AI-Powered Travel Updates Will Make Translation Easier

Skift Take

Today’s podcast looks at AI-powered travel tools, airlines suing to protect junk fees, and Booking’s European challenge.

Rashaad Jorden

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, May 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

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Episode Notes

Travelers could have easy access to a robotic voice translator thanks to updates to ChatGPT. An OpenAI presentation explained how ChatGPT could serve as a human speech translator, the most significant travel-related feature in several updates unveiled on Monday, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. 

Dawes reports the upgraded translation capabilities are part of the new flagship GPT-4o model for ChatGPT. OpenAI said the new model is better at interacting with voice, photo and video than the previous model. The company said that a user, for example, could take a photo of a menu and ask ChatGPT to translate it. 

Next, several major airlines are suing the Biden administration over its new rule requiring carriers to disclose all fees associated with buying a ticket, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 

Several carriers, including American, Delta, and United joined the suit along with Airlines for America, the trade group representing prominent U.S. airlines. The group said the new rule would create more confusion for consumers. Airlines for America added that it believed carriers already disclosed all fees to customers before ticket purchases. 

The Department of Transportation unveiled a rule in April requiring airlines disclose the prices of checked baggage, carry-ons and changing a reservation. 

Finally, European authorities have designated Booking.com’s parent company, Booking Holdings, as a “gatekeeper.” That means Booking.com  will be subject to tighter regulation on the continent, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill 

O’Neill notes the European Commission’s move will impose stricter rules on Booking.com regarding content moderation and make it easier for consumers to switch to other providers. Booking Holdings now has six months to submit a report outlining how it will comply with certain obligations. 

Non-compliance could result in fines of up to 10% of Booking Holdings’ total worldwide revenue.

Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos