Don’t get into travel chaos – how AI will change the airline industry

The airline industry is no stranger to public backlash. Cancelled or delayed flights, lost luggage, and faulty technology continue to threaten the industry’s reputation - and customers will not hesitate to speak up on negative travel experiences online. What’s more, with flight searches up 25% for summer, the industry is set for an influx of travellers and increased pressure on their customer service teams.

Yet, airlines continue to make the same mistakes, with one airline even eliminating the option for customers to call them altogether. When customers’ travel plans are affected, they need quick answers and resolutions - and this is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. 

Major airlines are already investing in AI for luggage transfers, weather delays, and gate changes. However, airlines are only scratching the surface of what’s possible. Airlines must ensure that every customer interaction ends on a high, even if some factors are outside of the company’s control. So, how can AI be used to truly transform transportation CX?

Quick and reliable comms

In times of disruption and delays, customers expect quick answers - especially as frequent flyers and loyal travellers. But many airlines fall at the first hurdle because they do not have the data they need to answer complex questions in real-time.

Customer service technology needs to be integrated within the wider airline’s systems to deliver connected customer experiences, enabling operators to provide real-time updates on issues such as delayed flights or lost luggage. Moving to the cloud and feeding operational data into communications helps airlines to meet their customers where they are, creating a seamless experience across every channel. Bringing together customer and contextual data allows airlines to build a 360-degree view of each customer, enabling consistency across every channel and touchpoint. 

Whether customers opt for quick self-service options or want to chat to an agent over the phone, having real-time data in the right place at the right time is vital to drive more informed interactions. By incorporating customer data, contact history, and loyalty information into communications, airlines can personalize their comms, giving agents the tools they need to remedy complaints and make customers feel valued in the face of disruption. 

Get your head in the cloud

Harnessing data goes further than enhancing interactions. Analysing customer sentiment and agent performance helps airlines to predict common customer frustrations, optimise interactions, and provide targeted answers quickly and empathetically.

Airlines must be able to handle any level of customer inquiries, even at peak times during the busy summer months. With a cloud-based contact centre and effective integration of AI, organisations can scale to handle all incoming demand, using automated and self-service options as a buffer for initial contact. Removing the burden of routine enquiries and simple questions from agents and handling them with automation allows agents to go where they’re really needed - dealing with customers. 

A great example of an airline that’s taking steps to elevate their guest experience and scale to demand is Alaska Airlines. Handling an average of 21,000 calls a day, the airline decided to upgrade their old contact centre technology and move to the cloud to give guests the ability to reach out via call, web chat and text 24/7. Coping with unexpected spikes in demand, including up to 50,000 calls in just one day, the AI-backed contact centre platform intelligently moves agents to service the channel that needs more support, minimising wait times and meeting customers where they are. The airline even uses agent assist technology to transcribe live conversations for hearing impaired agents, boosting employee experience (EX).

Let AI back you

The combination of human empathy and judgement with the speed and scale of AI is vital when dealing with huge volumes of high-stress, high-emotion interactions. Intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) - automated, self-service applications backed by AI to deliver intuitive resolutions for common questions across voice and digital channels - offer a first class solution. Airlines can give customers an enhanced self-service experience across every channel and market, without impacting their human agents.. 

With AI technologies such as natural language processing (NLP), sentiment analysis and speech recognition, airlines can deliver intuitive and effective resolutions without the support of a live agent and effectively triage inquiries. If issues require a sympathetic ear or a human connection, the interaction can be moved across to a live agent, able to provide a human connection when it matters most.

AI is the key to transforming CX in travel. As disruptions rage on and interactions continue to increase in volume and complexity, airlines must be equipped with the right tools to deliver the service that customers need. Every passenger needs to be able to trust their airline to provide the best service possible - whether that be on the phone, via self-service channels, or in the skies.