By Gabe Rizzi, President, ALTOUR
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept – it’s here, and it’s redefining the way we travel. If you’ve ever received a proactive flight delay notification, had a chatbot assist with your booking, or gotten a personalized travel recommendation, you’ve already experienced AI’s power. At ALTOUR, we’re not just watching this revolution; we’re leading it.
AI in Internal Operations
Picture this: A road warrior on a tight schedule realizes they need a copy of last month’s travel invoice for an expense report, right before the finance team’s deadline. Instead of calling an agent and waiting, they simply send a quick text, and AI instantly retrieves and sends the document. That’s not just convenience, it’s time saved, and frustration avoided.
AI is revolutionizing ALTOUR’s contact center operations by handling routine tasks like retrieving past booking selections, managing invoices, and optimizing service level agreements (SLAs). This frees up our expert agents to focus on more complex traveler needs, ensuring that when human intervention is required, it’s meaningful and impactful.
AI’s Impact on B2B Relationships
Negotiating contracts has historically been a drawn-out process. AI can analyze negotiation patterns in past contracts to identify opportunities for optimization and accelerate the entire process – reducing a significant amount of work. AI-powered fraud detection systems can also help identify suspicious transactions in real time, protecting both companies and travelers from cyber threats.
AI for Travelers
Personalization is key in today’s travel landscape, and AI can analyze vast amounts of travel behavior data to craft hyper-relevant offers. For instance, AI can anticipate the needs of frequent international travelers by recognizing their travel patterns and preferences. Imagine a traveler who frequently flies between New York and London for business. AI can analyze their past travel data and predict that they prefer early morning flights and enjoy using airport lounges. As a result, AI can proactively offer them an upgrade to business class and access to an airport lounge at precisely the right moment, ensuring a seamless and personalized travel experience.
Introducing ALTOUR Intelligence
AI should serve as an enabler, not a disruptor. That’s why we’ve launched ALTOUR Intelligence, an AI-powered suite of solutions designed to solve real traveler problems.
- AI Predict: Proactively informs travelers of potential travel delays and adjustment solutions by monitoring real-time flight data, weather conditions, and other scenarios that might cause a delay. This allows travelers to adjust their schedule before the disruption occurs.
- AI Book: Instead of clicking through endless search results, a traveler can use AI Book’s voice-enabled tool to say, “Book me a flight to Chicago next Tuesday, business class, and keep it under $800.” AI does the rest – no hassle, no wasted time.
- AI Transform: Creates personalized change management videos to keep travelers informed and in control. These AI-generated videos can cover a wide range of topics, such as travel policy updates, how to book a trip, and how to update your profile. By providing clear and concise information, AI Transform helps travelers make smart decisions and enhances their overall travel experience.
Each of these products were developed with one thing in mind: AI should make travel easier, faster, and more intuitive—without replacing the human expertise that makes ALTOUR exceptional.
Build, Buy, or Partner? ALTOUR’s AI Strategy
At ALTOUR, we manage the complexities of business travel so our clients can focus on what truly matters. When it comes to AI, we adopt a buy-and-partner approach rather than building from scratch. Speed to market is critical, so we prioritize best-in-class AI solutions that undergo rigorous security and data protection vetting. We roll out AI solutions in a “crawl, walk, run” process to ensure a seamless transition for our clients and travelers.
Measuring the Impact of AI
The excitement around AI is real – but so is the need for measurable results. One of our standout innovations is AI Book, our LLM-enabled, voice-activated booking tool that’s reimagining how travelers engage with online booking. During our recent Innovation Spotlight webinar, we showcased a live demo of AI Book in action and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees watched as complex travel requests were handled effortlessly through natural, conversational prompts.
If you missed the webinar, we invite you to watch the demo recording here and see the potential for yourself. Even better, express your interest and be among the first to take advantage of this unique innovation.
We’re still in the early stages of AI adoption, but the benefits are already clear. By leveraging private tenant architecture, we ensure our clients’ data remains secure, addressing concerns around personally identifiable information (PII) and AI’s role in data privacy. The return on investment (ROI) will only grow as AI adoption increases, leading to cost savings and improved traveler satisfaction.
Navigating AI-Driven Conflicts and Liabilities
AI doesn’t come without challenges. What happens when an AI-powered booking tool makes an error? Who is liable? This is where humans step in – ALTOUR’s AI capabilities leverage legal, contractual, and operational safeguards.
As travel management companies (TMCs), we ensure AI-driven services meet stringent security and accuracy standards. This involves rigorous vendor vetting, implementing quality assurance measures, and defining clear liability agreements in case of booking errors, similar to those already in place for human agent-assisted bookings.
The Future is AI-Driven, but Human-Centric
AI is here to stay, but it’s not here to replace the human touch that makes travel so special. The best AI-powered travel experiences will always be a blend of technology and people, leveraging AI for efficiency while relying on human expertise for nuanced decision-making and personalization.
At ALTOUR, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve and making AI work for travelers, not against them. The future of travel is here, and we’re with you all the way.
