|

Your Google Assistant now knows how much your trip will suck (or not)…

ByScott

The image shows three smartphone screens displaying different travel-related information. 1. The first screen (left) shows a flight status inquiry. The user has asked, "What's the status of flight AA 528?" The response indicates that the flight is scheduled to depart on time at 11:00 PM (Philadelphia time), but due to a delayed incoming flight, there is a good chance it will be delayed by at least 30 minutes. The flight details show it is from Philadelphia (PHL) to Minneapolis (MSP), departing at 1:30 PM and arriving at 3:24 PM, with terminal and gate information provided. 2. The second screen (middle) shows a flight booking interface. It displays options for selecting the number of carry-on and checked bags, with a "Done" button at the bottom. Below this, there are flight options with departure times, airlines, and prices listed. 3. The third screen (right) shows a "Things to do" interface for Nashville. It includes categories like Outdoors, Art & Culture, and History. Below these categories, there are various attractions listed with images, names, ratings, and brief descriptions, such as The Hermitage, Nashville sports event, The Parthenon, and Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

Google Assistant and its companion hardware appliances have long been my go-to friend for information I could have looked up on my phone… Of course given their popularity, there is no denying that voice assistants are here to stay. In my home, I have 8 places I can ask Google something, and everyone in my household has their own favorite things they use their assistant for. Today, the search giant announced another new feature for its voice enabled wizards: flight performance predictions.

Google launched flight delay predictions earlier in 2018 and integrated it into Google Flights – so far, so good. With this latest update to Google Assistant, that same information can be accessed with your voice, by simply asking whether your flight will be on time. For that easy phrase to work, Google will of course need access to your calendar with flight information. If it lacks that information, you can also ask it by flight number.

If that weren’t awesome enough, they plan to roll out proactive flight delay notifications on your phone through the assistant app. This kind of information has made many of my old apps obsolete – do any of your remember using WorldMate on your Blackberry?

Bottom line; if you haven’t spent the $29 to get a Google Assistant in your home yet, do it now. On their blog, Google provides a great overview of how its apps and services can help during the wacky holiday travel season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.