Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo Bring More AI to the Travel Booking Experience
Some of the biggest names in travel are turning to “practical AI” to simplify trip booking and planning.
As the holiday season approaches, millions of Americans are preparing to travel, prompting Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo to roll out over 30 new travel features powered by artificial intelligence. The goal is to make trip planning and execution easier, providing travelers with flexibility, value, and personalized experiences throughout their journey. Shilpa Ranganathan, chief product officer at Expedia Group, explained that travelers want to maintain the joy of discovery and planning throughout the entire trip.
Expedia is introducing a more personal homepage, flexible travel packages, simplified bookings for families, interactive maps for easier destination planning, and expanded airport perks like Clear Plus discounts and free lounge access for flight delays. Two new AI-powered products are designed to enhance trip planning once a trip is already booked.
Expedia's Activity Planner is an AI-driven conversational assistant that can locate and book activities, restaurants, and events based on the traveler's itinerary, providing tailored recommendations based on individual preferences. Additionally, Property Expert enables users to ask questions about a business and receive AI-generated insights on property details, reviews, reservations, and other relevant information.
The AI Compare experience is being improved to help travelers compare multiple hotels in one place, with personalized recommendations based on location, amenities, price, and policy preferences.
Hotels.com is adapting its homepage to the type of trip booked, such as a vacation or work trip, and will feature suggested links tailored to the booking, like options to extend the stay and access to receipts for easier work-trip expense management. Vrbo introduces several new features and services, including a tool to simplify group bookings, an option to reserve now and pay later, and enhanced customer support.
With Vrbo's natural language search, users can describe in plain language what kind of rental property they're looking for, such as a beachfront home in South Florida with a kitchen, outdoor gathering space, and dog-friendliness. The enhanced search feature allows users to narrow down options without relying on traditional filters.
Vrbo's Arrival Experience is being upgraded to provide key property information, including check-in and checkout times, door codes, directions, and house rules, in one accessible location for a smoother booking experience.
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