcoming travel plans — a move that taps into typical user behaviour with a pitch of familiarity and simplicity. In what may prove to be astute in the long term, Google has unlocked flight deals in India, the US, and Canada, underlined by artificial intelligence (AI) for natural language understanding and contextual structuring of a travel plan.At first blush, you may expect Google Flight deals to be just another widget or overlay that screams “find me cheap fares”, but it isn’t. Google is attempting to move further up the travel planning and booking funnel — aiming to be relevant both to users seeking a comprehensive snapshot of the best deals and those who are beginning vacation planning with a blank slate.“What makes flight deals unique is that it uses Google’s advanced AI to understand the nuances of what you’re looking for and identify matching destinations. Then, it’ll tap into real-time Google Flights data to quickly show you relevant, up-to-date options from hundreds of airlines and booking sites. We’re launching flight deals in beta to gather feedback and explore how AI can improve travel planning,” product manager for Google Flights Jade Kessler explains.Google’s business model for flight deals would certainly be a concern for online travel agencies (OTAs) like MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip in India, because there is some overlap. Typically, a user lands on an OTA’s app or website with a destination in mind, searches for flights and hotels, and makes a purchase. OTAs also offer travel packages, sightseeing tours, vehicle rentals, and more.Also Read: Chandigarh, Dehradun start Sept 1 | Details of Air India network additionsIn contrast, Google Flight deals are focused solely on being relevant to the user’s intent — whether it’s to search for a destination or a flight. It lists ticket prices from both OTAs such as MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip, as well as directly from airlines.For instance, a search for Delhi to Chiang Mai flights showed HT options from multiple airlines, including THAI and AirAsia combinations, THAI, Malaysia Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and code shares between Etihad and Bangkok Airways — complete with flight timelines, stops, and pricing. For each flight, clicking the downward arrow reveals more details such as layover durations, airport specifics, and in-flight features like above-average legroom, in-seat power or USB ports, and whether entertainment is provided onboard or needs to be streamed on personal devices.Also read: Google brings new travel-centric tools: AI Itineraries, hotel price alerts and moreAt this stage in the flow, once your flights are selected, Google Flight deals shows you booking options. For most flights, HT noted that results listed more than 10 booking platforms, each with pricing: direct airline booking, Booking.com, MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, Goibibo, EaseMyTrip, Trip.com, Flightnetwork, Traveasy, and Kiwi, among others.Prices listed matched airline rates at the same time, though slight variations can occur due to dynamic pricing models. If a user opts to book directly with an airline, it may result in loss of traffic and bookings for OTAs — making OTA-specific deals and perceived value even more critical.So how are these results ranked? Specifically, what determines the order between airline and OTA options? Google says, “Booking options are ranked based on factors like price, link quality, type of partner and experience on the partner site,” adding, “Google’s data shows that users prefer airline links, but Google aims to provide both airline and OTA options among the top results.”Also Read: Airfares are back in the spotlight, but what exactly is happening?One standout feature of flight deals is its natural language AI, powered by Google’s Gemini, designed to understand nuanced user queries — even when the destination is not clear. Searches such as “a week-long trip to a city with great food” or “an international trip in Business class” yield curated destination suggestions.In HT’s experience with the beta version, such a search surfaced more than 28 destinations — from Marrakesh in Morocco to Lima in Peru to Goa closer to home.In a technical document, Google explains, AI “understands travel intent and interprets natural language, so you can describe your trip in your own words. For example, you can ask to ‘see the cherry blossoms in Japan’ or look for ‘romantic weekend getaways’ instead of selecting specific destinations and dates.”At that point, the system identifies potential destinations and dates that align with the query.Also Read:India, China likely to resume direct flightsThis marks a shift that traditional aggregators haven’t effectively addressed. MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip are still geared toward optimising known journeys, while Google is curating options for users starting with a feeling, not a destination.OTA interfaces typically push curated deals and assume users know where they want to go. Google’s Flight deals assumes users are seeking inspiration — shifting from utilitarian search to an exploratory experience.For MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip, this presents a classic innovator’s dilemma. Their business models depend on transactions and defined user flows. Pivoting to an AI-driven, inspiration-first model would demand significant platform changes.It’s worth noting that MakeMyTrip has launched a generative AI assistant to help with travel planning. But Google’s massive data advantage and deep understanding of user behaviour may make personalisation and travel history the biggest differentiator over time.