As CEO of Priceline, Brett Keller has witnessed – and helped shape – some of the travel industry’s biggest transformations. In this Q&A, he shares why AI represents the next major shift in online travel, how Priceline is using emerging tech to deliver hyper-personalized experiences, and the leadership lessons he’s learned navigating everything from pandemic disruption to rapid digital evolution.
Priceline has been at the forefront of integrating AI into the travel booking experience. How do you see technology shaping online travel planning?
After 25+ years in travel, I see AI as the third seismic shift in how the industry operates. The first was the advent of online travel, with OTAs like Priceline coming to the forefront, and the second was the introduction of the smartphone and travel apps. After collectively using the same utilities and booking funnel for 20+ years, AI has the potential to significantly disrupt how a customer moves through the travel planning and booking experience. In addition to making it easier and faster to book a sophisticated, bespoke trip, it could also alleviate pain points and optimize customer service in ways not previously possible. Advanced personalization could allow us to better leverage data, further anticipating customer needs within an intuitive full-funnel booking and service pipeline.
You’ve spoken about travelers wanting more personalization. What specific innovations or new features is Priceline focused on to meet those evolving expectations?
We’re deeply invested in innovations that cater to individual preferences to make every traveler feel like every interaction was specifically designed for them.
Our personalization features use a blend of inferred preferences (based on booking history and recent shopping behavior), origin-based recommendations and stated preferences. AI has materially enhanced our ability to assemble this information and provide very specific, compelling recommendations and offers for the exact type of trip you plan to take—whether it be for business or with family or friends. We can now provide curated offers and suggestions based on highly specific criteria about you. For example, perhaps we know you like a larger room, car type or preferred hotel brand, we can immediately surface relevant listings to simplify the planning process.
Penny, our AI chatbot, is a prime example of this. It now provides personalized recommendations and streamlined booking options, while answering customer questions in real-time with accuracy. To make it more natural and conversational, we’ve also integrated OpenAI’s Real-Time Voice technology to enhance the interaction. And, for additional ease and savings, our highly sophisticated, dynamic packaging solutions allow travelers to bundle flights, hotels and rental cars in ways that perfectly suit their needs and budgets.
Are there any emerging trends you’re watching closely that could change how people book travel over the next few years?
As I mentioned, we’re testing voice technology and are closely observing usage patterns to see how consumers will actually adopt this medium to plan, book and service travel. We’re also watching consumer traffic flows for potential shifts from traditional search engines to LLMs and agentic platforms. This could transform consumer discovery as well as SEM and performance marketing strategies. One other trend I have my eye on is the rise of AI agents and their potential to actually plan and book travel on behalf of users. The speed and personalization of this technology will be a game-changer in how both consumers and brands approach travel.
As demand for immersive travel experiences grows, how does Priceline balance offering both affordable options and unique, high-quality experiences for travelers?
Balancing affordability and quality is at the core of Priceline’s mission: ‘to be the best travel dealmakers in the world’. We use our technology to find the best value, whether that’s a budget-friendly flight or a great deal on a 5-star hotel. We’re not just about the lowest price; we’re about the best price for the right experience.
Our vast inventory and recommendation engines also provide an opportunity for consumers to participate in the most exciting travel trends at better prices and less crowded destinations. Townsizing is one of my favorite trends of the summer. Our research found that many Gen Z travelers are opting for quieter getaways in small towns where they can live like locals. To support this, we’re spotlighting amazing off-the-beaten-path destinations throughout the summer, which has the added benefit of supporting local economies.
You’ve led Priceline through major industry shifts, from the pandemic recovery to the rapid evolution of AI. Looking back, what leadership lessons have been most valuable during times of rapid change?
Leading through constant change requires agility, adaptability and a focus on the long-term. One of the most important things we learned during the pandemic is that agility and adaptability are more than just buzzwords. We needed to assess and reprioritize to address the new realities facing the industry in a very similar way we are doing now with the advent of AI.
During the pandemic, when others pulled back, we leaned in, redeploying efforts to attract customers with very specific needs. For example, there was a rise in demand for last-minute bookings and local properties driven by first responders. We adjusted our marketing and product strategy to ensure we had the right inventory and rates available for them.
The importance of strong tech hygiene was another critical learning. We had just completed a cloud migration, which is what allowed us to immediately enable our global employee and customer agent base to go remote without major service disruptions. This same tech hygiene enabled us to gain our first-mover advantage with rapid deployment of generative AI.
What advice would you give to travel industry professionals looking to stay competitive in an increasingly tech-driven marketplace?
Stay curious, agile, data-centric and always, always focus on the customer. On the tech front, strive to be an early adopter and test several technologies in a new space. With gen AI, we alpha and beta test with multiple leading providers to stay on the leading edge of tech enablement. We’ve also deployed these tools across our entire organization—not just to developers—and even have quarterly genAI people goals for every employee. This allows us to be faster, smarter and determine what combination of tools and use cases work best across our ecosystem. And most importantly, once you adopt a new technology, don’t embed so many bureaucratic layers that you prevent it from being used in new and creative ways. Teams need to be encouraged and empowered to deploy new technology.
You often travel for both business and personal reasons. How does your own travel experience influence how you lead and innovate at Priceline?
I travel at least two or three times per month and experience the same pain points, joys and surprises that our customers do. It gives me firsthand insight into what travelers want and need. Whether I’m using our app to book a trip or dealing with unexpected delays, these experiences keep me focused on creating an even better travel experience for everyone. I come back from my trips with new product ideas, which I share with our team—and they’re doing the same thing when they travel.
Travel also makes you a better leader. You learn to naturally build connections with new people and learn new cultures. You also learn a whole new level of adaptability. Travel demands the ability to deal with unpredictable situations and to navigate them with calm, which is critical as a leader.
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