Artificial intelligence continues to re-shape the industry, says OAG, with two such industry innovations in the past month.
Google is rolling out a suite of AI-powered features across its core platforms including Search, Maps, and Gemini. The new tools aim to simplify the way people research, plan, and organise trips—much like a travel agent. For example, a would-be traveller can simply type ‘create an itinerary for Costa Rica with a focus on nature’ into Google and they will instantly receive a full, interactive trip suggestion, complete with photos, reviews, and an expandable map view. This can then be exported.
. . . Mini Planner
At the same time Google’s AI assistant Gemini is getting an update that will allow it to create customised ‘mini travel planners’ for free, helping pick destinations, suggesting what to pack, and even offering ongoing trip support. And there’s more; hotel price tracking alerts are being integrated into Search, allowing travellers to turn screenshots of places into saved locations in Google Maps. OAG says for airlines, OTAs, and other industry players, this is a development worth watching. “Google is quietly redefining what the travel planning journey might look like, and it’s happening inside existing tools that billions of people already use every day.”
. . . For Crew
The second notable innovation, says analyst OAG, sits a little better, with this focused more on safety and efficiency. Japan Airlines is building JAL-AI Report, an AI-powered mobile app that streamlines the post-flight reporting process for its cabin crew. Put simply, using Microsoft’s Phi 4 small language model it will cut writing the post-flight incident report from an hour to just 20 minutes. And, with one tap, attendants will then be able to convert Japanese reports into English.
