Amadeus Tests Virtual Reality as a Travel Booking Option
Photo Credit: Amadeus is prototyping what it would be like to find and book a flight using virtual reality headsets such as PlayStation's. Sony PlayStation VR
Skift Take
Travel suppliers and agencies will only get serious about virtual reality when it's more than a marketing stunt and actually grows revenue. So Amadeus is testing how flight comparison and booking could work in virtual reality.
Navitaire, a reservation system for low-cost carriers that travel technology giant Amadeus acquired in 2015, is debuting a "proof-of-concept" of how travel searching and booking could work using virtual reality headsets.
The transactional focus of this virtual reality (VR), or 3D immersive tech, makes it stand out. Almost no experiments have been publicized in how picking a flight or rental car and paying for it might work in virtual reality in a way connected to today's reservation and payment systems, giving the Amadeus-owned company an apparent head start over competitors.
Until now, travel companies have mostly been interested in how they can use virtual reality to help consumers choose a vacation spot. Examples include Marriott's pop-up VR booths that let consumers try wraparound video views of exotic locales and the meetings-and-events industry's slate of new virtual reality offerings.
But there doesn't seem to be enough money to be made in inspiring buyers. It is diffic
