Travel-bots will take the business travel industry by storm

Travel-bots will take the
business travel industry by storm

Bertrand Saillet, General
Manager at FCM Travel Solutions Asia

The business travel industry is at a turning point. Digital
technologies are transforming the industry at a rapid pace and opening business
opportunities as well as man-machine interactions that were virtually
unthinkable in the past. Companies are harnessing technologies such as chatbots
(apps that use natural language to interact with users) to rewrite their
business model.

This is even more crucial now as consumers’ demand enhanced
digital services. According to a McKinsey report,
Asian business travellers prefer to go digital and value the transparency of
choice and information that autonomous digital booking channels provide. In
fact, in many countries across Asia, business
travellers increasingly prefer online and mobile interactions when booking
their flights and hotels[1]. These evolving
preferences are compelling businesses to implement new technologies, to suit
their customers’ needs.

The possibilities of using chatbots are abound. From iPhone’s Siri
to mobile messaging services, chatbots are providing seamless experience to
customers via messaging platforms by augmenting human capabilities. One of the
biggest advantage of the usage of chatbots is its ability to reach a wide range
of people. In Asia Pacific, over 900
million users used mobile messaging apps in 2016[2], and this number is projected to reach 1.26 billion users in 2019.

It is clear that mobile technology is driving significant change
in how we book and manage travel, putting more control in the hands of the
traveller.

Travel-bot: The perfect traveller’s companion

Convenience is key for business travellers. A travel-bot is like
having access to a 24/7 digital travel agent and advisor, at the touch of their
fingertips. While many chatbots provide travellers with
two-way communication, they might find the process cumbersome and not
intuitive, just like speaking to a robot.

A travel-bot is one step ahead of chatbots as it blends
artificial intelligence (AI) with the expertise of an actual travel consultant.
It picks up on cues such as travel patterns
and preferences, and updates travellers on their preferred messaging platforms,
making the process highly interactive and very human.

The more a traveller uses a travel-bot, the
more intelligent the travel-bot becomes. Based on the users’ preferences, the
travel-bot can correlate the links and deliver a more personalized information,
making it convenient for its users. With a human-like personality trait,
and mixing personal travel data and functionality, this all-in-one
travel-bot can become the perfect travel companion.

At each stage of the traveller’s journey, a travel-bot can easily
provide relevant, organized and contextualized information to its user via
notifications and messages on its native application.

Before the trip, the travel-bot will retrieve and provide the
traveller with all the boarding information and anticipate the conditions that
come with it: flight timings, boarding gate, and even destination-specific
weather updates to help you pack. It even has
ability to communicate across multiple supported platforms, such as Facebook
Messenger or Skype, removing the hassle of accessing another app.

If we imagine a business traveller as Chris who has added Paris
to his pre-planned destination, the travel-bot will automatically reach out to
Chris with a prepared interactive guide about Paris: from currency information,
tipping culture, things to see and do, and recommended restaurants near the
central business district.

A well-designed travel-bot should also understand and deliver on
the following demands:

·  How
much would it cost to change my flight?

·  Where
is my baggage located on arrival?

·  What’s
the boarding gate for my flight?

·  How
long will it take for me to get to the airport?

On top of that, if you happen to miss your flight, your travel-bot
will help schedule you onto the next best option, all within your company
travel policy.

In addition, a travel-bot can even allow travellers to book on the
go. For example, if it’s the traveller’s first time in a city, they will
receive more information and recommendations than if it a frequented
destination. With rules and settings that can be customized to fit a company’s
travel guidelines, the travel-bot will send a reminder to use taxis over other
transportation options if company policy so advises. In addition, they can send
a prompt reminder to submit a lunch receipt or even help travellers to book
rides easily.

With any new technology, it is important for the user experience
to be as natural and as intuitive as possible. A travel-bot can also connect
you to a live consultant 24-hours a day for any live assistance, assuring any
doubts you might have or to double-confirm all information instantaneously.

We are already in the future

With an army of chatbots disrupting the travel
industry, many companies are already tapping on chatbots for all stages of the
travel funnel. The speed and innovation of chatbots, present many opportunities
for business travel companies to provide cutting-edge innovation to its
travellers. It is only with these types of highly
contextualized interactions that chatbots will be adopted by travellers to
bring true value to their trip and enhance their travel experience. Travel-bot
is always on, and will lead the way.