Photo: Cities Today
How AI and emerging technologies are transforming your experience with airlines
09 September 2024
The aviation industry is undergoing a transformation.
Airlines are pouring money into technological advancements and IT infrastructure, spending an estimated US$34.5 billion on IT last year. Simultaneously, passenger expectations are evolving, catalysed in part by the pandemic and the digitally focused experience offered by other sectors.
As expectations change, airlines must proactively respond to the demands of their passengers or risk getting left behind.
Today, passengers prioritise convenience, efficiency, and communication. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies play a critical role in delivering on these expectations, reshaping the travel experience for passengers and airlines alike.
Through the introduction of AI-based chatbots, advanced data analytics, complex optimisation systems, and many more, AI is revolutionising the passenger experience.
To explore how one airline is leveraging these technologies, watch the interview below with Bernadette Berger, Director of Innovation, Alaska Airlines, where she discusses how AI and automation are transforming the guest experience from start to finish.
Alaska Airlines: A case study in innovation
In this brief discussion, Bernadette Berger unpacks the airline’s innovative use of technology. By leveraging automation and AI, Alaska Airlines is transforming the travel experience, even before its passengers set foot in the airport.
As the first airline to launch a natural language search tool powered by ChatGPT, Alaska Airlines helps travellers craft their journey, getting to the heart of why people want to travel and streamlining the booking experience for passengers. Speaking on the futuristic tool, Berger says:
“We’ve developed a tool that’s powered by ChatGPT where you can just type about the type of food you want to eat or a certain experience that you want. For example, you could say, ‘I want to see live music this summer’ or ‘I want to see bioluminescent sea creatures,’ anything that you want in your experience you can type into the search tool, and we’ll provide a list that you can compare all in one view to introduce you to destinations that you might not know.”
Looking to the future, Berger also shares her big bets for the future of AI, eagerly anticipating the transitioning from AI’s efficiency era to a proactive era. She also emphasises the airline’s commitment to developing solutions for all passengers, ensuring accessibility is not just treated as an edge case.
Next month, Berger will be speaking at World Aviation Festival for the first time, presenting alongside Charu Jain, SVP Merchandising and Innovation. Together they will discuss transforming the guest experience through AI and emerging technologies, and Berger will speak separately on a panel for the Digital Accessibility Summit.
The World Aviation Festival (8-10th October) gathers some of the most respected leaders from across the industry ecosystem to share insights, troubleshoot challenges, and drive innovation.
This year’s event features an extensive line up of 600 speakers across 13 tracks, offering a wealth of information and insights that you will not want to miss. Also, with 5,000 delegates, 250 sponsors and exhibitors, and over 100 start ups attending, the event presents an unparalleled opportunity for networking, building strategic partnerships, and discovering the latest tech.
Book your ticket to hear more from Berger and hundreds of other pioneering industry leaders in Amsterdam.
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