Amadeus’ Extreme Search Shopping Tool

According to PhocusWright (Destination Unknown: How US and European travellers decide where to go, October 2010), 40% of European travellers do not have a destination in mind when they start planning their trip, and 80% of travellers carry out online research when selecting a travel destination.

With these travellers in mind, Amadeus now offers online travel agents a search solution that is based on flight search, and in the near future, other travel components such as high-speed rail and low cost carriers will be added.

Amadeus Extreme Search lets travellers ask open questions in real-time such as “where can I go on a beach holiday in Europe for less than €600 per person?” Consumers no longer need to enter origin and destination information, but can inspire their search by budget, type of activity or geography all on a single page and receive relevant responses immediately.

The underlying technology, leveraging the Amadeus Massive Computation Platform, processes billions of results based on the traveller’s query. The traveller receives practically instant results which are based on real-time availability and price. The solution provides an exhaustive and complete choice of options (including more than 440 airlines), which are bookable and accurate over multiple destinations and during a full calendar year.

Furthermore, thanks to Amadeus Master Pricer, the comprehensive low-fare search and merchandising solution for online travel agencies and online sites of travel agencies, the shopping process is seamlessly integrated into the booking flow, including the purchase of the trip on the same website.

Stephane Durand, Director Online & Leisure, Amadeus said, “Extreme Search is the natural evolution of today’s consumer practices, overthrowing established search methods based on destinations and dates. As important, it is an opportunity for the online travel agency to differentiate itself from the traditional “book it” button which is visible on every website today. Travel sellers are able to capture the traveller’s attention early in the search process due to the unique search experience, by inspiring and engaging them into a booking, thereby growing their share of the leisure market and ultimately increase conversion and customer loyalty. Furthermore, Extreme Search provides invaluable business intelligence on how customers search, helping online agents to respond instantly to new trends and target new customer segments.”

Amadeus has commissioned an international research organisation to investigate the way that travellers book and search online. The study, which will be published and made public later this year, emphasises the need for technological innovation to engage and effectively serve the needs of the next generation traveller.

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