By Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly
Copyright observer
Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak and OpenTable, is pushing a “connected trip” strategy powered by generative A.I., letting customers book flights, hotels and ground transportation all at once. While the technology is new, the concept is familiar. “There used to be such a thing, it was called a human travel agent,” CEO Glenn Fogel said while speaking at the Skift Global Forum in New York City yesterday (Sep. 16).
Booking aims to bring back that ease in a more affordable manner through partnerships with A.I. leaders like OpenAI, Microsoft and Amazon. At Booking.com, A.I. agents have already improved customer satisfaction and resolution times, Fogel noted. The technology has also driven a 30 percent year-over-year jump in “connected trip” transactions in the April-June quarter. “We’re seeing real numbers that show the benefits from some of these technologies,” he said.
Fogel admitted that travel remains a frustrating affair—his wife handles most of their plans due to his annoyance at the process. But it wasn’t always like this. Before everything shifted online, travelers used to book via human travel agents that saved time and unnecessary hassle. Now, Booking hopes automation can replicate the helpfulness of traditional travel agents.
“I want people to be able to get everything easily,” the executive said. The technology’s rise will also benefit travel suppliers, according to the CEO, who noted that connected trips will aid providers of hotels, car rentals and attractions in finding incremental business and avoiding wasting unneeded marketing.
Fogel, who joined Priceline 25 years ago during the dot-com boom, compared that era’s excitement to today’s A.I. revolution. “It’s, without a doubt, one of the most exciting times to be in travel and technology,” he said. For now, simple automations, like airlines texting delay alerts, aren’t enough. Ideally, he envisions A.I. tools that can rebook flights, adjust car pick-ups and even shift dinner plans automatically.
“At the end of the day, it’s a very competitive world,” Fogel said. “If we’re not providing a better service for the person, somebody else is going to.”
