Google and Sabre say that AI will soon become essential to the travel industry and will be expected by the customer.
Speaking at a webinar hosted by the two companies, Google Cloud’s Vice President of Global Solutions and Industries, Carrie Tharp, said AI would be applied to every step of the travel journey.
Gary Wiseman, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Sabre Travel Solutions, said suppliers and travel agencies would have to use AI to provide travellers with inspiration, personalised shopping selections and advanced self-servicing capabilities, according to a report by Travel Weekly.
Using the example of making a change on a flight booking, Wiseman said: “It’s not only going to propose a flight at a new date or time, but it’s also going to know that I prefer to sit in a premium economy window seat and so it will double check and make sure there is vacancy for that.
“I think over time this will be table stakes for anyone in the industry. It won’t be a differentiator, it will be something that is expected by the traveller.”
