Social media has made it increasingly simple to book travel directly from posts and ads, including hotels, flights and excursions promoted by travel companies. A recent example appears on Instagram, where European low-cost carrier easyJet has introduced a new tool that lets users turn inspiration into confirmed trips without leaving the app ecosystem.
Known for its bright orange planes and competitive fares, easyJet introduced a feature called Look&Book that enables users to book flights from social platforms like Instagram. To use Look&Book, travelers need both the Instagram app and the easyJet app installed on an iOS device. When someone sees an image that sparks a travel idea, they can save or screenshot the photo and upload it into easyJet’s Look&Book function. The system uses image recognition and geolocation to identify the place shown in the photo and then displays it on a map. From there, users enter their preferred departure airport and search available flights to that destination on the dates they select.
By streamlining the path from discovery to booking, Look&Book reduces friction for spontaneous planners and casual browsers alike. Instead of manually searching through airline sites or switching between multiple tabs, travelers who are inspired by a single image can move quickly from inspiration to itinerary in a few simple steps. The feature is designed to work with user-friendly navigation and date selection, helping customers compare options and secure fares without leaving the app environment.
easyJet is the first airline to roll out a booking workflow built around social media image recognition, but the approach aligns with broader trends in digital travel commerce. As more carriers and travel brands look to capture bookings at the moment of discovery, similar tools that integrate social browsing with direct purchase options are likely to emerge. For travelers, this shift means more seamless ways to turn visual inspiration into real plans, whether for a weekend getaway or a longer trip.
While the current Look&Book process requires iOS users to have both apps installed, future iterations could expand compatibility and add features such as deeper fare filtering, multi-city routing and integration with accommodation or activity bookings. For now, the tool highlights how airlines are experimenting with new touchpoints to reach customers where they spend time online and to reduce the friction between seeing a destination and booking travel to it.