There is a lot to think about when organising a holiday , which is why plenty of travellers engage the help of travel agents to plan and book everything they need for a trip. But the introduction and now widespread use of AI could change the way jet setters are able to put together an itinerary and finalise bookings themselves. A new app developed in Melbourne called Booked AI became available this month after more than 15,000 people joined a waiting list before it launched.
READ MORE: Everything to know before you visit China Founder and CEO Mennan Yelkenci says the app is the next step in the continuing evolution of how people book their travel. "Technology is making all areas of our life quicker and easier, and that is what Booked AI does for travel," Mennan says. "We have gone from VHS to DVD to Netflix for video, and vinyl to CDs to Spotify for music.
Over time we have seen travel bookings go from in-person to online, and now, with Booked AI, we witness the next step by providing travellers with a travel agent in their pocket." READ MORE: The hotspot dupes in Paris that are way less crowded The app includes key features such as a 24/7 dedicated AI travel assistant, editable and shareable itineraries, and the use of artificial intelligence to find the best possible prices from over 200 airlines and 1,000 accommodation partners worldwide. "On average Australians spend up to three hours comparing flight options and prices before locking in their itinerary.
Booked does all of this in seconds," Mennan adds. For anyone worried about sharing personal information on the app, Mennan tells 9Travel there are a host of safety measures in place. "The app has partnered with Stripe for a secure and private checkout and with a Global Distribution Sales provider ( Duffel ) to ensure all tickets sold are through Airline and Accommodation managed distribution channels," he explains.
"Booked AI is also an internationally recognised Travel Agent under the regulations governed by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ), making it the world's first non-human Travel Agent to receive this accreditation." Mennan says building the app was an extremely lengthy task. "Given the amount of training we had to do for the AI to be able to effectively behave as a human travel agent would.
Part of this training involved building a corporate structure of various AI agents, at a travel agent level and a management level," he says. "These different levels are all working towards KPIs built into the app, resulting in the most optimal travel solutions for the user." The app also uses voice recognition, and it's available at any time of the day - unlike a human travel agent.
"This is especially handy when you are on the go, or when plans change quickly and you can ask the app 'can you get me a flight from Sydney to Brisbane tomorrow?' and be presented with a range of options within seconds, or if you have more flexibility you could ask the app when is the cheapest time to fly and have a different set of results given to you." Even traditional travel agents are welcoming the use of technology to help streamline processes and make their offerings more flexible. Adam Moon, General Manager of Stage and Screen Travel says the team are blending the latest AI with Flight Centre Travel Group's (FCTG) 40 years of market knowledge and experience.
"[It's] transforming the way we forecast travel trends, optimise pricing, and manage travel risks," he tells 9Travel. "Our AI is assistive and generative - it supports us as a business to be more productive, and allows our customers to achieve more in their travel program. "But, our white glove approach to travel management underpins this, and allows us to flex and move alongside our clients, and their complex travel programs.
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