BIGLOBE (BIGLOBE) is offering “Yado Mikke,” a notification service for favorable conditions using AI generated as part of the “BIGLOBE Travel” service, a cross-search service for accommodation plans.
When you make a reservation on various reservation sites, you will receive a reservation completion e-mail with the details of the reservation, which you can forward to “YadoMikke”, a free service that notifies you when you find a plan that offers even lower accommodation rates.
According to Mr. Masato Nawate, Senior Professional, Direct Sales Group 2, Direct Sales Department, Realize Business Division, “YadoMikke” itself was launched in September 2023, and at first it analyzed the formats of reservation completion e-mails from 10 major accommodation reservation sites to match conditions. However, the format of reservation completion e-mails sometimes changed, and it was necessary to detect and respond to such changes each time.
Since then, generative AI technology has evolved rapidly. Upon implementation, it was confirmed that emails from foreign lodging reservation sites and direct reservations from hotel companies could be read smoothly, and the decision was made to implement and operate the generation AI starting in September 2024.
Some may find it strange that an ISP (Internet Service Provider) would provide such a service in the first place, but ISPs operated portal sites when the Internet was in widespread use, and the company has been providing travel information as one of its comprehensive services since 2000. In 2009, BIGLOBE launched a service that allows users to search across domestic accommodation reservation sites. This service is the prototype for the current BIGLOBE Travel service.
According to Mr. Nawate, in conversations with affiliated travel agencies, about 40% of lodging reservations are cancelled, while talking to people around him, he heard that they get a good deal on lodging by rebooking. When surveyed again, the results showed that 68% of people look for cheaper places after making a reservation. . Checking every change in accommodation rates after making a reservation is a painstaking task, but they thought that BIGLOBE could take care of it for them, so they started to develop the service.
However, depending on one’s point of view, this could further increase the already high cancellation rate, and it is not surprising that some partners are reluctant to offer this service. Some travel agencies are hoping for up-selling offers such as ocean view rooms or plans with luxurious meals for the same or slightly more money, so the impression is not necessarily negative. It seems that this is not necessarily a negative impression.
When we asked Mr. Nawate about future plans, he said that he would like to offer a service to inbound foreign travelers that is unique to Japanese hot springs, such as rooms with baths and meals in the room, which are not fully promoted by overseas OTAs (Online Travel Agents). He would like to offer a service to foreign inbound travelers.
The “Yado MIKKE” service can only offer domestic accommodations, and it is difficult to handle overseas hotel reservations because the conditions for cancellation periods vary. Airline tickets are also subject to cancellation fees after booking, so car rentals, which are more flexible in terms of reservations, may be better suited.
Basically, this service can be used simply by forwarding the reservation completion e-mail. However, unless you really want to use this lodging, you can use the “BIGLOBE Travel” application to search by setting conditions such as location and price, and the service will notify you as needed of lodging that matches those conditions and offers good deals. The “Yado-mikke” function is available as a function of the “Yado-mikke” app, so make good use of these functions.
© Source travel watch
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