Google brings AI-powered flight deals to India, US, Canada, challenging OTAs
Google has rolled out its AI-driven ‘Flight Deals’ feature in India, the US, and Canada, aiming to become a starting point for travellers. Powered by Google’s Gemini AI, the tool understands natural language queries such as “a week-long trip to a city with great food” or “romantic weekend getaways,” and matches them with real-time pricing data from hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs).
According to a report published by Hindustan Times, Flight Deals pushes Google further up the travel planning funnel, catering to both deal-seekers and early-stage planners. The feature lists ticket prices from OTAs such as MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, and Goibibo alongside direct airline fares, ranking them by price, link quality, and user experience, though Google notes its data shows users often prefer airline links.
Queries for routes like Delhi–Chiang Mai produced dozens of airline and OTA options, with detailed breakdowns on layovers, aircraft features, and in-flight amenities during tests. Once a flight is chosen, users will see over 10 booking options, from direct airline portals to platforms like Booking.com and Trip.com.
For OTAs, the move could mean lost bookings if travellers bypass them in favour of direct airline reservations.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
