Google is adding new features to its travel search functions
to add ease and speed for mobile users.
A new navigation bar is a rolling out in the United
States starting today and globally in the coming months that will make the most common search elements accessible from one
screen.
Users can click between searching for flights and hotels without
having to re-enter dates and destinations. In the same navigation bar, they can explore
destination details with photos and click "Your Trips" to view upcoming and past reservations from
Gmail.
“One of the things we keep finding when we look at user
behavior and when we talk to travelers is that they bounce around from task to
task, and we weren’t really making that very easy for people,” says Eric
Zimmerman, director of travel product management at Google
“And it was particularly annoying on mobile because you had
to keep going to the Google search box to start over and type and tap, and
that's just very tedious.”
Zimmerman says Google also realizes many people “come to Google
with a pretty vague idea of where they want to go.” To make it easy for them to
find inspiration, a new “More Destinations” option pulls in ideas through algorithms
that curate options based on the user’s location, past behavior and popular themes
such as sunny destinations or national parks.
While the navigation bar is creating a bridge between
existing products, Google is also rolling out new functions for hotel search in
the coming weeks.
Along with making the experience faster, Google has added
more content and filters. Travelers can narrow hotel results based on price or
star rating. They can also see photos and reviews from around the web.
Google is also adding photos and details about amenities and
pricing for specific room types within a hotel, so users can easily compare options.
When they are ready to book, the interface provides direct
links to participating partners including suppliers and online travel agencies.
“We are user-first, but we see it as very good for our
travel partners,” says a Google spokesperson.
“People start a lot of their travel journey on Google, so if
we make it easier for people to find their hotel, to book their flight, we are
driving more qualified leads to our partners.”