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Virtual Agents and Booking via Chatbot: AI on the Rise – Image Credit ITB Berlin
- Lufthansa Group and TUI have successfully implemented AI in their operations to improve productivity and customer experience.
- Microsoft Copilot’s AI integration into Air India’s operations has optimized business processes and enabled quick evaluation of large data sets.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the travel industry, as demonstrated at the ITB Berlin Convention. Dr. Olaf Backofen from Lufthansa stated that although 60% of their customers still prefer traditional booking through the website’s search system, the process is evolving due to AI’s implementation. The Lufthansa Group uses AI to generate newsletters and content and is also swiftly testing a “Conversational Booking” system with AI-based booking solutions provider.
The Lufthansa Group has seen tangible benefits from AI, particularly in processing customer complaints. An AI system developed with Microsoft has increased productivity by 75% by structuring and processing complaints from various languages.
TUI is another travel company that has integrated AI into its operations. It has developed 1,500 AI assistants for employees based on Large Language Models, which are used in phone interactions in its 1,200 travel agencies. These AI assistants help service agents listen and respond to customer queries more quickly. Furthermore, TUI’s UK customers can now search and book vacations traditionally or via a chatbot, demonstrating AI’s direct role in customer contact.
Microsoft Copilot’s Senior Product Manager, Michael Guimet, underscored the benefits of AI in optimizing business processes. For example, Air India has incorporated Microsoft Copilot into its Teams software, enabling quick evaluation of large data sets and deriving insights. Guimet anticipates significant and rapid changes as the performance of AI models is projected to double roughly every six months. The examples of Lufthansa, TUI, and Air India highlight AI’s transformative potential in the travel industry.
