Google adds new COVID-19 'travel trend' info to hotel and flight listings
As destinations come out of lockdown, Google will help you make more confident travel decisions.
Planning a trip can be difficult these days, but Google is adding features to hotel and flight listings to help give you more confidence in your itinerary.
Travel during the coronavirus pandemic can be a challenge, but today Google said in a blog post that it'll be adding more information to its hotel listings to help travelers better plan their itineraries.
Google already displays a warning when there's a travel advisory or restriction affecting your route or destination, as well as COVID-19 checkpoints and travel restrictions along any driving routes you map. Starting next week, when you search on Google Travel you'll also be able to see recent occupancy rates of hotels you're considering and whether or not there's any vacancy during your travel window.
A similar "travel trends" feature will roll out for flight schedules as well, allowing users to get a sense of how many flights in and out of a destination have been operating in the last week.
Because there's so much uncertainty right now, many hotels and vacation rentals are temporarily offering free cancellation policies. Google will also be adding that information, too, as well as the ability to filter by it.