Worldwide: Expedia Group has launched a ChatGPT-powered travel planning feature in the Expedia app that helps users plan their trips.
The online travel agency is using ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence as part of a new in-app travel planning feature that gives users recommendations for a trip itinerary including hotels, rentals, flights, experiences and ground transportation, with results from Expedia Group’s travel data.
Users are able to start a conversation with the chatbot, finalise a recommendation and then select the Expedia plugin to bring a trip to life. The app will then redirect them to the Expedia site to book their chosen travel plan.
Hotels that are discussed in the chat function are automatically saved to a “trip” in the app that enables users to begin choosing dates, monitoring availability and adding additional services such as flights, cars or any other activities. This also gives users access to exclusive discounts and rewards for their trip.
The ChatGPT element is being rolled out globally in English and is currently in the beta testing phase.
Peter Kern, vice-chairman and chief executive at Expedia Group, said: “As the leader in travel tech, Expedia continues to build out the core operating system for the industry, constantly enhancing capabilities and making trip planning faster, simpler and even more informative. By integrating ChatGPT into the Expedia app and combining it with our other AI-based shopping capabilities, like hotel comparison, price tracking for flights and trip collaboration tools, we can now offer travellers an even more intuitive way to build their perfect trip.”
Expedia warned that “while many measures have been taken to limit inaccurate results and inappropriate responses, at times the experience may not work exactly as expected”, adding that “feedback from both our employees and all those using the experience will be continually looked at to make sure responses meet our standards”.
When the editorial team at BHN tried the ChatGPT feature on the Expedia app, the chatbot could only understand certain set commands such as “restaurant recommendations in Paris” and was not able answer questions such as “cheapest flights to LA”.
