In April 2021, Expedia, one of the world’s leading travel booking platforms, launched its beta test featuring ChatGPT, a computerized system allowing travellers to get detailed itineraries by simply speaking into their smartphones. ChatGPT stands for “Chatbot with Machine Learning” and is empowered by Natural Language Processing (NLP). Through the app,travellers get answers to questions such as “I want to spend two nights in Paris. How do I get there from London and which are the hotels near the train station?” and will be offered precise instructions like taking the Eurostar train from London’s St Pancras International Station to Gare du Nord in Paris, and recommended hotels choices near the station.
The ChatGPT feature has enabled travellers to get smarter solutions for smoother journeys as the answers to their queries go beyond facts and figures and are presented in a more conversational manner. It is not just a feature to book flights and find hotels, but one that takes an anticipatory approach to give curated answers and provide appropriate suggestions.
Expedia is a U.S.-based travel technology company that provides an online platform for booking flights, hotels, car rentals, and cruises. Founded in 1996, Expedia serves people in more than 200 countries around the globe and is renowned as a reliable provider of cost-effective travel solutions. Joseph “Joey” Shoulak is the CEO of Expedia, renowned for leading the charge in making the business one of the world’s most successful and recognizable travel brands. Shoulak has accumulated over 20 years of travel industry experience before joining Expedia and has played a critical role in the frequent travel model.
Although ChatGPT is currently in the testing phase, it is already proving to be a game changer for minimizing time and effort for the customers. It’s the perfect tool to keep people connected and engaged with the travel process, providing an all-in-one solution to their travel-related queries. With the help of AI and ML technologies, the journey of travelling smoothened up in mere seconds.
