Google has new AI search tools designed to help save time and money on travel. The company is expanding access to its bargain-hunting search feature Flight Deals to more than 200 countries following Google Flight’s rollout in the U.S., Canada and India. Google has also turned AI Mode’s Canvas into a natural language itinerary planner: tell it the type of trip you’d like planned, including recommendations of interest, then select the option to “Create Canvas” and it will build a custom itinerary using real-time search data — from flights suggestions to hotels, complete with info from Google Maps, photos and reviews. Continue reading Google Expands AI Tools That Turn Search into a Travel Agent

Popular travel booking site Orbitz, owned by Expedia, confirmed yesterday that it “identified and remediated a data security incident affecting a legacy travel booking platform.” The company explained that a hack late last year exposed customer data and billing information spanning two years. Personal data may have included birth dates, mailing addresses, email addresses, gender, payment card info, and more. According to Orbitz, about 880,000 credit cards may have been affected. However, the company noted that the current Orbitz.com site was not breached. Continue reading Hacker Accessed Customer Data From Orbitz Legacy System

Google is integrating OpenTable’s booking service into its Maps mobile platform feature. Not only can users view turn-by-turn directions, reviews for businesses, and related photographs, but the addition will allow them to reserve a table at a restaurant from inside the application. Google has used other services in similar ways, such as displaying Uber fares, times of arrival and times to destination inside its app. The latest addition is a result of Google’s growing partnership with OpenTable parent Priceline.

Continue reading Google Maps App Includes OpenTable’s Reservation Service