This article was published on August 13, 2020

Google makes it easier to find hotels with free cancelation amid coronavirus


Google makes it easier to find hotels with free cancelation amid coronavirus

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the travel industry is changing a lot. People are staying home more, and because of various restrictions, international travel is limited.

But in case you’re traveling, Google is unveiling new tools to help you with your bookings and flight planning. These new features include the percentage of flights and hotels operating in the place you’re traveling to and a filter to search for hotels that offer free cancelations.

[Read: How to delete your LinkedIn account]

Some countries are lifting restrictions for travelers. However, the place you want to visit might not be operating at full capacity. So, the Big G leverages Google Flights and Hotels data from the previous week to show you a percentage of hotels and fights that are functional in that area during the time of your booking.

Google travel showing percentage of hotels and flights operational

It’s also possible that because of unforeseen reasons, you may have to scrap your trip. In that case, you might need to cancel your flight and hotel bookings. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of hotels are offering free cancelations. Google has also rolled out a new feature that will let you filter hotels that offer this option so you don’t have to lose any money.

Google free cancelation filter for hotel booking

In March, the company also rolled out features to inform you about local travel advisories and airline guidelines for your destination. In addition to this, Google Maps released a bunch of features in June to aid travel during pandemic including requirements to wear masks on public transports and information about the other country’s restriction when you’re crossing the border through a checkpoint.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with