Google is stepping deeper into the travel industry, transforming its search engine into a full-fledged digital assistant capable of planning and booking trips. The company is developing an agent-based AI system that will eventually handle complex travel arrangements entirely on its own. Today it works with restaurants and service bookings — but flights and hotels are clearly the next milestones.
In a new announcement, Google revealed that its “agentic restaurant bookings” are rolling out across the U.S. through a new AI Mode, which doesn’t require Google Labs access. The same automated assistant can also handle things like event tickets and beauty appointments. According to Julie Farago, Google’s VP of Engineering, the next goal is ambitious:
“Completing full hotel and flight bookings directly inside the AI interface.”
Imagine simply describing your dream trip — dates, budget, hotel preferences, cabin class — and the AI instantly compares all options, showing images, reviews, schedules, and total prices. After that, it finalizes the booking with whichever partner the user selects. Google’s strategy is clear: reduce the entire booking process to a chat conversation.
To push this forward, Google has already secured partnerships with major travel players:
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Booking.com
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Expedia Group
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Choice Hotels International
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IHG Hotels & Resorts
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Marriott International
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Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
It’s still unclear how payments will be processed — whether Google will handle them directly or redirect users to partner platforms. But the direction is obvious: a frictionless, chat-based travel marketplace built directly into Google’s ecosystem.
The AI Travel Race Intensifies
This move puts Google head-to-head with OpenAI, which has rapidly expanded into travel despite being a newcomer compared to Google’s decades-long dominance in search.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has evolved from a chatbot into a platform, powered by:
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Custom GPTs
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Third-party Actions (plugins)
Expedia and Booking.com were among the first companies to adopt these features. ChatGPT can already show live hotel options — with prices, photos, and details — pulled directly from Expedia. Users are redirected to the partner website for final payment, though OpenAI has suggested that full in-chat transactions are coming.
Both Google and OpenAI now work with the same major travel brands — a sign that large OTAs prefer to bet on both sides rather than choose one winner.
Different Strengths, Same Competition
Expedia and Booking.com are clearly hedging their bets. In the travel industry, visibility and distribution mean everything, so they are partnering with every major AI ecosystem, not committing exclusively to one.
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Google’s advantage: enormous search traffic + strong visual comparison tools
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OpenAI’s advantage: natural dialogue, creative personalization, instant Q&A familiarity
Both are pushing travel providers into a new era of AI-first booking.
What’s Next for AI in Travel?
Both systems are still early in development. Today:
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Payments are mostly handled outside the AI
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Cancellations, loyalty points, and multi-stop trips remain complex for automation
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Accuracy concerns still exist, especially when money is on the line
But within 12–18 months, experts expect a dramatic shift:
A significant portion of global travel bookings will be made via conversational AI instead of websites or apps.
The best AI travel system will be:
✔ fastest
✔ most accurate
✔ most affordable
✔ easiest for the average traveler
Right now, Google and OpenAI are pushing each other at full speed — reshaping the entire travel ecosystem in real time.