Google Bard And Google Flights Are Now Connected, Finally! (2023)
Following up on our AI for Travel posts series, here’s an update on Google Bard that we both anticipated and were looking forward to trying. A few days ago, Google Bard and Google Flights were finally integrated and released to the public. This means you can now plan travel within Google Bard while fetching current data from Google Flights.
In this post, we look at how this extension works, when it is worth using it, and how it compares against the ChatGPT plugins for flight search.
Here’s the official announcement from Google.
How to use Google Bard and Google Flights (2023)
Turn on the Google Flights Extension
Open Google Bard. On the top right corner, tap on the little puzzle piece icon.
Bard will display the Extensions pane; among them, you should see Google Flights, Hotels, Maps, etc. Make sure that Google Flights is enabled.
Once the extension is enabled, it will trigger automatically if it detects a query for Google Flights. You can also type @flights to call the extension directly.
Ask Bard About Flights (Top Prompts)
Here are a few prompts we tried to test the new Google Flights extension.
1. Search for cheap flights
This is a simple one. Ask for the cheapest flights between two cities (one-way or round trip).
Question: @Flights search for cheap round trip flights from Stockholm to Amsterdam during November
I found a few round trip flights from Stockholm (ARN, NYO, BMA) to Amsterdam (AMS, ZYA) departing on November 23 and returning on November 30.
Here are some of the departing flights from Stockholm:
- Norwegian from ARN to AMS, priced from $133 (round trip) will take 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- Scandinavian Airlines from ARN to AMS, priced from $136 (round trip) will take 2 hours and 10 minutes.
- KLM from ARN to AMS, priced from $139 (round trip) will take 2 hours and 10 minutes.
- KLM from ARN to AMS, priced from $139 (round trip) will take 2 hours and 5 minutes.
- KLM from ARN to AMS, priced from $139 (round trip) will take 2 hours and 5 minutes.
2. Cheapest days to fly
Use historical data from Google Flights to check what’s the best time to book flights or the cheapest days to travel. This is similar to the functionality added by Kayak Best Time To Travel (read more here) and Skyscanner Savings Generator (read more here).
Question: @Flights what are typically the cheapest days to fly from Copenhagen to New York?
Typically, the cheapest days to fly from Copenhagen to New York are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. These days tend to have fewer business travelers, which means that airlines offer lower fares to fill up their seats.
Here is a breakdown of the average flight prices for each day of the week, based on historical data:
- Tuesday: $600
- Wednesday: $550
- Thursday: $650
- Friday: $700
- Saturday: $550
- Sunday: $750
3. Show me all direct flights
Are you wondering what airlines fly nonstop between two cities, or even on a given day? Get realtime data from Google Flights with this query. If you are a more advanced user and are looking for more tools, try Flightconnections.
Question: @Flights show me a list of all the direct flights from Buenos Aires to Europe
Here is a list of all the direct flights from Buenos Aires (EZE) to Europe:
4. Connecting flights with the shortest stopovers
Try searching for the most efficient routes if you have to transit in a given city. You can also use this prompt to compare price/duration of the flights.
Question: @Flights what are some of the connecting flights with the shortest stopovers from Iceland to Hawaii?
I found a few round trip connecting flights with the shortest stopovers from Iceland to Hawaii departing on October 18th and returning on October 22nd.
Here are some of the departing flights from Iceland:
- Delta from KEF to HNL, priced from $1,056 (round trip) will take 37 hours and 51 minutes.
- Multiple Airlines from KEF to OGG, priced from $1,822 (round trip) will take 28 hours and 10 minutes.
- Multiple Airlines from KEF to KOA, priced from $1,842 (round trip) will take 28 hours and 10 minutes.
- Multiple Airlines from KEF to HNL, priced from $1,852 (round trip) will take 17 hours and 9 minutes.
- Multiple Airlines from KEF to LIH, priced from $3,048 (round trip) will take 30 hours and 24 minutes.
5. Multi-city itineraries
This is where the tool has one of the biggest potentials to excel. Create complex queries that take time to set up in Google Flights, directly from a sentence. Add multiple cities, stopovers, and restrictions to your flight searches, and Google Bard will set things up for you.
