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In this newsletter:

  • Google AI Mode now tracks flights, checks reward rates, and books hotels
  • Anthropic makes Claude free for US K-12 schools and districts
  • Midjourney opens its first AI image editor for prompt-based edits

Plus, you’ll find new AI tools and this week’s top AI news headlines!

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✈️ Google AI Mode Now Tracks Flights, Checks Reward Rates, and Books Hotels

Google added travel planning and booking capabilities to AI Mode, letting users track flight prices, book hotels through conversation, and see costs in airline miles or credit card points without leaving Search.

Flight price tracking:

  • Available now in over 180 countries and territories
  • Describe when and where you want to fly; AI Mode shows best options from over 300 partner airlines and travel sites
  • Ask "track these flight prices for me" and get email alerts the moment prices change
  • Ready to book: build full itinerary in AI Mode and buy tickets through the airline's website or preferred booking platform

Points and miles display:

  • Available now globally
  • Ask "I want to travel from Atlanta to Miami using my AA miles, help me find nonstop flights departing Oct 9 returning Oct 12" and see exactly how many miles you need
  • Works for hotels too - ask to see the cost in points for your rewards program
  • Currently supports Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Choice Hotels, Hilton, and Wyndham
  • Coming soon: Accor, Flying Blue, Hyatt, LATAM Airlines, and Lufthansa Group

Hotel booking:

  • Rolling out now in the US in English
  • Tell AI Mode your trip details and hotel preferences; get a visual list with guest reviews and key factors
  • Ask AI Mode to complete booking, select "Continue on Google" alongside integrated partners
  • Pick room type, review cancellation policy, complete booking via Google Pay
  • Partners: Booking .com, Choice Hotels, Expedia, Hilton, Hotels.com, IHG, Marriott, Priceline, Trip .com, Wyndham

Why it matters:

Travel booking has always been fragmented - one tab for flights, another for hotels, a separate app for rewards points, and a spreadsheet to compare it all.

Google collapsing that entire process into a single conversation is less about adding features and more about owning the moment people decide where to spend their money, which is exactly the territory Expedia, Kayak, and Booking .com have built billion-dollar businesses on.