Travel booking major MakeMyTrip announced the launch of a new feature called Seat Availability Forecast, which aims to provide users with a predictive view of when seats on selected trains are likely to sell out. The company, headquartered in Gurugram, revealed that nearly 40 percent of its users book train tickets across multiple sessions, often taking several days to finalise their plans. Among these users, almost 70 percent end up purchasing waitlisted tickets due to the unavailability of confirmed seats by the time they finalise their itineraries. MakeMyTrip explained that reserved train tickets in India can be booked up to 60 days before departure, but most travelers tend to finalise their plans much closer to the travel date.
The company highlighted that demand patterns for train bookings can vary significantly from week to week. For instance, in April, many high-speed trains were sold out approximately 13 days prior to departure. By May, however, due to an increase in demand, these trains were typically booked out more than 20 days in advance.
This situation often leaves travelers uncertain about how long seats will remain available, complicating timely planning. The new feature is now operational on both the MakeMyTrip app and website, integrated within the train booking process.
How this feature works
Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, expressed that the company is dedicated to anticipating and addressing the specific needs of Indian rail passengers. He emphasised that Seat Availability Forecast is designed to be seamless and rooted in data science, aimed at solving a significant planning challenge for millions of users. Magow described the feature as a valuable addition to their rail offerings, making train travel more predictable and less stressful for passengers.
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Inputs from PTI