Question: @Google Flights find me good flights for this itinerary: 10 day trip in October, departing on a Friday, from Stockholm to Portugal, spending two nights in Paris and two nights in Madrid
Here is a possible itinerary for a 10-day trip to Portugal from Stockholm, departing on Friday, October 6 2023, spending two nights in Paris and two nights in Madrid:
Stockholm (ARN, NYO, BMA) to Faro (FAO)
- Lufthansa, starting from ARS 123,422 (round trip) will take 10 hours and 0 minutes.
- Lufthansa, starting from ARS 131,942 (round trip) will take 7 hours and 10 minutes.
You can find more details on Google Flights
Faro (FAO) to Paris (CDG, ORY, BVA, XHP, XGP)
- Lufthansa, starting from ARS 150,653 (round trip) will take 11 hours and 15 minutes.
You can find more details on Google Flights
Paris (CDG, ORY, BVA, XHP, XGP) to Madrid (MAD, XOC, XTI)
- Lufthansa, starting from ARS 153,836 (round trip) will take 9 hours and 10 minutes.
You can find more details on Google Flights
Madrid (MAD, XOC, XTI) to Stockholm (ARN, NYO, BMA)
- Finnair, starting from ARS 161,198 (round trip) will take 6 hours and 40 minutes.
You can find more details on Google Flights
This itinerary includes two nights in Paris and two nights in Madrid, but you can customize it to fit your interests and budget. For example, if you’re interested in art, you could spend more time in Paris and visit the Louvre Museum and the Musée d’Orsay. If you’re on a tight budget, you could stay in hostels or guesthouses instead of hotels.
Other prompts you can use
- @Flights Find round-trip flights from New York to London for next month.
- @Flights What are the cheapest flights from Los Angeles to Paris in December?
- @Flights Show me all direct flights from San Francisco to Tokyo, departing on a Saturday and returning on a Wednesday.
- @Flights What is the average flight time from Chicago to Miami?
- @Flights What are the most popular airlines that fly from Rome to Barcelona?
- @Flights Show me all flights from Seattle to London with a layover of less than two hours.
- @Flights What are next year’s cheapest round-trip flights from Toronto to Amsterdam?
- @Flights What is the best time to book a flight from Boston to London?
- @Flights Show me all flights from Miami to Dubai operated by Emirates.
- @Flights What are the cheapest first-class flights from Paris to Tokyo?
- @Flights Find a flight from London to New York that departs on a Friday, returns on a Sunday and includes a stopover in Paris.
You can also use more specific prompts to get more detailed information about flights, such as:
- @Flights What are the cheapest round-trip flights from San Francisco to London that include a checked bag and priority boarding?
- @Flights Show me all flights from Seattle to London that have a layover of less than two hours and offer free Wi-Fi.
- @Flights What are the best deals on round-trip flights from Toronto to Amsterdam for next year, considering both price and flight duration?
- @Flights Show me all flights from Miami to Dubai that are operated by Emirates and offer a free meal and drink.
Bard can also help you compare different flights and airlines and find the best deals. For example, you could ask Bard:
- @Flights Compare the prices of round-trip flights from New York to London on United Airlines and American Airlines for next month.
- @Flights Which airline offers the most direct flights from Los Angeles to Paris?
- @Flights What is the best way to get from San Francisco to Tokyo without spending more than $1,000?
Bard can also help you find flights that meet your specific needs, such as:
- @Flights Find a flight from Seattle to London that departs on a Saturday, returns on a Wednesday and includes a stopover in Paris.
- @Flights Show me all flights from Miami to Dubai operated by Emirates and offer a free meal and drink.
- @Flights What are next year’s cheapest round-trip flights from Toronto to Amsterdam, considering both price and flight duration?
Conclusion
I see a ton value in simplifying how people search for flights, compare, and find the options they want. I’m pro-democratization of the information, and having tools that are able to digest and process information for us will greatly help people make more informed decisions.
The Google Flights extension can suggest itineraries, create complex searches, and summarize the information with just a simple prompt. There’s a long way to go yet, and I’m sure we’ll see a ton of improvements soon, but this is the first step for a new way of searching for flights and evaluating options.
BTW, my experience was smoother than the Expedia and Kayak plugins for ChatGPT.
