Google Assistant will soon check into your flight for you
That is, if you want it to -- no confirmation number necessary.
Frequent travelers will soon receive a godsend courtesy of Google. The company is rolling out a new feature to the Google Assistant that will let you check in to your flights just by saying "Hey Google, check in to my flight." You won't have to dig through emails or screenshots to find your confirmation number while standing in front of a kiosk. Assistant is already clever enough to know what it is, and will work with airlines to seamlessly complete your check in.
The service is first launching on United Airlines' domestic flights, although Google hasn't shared a timeline for the rollout yet. Assistant will also be able to retrieve and save your boarding pass, and proactively remind you to check into your flight when it's ready. You don't have to install separate airline apps to get these features, either.
To simplify even more aspects of travel, the Assistant can also book you a hotel room via Choice Hotels, AccorHotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Priceline, Expedia, Mirai and Travelclick. You can also keep your itinerary, restaurant shortlists and group expense notes under Assistant's purview, as it's getting support for Google Keep, Any.do, Bring! and Todoist.
Google does plan to spread these features to other airlines and hotel booking services in future, although it didn't share when it expects to do that. For now, only those who frequently fly domestically via United Airlines will be able to experience the convenience of having Assistant handle most of the hassle of travel. The rest of us will just have to wait and see.
