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TechGoogle

Google Flights Will Now Tell You About Flight Delays

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
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By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
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January 31, 2018, 2:42 PM ET

Google Flights can now predict whether your next flight may be delayed.

The search engine said Wednesday that its online air travel service can now predict flight delays before airlines can. Google didn’t reveal many details about how it’s able to make these predictions, only that it’s using its machine learning algorithms to sift through unspecified “historic flight status data.”

Google said it will show users possibly delays only when its computers are “at least 80% confident in the prediction.” The company will also show possible reasons for those delays, which presumably includes weather or if an airplane is late in its arrival at the gate.

Despite the new airplane delay predictions, Google still recommends getting to the airport early, and that it hopes “this information can manage expectations and prevent surprises.”

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The company also said that Google Flights would show more information related to cheap flights, often labeled as “Basic Economy.” Now when people search for “Basic Economy” flights for American, Delta, and United Airlines, they will see whether those cheap tickets include amenities like overhead bin space for luggage, the ability for people to choose their seats, or whether they include baggage fees.

Google did not say if those options would be available for other airlines.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
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Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

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