As we get closer and closer to Google planning entire trips for us, the tech giant announced upgrades to its Google Assistant today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that will make certain aspects of travel easier, and hands free.
If you're unfamiliar with Google Assistant, it's the little helper on Android and iPhones (Google's Siri or Alexa, if you will) and Google Home devices. Ever since 2016, we've been able to work with Assistant to do certain aspects of trip planning. As Brad Rickman put it for Traveler: "Instead of doing what you do today—pulling out your laptop and vanishing down a troll hole of Yelp commentary—you just say, out loud, into the air of your presumably empty apartment, 'I want to go to Bali.' And a voice that's almost librarian-like, familiar but not intimate, friendly but professional, says back to you, "Okay. When?" Twenty minutes and a few exchanges later, you've reviewed your flight options, picked out an Airbnb, booked a seafood dinner for your second night on the island, and added the whole trip to your calendar without lifting a finger. The flight's on an airline with which you have status; the Airbnb has Wi-Fi because that's always non-negotiable for you; and the restaurant's gin game is strong. And it's all already on your phone, right beside a list of recommended sights built around your bookings in place and time."
So what's new? Here a few prompts you can now give your Assistant.
Hey Google, check into my flight (and show me my boarding pass).
Google Assistant already lets you search for upcoming flights, get prices, and track your flight status. But now, if you're flying domestically on United, you can ask Assistant to check you in and pull up your boarding pass in Google Pay on Android and iOS smartphones without needing to scramble for your confirmation number. Google plans to expand this feature to more airlines and flights soon, it says.
Hey Google, I'd like to book a room at this hotel on this date.
If you have a specific hotel stay in mind—maybe you want to book a night the Chatwal in New York City on February 14—just ask Assistant that specific request to find out room availability and prices, and then book it.
Hey Google, reply to Greg and tell him I'll be home in ten minutes.
Okay, you may not have a Greg you need to text, but if you're using Google Maps on Android and iOS while driving or in transit, you can now just ask Assistant to "share your ETA with friends and family, reply to text messages, play music and podcasts, search for places along your route, or add a new stop" on your route without looking up from what you're doing. You can also read back and reply to messages in SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Hangouts, Viber, Telegram, and Android Messages on Android phones.
Hey Google, be my Portuguese interpreter.
A new feature called Interpreter Mode will appear in the next few weeks on smart displays and via Google Home, so you can ask Assistant to activate that mode and translate 27 different languages in real time, or learn simple phrases for an upcoming trip. Boa sorte!