Skip to main content

American Airlines will use the Google Assistant to translate for lounge guests

American Airlines is set to utilize the interpreter mode on the Google Assistant in select airport lounges as a translator for non-English-speaking travelers.

The interpreter feature hasn’t been around for too long, but it’s a neat way to hold basic conversations with people in their native tongue — as long as they speak one of 29 selected languages. You may remember that American Airlines already tested Google Assistant translation at Los Angeles International Airport in their Admirals Club lounges in Terminal 4 and 5 earlier in 2019 (via TechCrunch).

You won’t immediately see Nest Hub devices in all American Airlines lounges across the globe, as they will still be limited to Los Angeles International Airport. It also will only be used when a multilingual member of staff is not available to help guests and travelers with queries and the checking-in process.

“The science-fiction universal translator is now science fact,” said Maya Leibman, American’s chief information officer. “Incorporating technology like the Google Assistant’s interpreter mode will help us break down barriers, provide a worry-free travel experience, and make travel more accessible to all.”

The airline has not confirmed if there will be a wider rollout into global lounges, but given how simple and intuitive the process of using the interpreter mode on Google Nest Hub devices is, we’re sure it would be a welcome decision for many traveling with the company.

You can use any of the following 29 languages to get basic conversations flowing with the Google Assistant interpreter mode:

  • Arabic
  • Bengali
  • Burmese
  • Cambodian (also called Khmer)
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • English
  • Estonian
  • Filipino (Tagalog)
  • Finnish
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Gujarati
  • Hindi
  • Hungarian
  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Javanese
  • Kannada
  • Korean
  • Malayalam
  • Marathi
  • Nepali
  • Mandarin
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Sinhala
  • Slovak
  • Spanish
  • Sudanese
  • Swedish
  • Tamil
  • Telugu
  • Thai
  • Turkish
  • Ukrainian
  • Urdu
  • Vietnamese

Hopefully, we’ll see more airlines utilizing the power of the Google Assistant to make global travel that bit more seamless.

More on the Google Assistant:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Damien Wilde Damien Wilde

Damien is a UK-based video producer for 9to5Google. Find him on Twitter: @iamdamienwilde. Email: damien@9to5mac.com


Damien Wilde's favorite gear

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications