In an exciting development for travel enthusiasts, Expedia has integrated ChatGPT into its app to make trip planning more seamless and interactive. The online travel service has aptly named this feature "Conversational Trip Planning" and initially offers it for iOS users.
Expedia's integration of ChatGPT comes as no surprise since it was one of the first ChatGPT plugin partners. By leveraging ChatGPT, users can now access data from the Expedia ecosystem and utilize this information for crafting travel itineraries on Expedia.com. Unlike other AI implementations, ChatGPT in Expedia's app only saves hotels pertinent to the user and discussed during the chat session.
Expedia's ChatGPT focuses exclusively on travel-related conversations and is designed to maintain a neutral tone when faced with queries outside its domain. Importantly, even though the integration is backed by an extensive pool of Expedia's data, user privacy remains a priority. According to Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern, no personal Expedia profile information is being fed to ChatGPT, and the platform doesn't send travel and booking data to it either.
Conversational Trip Planning helps users explore various aspects of their intended journeys, from hotel options and flights to weather forecasts and popular activities. While it currently only picks hotel tags for the in-app itineraries, Expedia uses the same data for Conversational Trip Planning and the ChatGPT plugin experience.
Expedia's foray into AI-powered trip planning experiences isn't new; it has been utilizing AI and machine learning to personalize travel query results and flight fare comparisons. However, the quickness in integrating ChatGPT after a little over a month is undoubtedly impressive.
That said, the conversational AI is still in its beta form, and users might encounter occasional inaccuracies or inappropriate responses. Expedia's AI Ethics Committee oversees the interactions to ensure smooth user experiences.
Although it's unclear which type of traveler Conversational Trip Planner would suit best, the English-only app update is currently available on iOS devices for eager globetrotters to test out.
One user's experience with Expedia's beta Conversational Trip Planner involved planning a fictional summer trip to Italy's Amalfi coast. ChatGPT presented suitable hotel options and a list of activities within moments. Although it couldn't help with flight bookings or display flight options, the chatbot provided adequate guidance for finding hotels on Expedia's website.
As no-code and low-code platforms advance, integrating more sophisticated tools such as AppMaster.io in various sectors is becoming a reality. Travel planning platforms like Expedia can benefit from exploring technologies like no-code app development for streamlining their services and expanding their offerings.
