Dive Brief:
- Expedia Group expanded its One Key loyalty program, app capabilities and customer service options as the company pursues better travel booking experiences, executives said during a Q3 2024 earnings call last week/Thursday.
- More than 70% of travelers read reviews before booking, so the company is using generative AI to summarize reviews and provide detailed property information. “This makes it easier for travelers to shop while taking less of our development time and resources,” CEO Ariane Gorin said during the earnings call.
- One Key loyalty program membership grew 7% year-over-year globally during the quarter, according to Gorin. The growth follows expanded airline redemption options on the Expedia app and the introduction of loyalty member-only discounts to the Vrbo vacation marketplace.
Dive Insight:
Expedia upgraded the user experience across its apps and loyalty program as the company works to further differentiate itself from the competition.
The flagship Expedia brand focuses on helping customers book multiple aspects of their trip, from hotels to flights to cars, in one place, according to Gorin. Recent CX improvements aim to make this process even easier.
Features added to the Expedia app include destination comparison, flexible date search and a live flight tracker. The app now offers personalized next-best options by category and item.
Bookings and app downloads are growing alongside these CX improvements. The number of room nights booked across all Expedia Group brands grew 9% year-over-year, according to a Q3 2024 earnings release.
Loyalty customers are playing an important role in this growth. Members in One Key’s higher tiers — silver, gold and platinum — represent only about 30% of Expedia Group’s total user base but account for nearly half of room nights booked, according to Gorin.
Expedia is using AI for customer service as well. The company’s self-service virtual agents handle nearly half of all inquiries, and its AI copilots are reducing the post-call workload for human agents by summarizing interactions, according to Gorin.
