Today, leading travel app Expedia® has announced its latest app updates, a collection of features and products that reinvents how travellers discover new places, collaborate with friends and family, and get quick AI-generated answers to common travel questions.
Included in today’s release which will roll out on the Expedia app by the end of 2023 is Trip Planner, an industry first that simplifies travel planning and allows travellers to collaborate on a group getaway in the app. Alongside this are a number of new AI-powered features including amenity and property answers, which use generative AI to rapidly sift through travellers’ reviews and property details in response to questions or prompts from members in the app; smart shopping for hotels, helping travellers more easily compare and narrow down their hotel options; and updates to conversational trip planning powered by generative AI, giving Expedia members a more intuitive way to start planning their next trip.
“We know that Aussies are avid travellers, but the process of planning a holiday can be quite complex,” said Expedia Australia Managing Director Daniel Finch. “At Expedia, we want to address some of those traveller pain points, and allow Aussies to easily discover, plan, book and enjoy their travels using a single app. We’re constantly innovating and investing in AI and machine learning driven experiences to better serve travellers, and as Aussies start to plan their 2024 travels, our goal is to make it as easy as possible for travellers to find the right trip for them.”
NEW PRODUCT UPDATES:
Discovering new places and ways to plan:
- Trip Planner: Looking to plan a big trip with friends? For the very first time, travellers now have one place to collaborate and engage with friends and family on a trip — one place to see both saved options and booked items across places to stay, flights, activities, and car rentals; and one place where invited friends and family can like, comment, save more ideas, and view what’s already been booked.
- Dynamic travel guides: Wondering about the best time to visit a specific destination? Dynamic travel guides provides insights into hotel prices, weather conditions, and crowd levels for the most visited cities in the world, all conveniently at hand in the app. Within the neighbourhood section of the guide, travellers can have a generative AI-powered conversation to help identify the ideal neighbourhood to stay, based on their interests.
- Smart shopping: This AI-powered technology helps travellers more easily compare and narrow down their hotel options to take the stress out of planning their holiday. Features include a comparison tool that travellers can use to compare prices, ratings, amenities and more, side by side for up to five properties; AI-powered recommendations also suggest the best room type for travellers based on 40 factors such as who’s travelling, where they’re going, and for how long. Travellers can also personalise their stay with extras like breakfast, parking and refundability, with a clear understanding of how much each costs.
- Conversational planning built with generative AI: Giving Expedia members a more intuitive way to start planning their next big trip, earlier this year Expedia launched conversational trip planning powered by generative AI in the Expedia iOS app. It’s now also available on the Expedia Android app, and some exciting new features have been added:
- Building on more intelligent shopping, activities recommended in the conversation will automatically save to Trip Planner alongside hotels, making it easier for members to stay organised, add more trip items, and start looking into other aspects like availability.
- Helping travellers to visualise their trip, hotels recommended during a conversation will also feature images and more accurate details such as price ranges and reviews from travellers.
- Enriching the conversational experience, Expedia members will be able to go back and continue the same conversation at any time, start a new conversation by choosing one of the suggested prompts, and even respond throughout a conversation by simply choosing a suggested response.
- Amenity answers: Have questions about the pool or restaurant at a hotel? Amenity answers uses generative AI to sift through guest reviews to share their experience of the amenities at a hotel or vacation rental, meaning travellers don’t have to.
- Property answers: Is the Wi-Fi good in all rooms? Is parking free? Property answers uses generative AI to help travellers find out more about a specific property.
- Flexible date search for stays: Don’t have set dates to get away? Flexible date search gives travellers the ability to find the best options on places to stay by broadening their search by plus or minus a few days of potential dates, or by length of stay and time of year.
Simplified self-service and account control:
- Add to wallet: Want quick access to check-in details? Travellers can add their hotel booking information to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
- Anytime breakfast upgrades: Forgot to add breakfast? Travellers can now add breakfast to a hotel reservation when available, any time up to a day before check-in.
TOP DESTINATIONS FOR AUSSIE TRAVELLERS:
These new updates are announced ahead of what’s anticipated to be a big year for travel. The latest data from Expedia indicates Australian travellers will continue to prioritise accessibility and convenience going into the New Year, with Asian cities dominating the list of top travel destinations.