Expedia.com has introduced a new skill for Amazon's Alexa.
Customers can now ask an Alexa-enabled device, like the Echo, for information
on upcoming travels they have booked on Expedia.
To use the new skill, device owners can activate it for free
within the Alexa app, then start asking questions beginning with the phrase, "Alexa,
ask Expedia ..."
Alexa can answer questions about itineraries, flight times
and status, check-in times, loyalty status and rental car reservations.
"Expedia remains committed to investing in voice
recognition and natural language processing technologies to gain a deeper
understanding of the unique nuances associated with the rapidly evolving field
of voice-centered interactions," said Tony Donohue, the Expedia brand's chief
technology officer and senior vice president of technology.
Using similar technology, Expedia.com also has a bot on
Facebook Messenger enabling users to search for hotels via chat.
Donohue said technologies like the bot and the Alexa skill
give Expedia's customers "even more ways to get real-time travel updates
using whatever device they choose."