The eDreams ODIGEO search engine is supported by a set of algorithms that deliver trip proposals that are tailored to individual travellers, based on their history. Jenny Southan reports
eDreams ODIGEO, one of the world’s largest online travel companies, has announced that it has achieved “greater personalisation” for travellers following the deployment of a new iteration of the AI technology that powers its travel search engine.
As a result, almost three-quarters of users (72%) with a previous search made, now order the first recommended travel option provided to them via search. This represents an increase of +17% since the technology was introduced at the end of last year.
The company’s unique travel search engine is supported by a set of algorithms that make predictions on the travel proposals that better meet each traveller, considering the user’s previous selections together with dozens of additional criteria and data points as well as aggregated data from 1.7 billion monthly searches from users.
eDreams ODIGEO says: “Truly personalised travel experiences is a key priority for the business as it strongly enhances the customer experience, making it easier and faster for travellers to book the travel option that is most convenient and tailored to their individual needs and preferences, which ultimately means cost, effort and time savings for travellers.
“The accuracy of this technology reduces the need for users to manually use filters, spend time browsing, comparing and building different itineraries on their own, as the platform makes all the necessary combinations and calculations on their behalf, and in a matter of seconds.”
The personalisation of the booking funnel also brings advantages to the business. When given personalised and tailored-made travel propositions, users are more likely to complete their bookings after making a search on the platform, translating more searches into bookings. eDreams ODIGEO says it has also seen a growth in conversion rates following the implementation of this enhanced AI solution.
Christoph Dieterle, chief product and retail officer at eDreams ODIGEO, says: “Machine-based learning is transforming the way we do business by enabling us to offer a better shopping experience and personalised itineraries for our customers.
“Over the past five years, we have invested heavily in developing proprietary technology to industrialise data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence across our organisation, and we are excited to see such positive results in improving the traveller experience. With this latest enhancement, we offer our customers unique tools that dramatically improve their ability to search and book for the most convenient travel products.
“Our ambition is to go above and beyond to continue being a leader in the application of machine learning and AI at scale in the travel sector, driving continuous innovation and serving as a lighthouse for the wider industry.
“As a technology company and the second-largest flight retailer in the world, we leverage our unrivalled data to create superior itineraries and offers for the 17 million travellers that book with us every year.”