Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/09/19/google-announces-new-travel-pl.html
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So I can enter where I want to go, and Google can bury the actual results under a page of possibly similar, sponsored destinations?
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Eh, of all Google’s crimes, that seems like the least one I’d complain about. Search engines used to be almost entirely funded by sneaking paid listings to the top, and pretending they were real. I remember Yahoo having every result above the fold be paid.
Google was the most honest from the start which were paid and which weren’t, and there were/are never more than four of them. The paid results have started to look a little more like organic results, but they’re still clearly marked.
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On Android, much of this has already been built in for at least a couple of years. If I have an upcoming trip, Google Now will show me my itinerary, show me my flight information, maps to my hotel, checkin times, etc, all culled from my emails.
This makes it more explicit, which is a good thing, both for the “saved places” part, and being confident that it will be there when you start your trip (so long as your trip isn’t more than a year away, because Google will have axed the project by then).
I’m not too worried about the privacy aspect, because Google already knows that info about me through gmail.
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I think I enjoy the planning part of a trip as much or more than I enjoy the actual trip, sometimes. So I’m gonna try this.
Edit: So I’ve downloaded it and first of all, it’s insisting on showing me every “trip” it thinks I’ve taken in the past 3 years. Including whenever I’ve taken some photos or emailed a place in downtown Seattle, apparently. Also, for my upcoming trip to my hometown of Thousand Oaks, CA, it for some reason insists I’m going to Malibu. I’m flying into Burbank and staying in TO so I have no idea where it’s pulling Malibu from and when I try to change it, the app says I’m offline and can’t change the location.
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Agreed. I think this formalizes the tools that Google has been developing under “Now” into a discrete app. That way, it won’t try to also show you sports scores at your destination.
It’s not how it works at all. For once, it’s a mildly useful app that doesn’t put an ulterior profit motive right in your face (it’s still there, of course, but you have to go digging for it).
It pulls all your trip details (typically from email confirmations) into one location.
For example, you’d see your flight details, your e-ticket (if you have one), hotel reservations, and it puts it all in little picture banner of your destination reading: Trip to [Wherever] 05 Mar - 15 Mar 2017.
If you wish, you can look at attractions based on category (things to see, restaurants, cafes, whatever), and you can download that info for offline use.
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I’m planning a trip on Google Maps. Would be nice if Trips could use that data as well.
No Windows Phone support…how surprising.
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