Managed travel's future with AI

According to Amex GBT, AI is not just a buzzword, it's a tool that has the power to address long-standing challenges and open new avenues for improvement in the managed travel industry

The corporate travel industry is experiencing a shift in its workforce, with career travel agents being replaced by customer service professionals transitioning into travel roles. This presents an opportunity for the industry to leverage AI as a tool to fill the knowledge gap and maintain high standards of traveler care. AI can enhance travel agent support through coaching, knowledge assistants, concierge services and operational insights, providing teams with the information they need to effectively deliver personalized services to travelers.

Key takeaways

• AI will be critical to moving beyond basic search tools, review blogs and traveler profiles;
• Machine learning has already helped uncover insights and make predictions within travel programs. When applied at both the individual and group level, it reveals patterns and behaviors that go beyond what preferences and travel policies suggest;
• However, AI is not a one-size-fits-all solution to the industry's challenges. Companies will need to carefully assess which tasks can be automated, while recognizing that certain tasks still require or benefit from human input;
• Persistent issues such as fragmented baseline data remain, and while AI won't completely solve these problems, it does provide us with tools to better understand, compare, and act on data.

Get the full story at Amex GBT