Here is some good news for those who like to travel by air -- Google is introducing a new functionality to its Google Flights search engine that will start to include information and even advance warnings with regards to flight delays. The really cool thing about this new feature is that it does not only retrieve flight schedule information and updates directly from airline companies, it will also take full advantage of machine learning algorithms and historical data in predicting flight delays.
Google has always been good with the sorting, processing, and analysis of tons of data, and now it has put its smarts (and expertise in artificial intelligence) to good use especially in offering information about flight delays. Still, the search giant has made it clear that it will not actually be flagging flight delays in the app unless it is at least 80 percent sure about the delay. For good measure, Google Flights will also try to provide data with regards to the cause of the delay (bad weather, the airplane not arriving yet, etc).
True, whether or not the information on flight delays is supplied on a timely enough manner by Google Flights is a whole other story for that matter, but for those who do not mind having their bad news delivered as promptly as possible, the new feature can come handy. Users can monitor updates with regards to their flights by looking for their flight number, or the airline, and their flight route. Data on any flight delays should be included among the search results.
Apart from the flight delay warnings, the Google Flights search engine will now also display information on what is included in a flight passenger’s Basic Economy tickets. As any frequent air traveler knows, the inclusions can vary depending on which airline you are flying with. But a new feature on Google Flights should shed some light on whether the user can pick a window seat, or pay for baggage fees (if there is). It should be mentioned though that for now, this feature only works for American, Delta, and United flights across the globe.
Google Flights has been busy recently -- some may remember that a few weeks ago, it has also started to incorporate price monitoring and deals, plus hotel search features. This can also be taken as a sign that Google is indeed making the most of the machine learning algorithms it is continuously developing and trying to perfect.
