Booking

Google is introducing AI Mode, a new feature that turns its search interface into a virtual travel agent. The tool allows users to track flight prices, book hotels, and pay using loyalty points directly within the chat.

A group of families who booked a luxury villa discovered the property does not exist and were left on the street with their children. Despite attempts to make contact, the response from the tourism giant's customer service was shocking.

Anat from central Israel and her friends fell victim to a financial scam after searching for accommodation on Booking and being referred to the owner's email. The "property manager" instructed her to make a bank transfer of 1,540 euros. Upon arrival in Rhodes, the group discovered that a local family lived at the address and they were left with nowhere to stay in 40-degree heat.

Wars, flight cancellations, fires, and heatwaves are making vacations a product that is harder to commit to months in advance. The result is a shift in booking habits: more last-minute decisions, closer destinations, more expensive insurance, and an extra premium for the option to change plans. In such a world, the cheapest room or ticket is no longer necessarily the best deal.