AI-Powered Virtual Assistants for Airline Passengers: The Future of Flight Travel

We’ve all been there—the first time at the airport, not knowing what to do next yet too shy to ask anyone. But now, you can walk in with confidence, thanks to AI-powered virtual assistants for airline passengers. These tools will walk you through every step of the way, from booking to boarding and landing. Keep reading to learn more!

How AI-Powered Virtual Assistants Help Airline Passengers From A to Z

Pre-Flight Assistance

Tailored Travel Recommendations

Personalization is the cornerstone in retaining customers, and AI assistants streamline this process while reducing cost and labor. These tools can collect and analyze customer data and past travel patterns to understand their behavior. Thanks to this, they can offer personalized travel recommendations, like meal preferences, seat adjustments, in-flight entertainment, and destination options.

For example, if the AI tools notice that a passenger tends to book aisle seats and vegan meals, the virtual assistant will suggest similar options the next time.

Faster Booking & Cancelling

Passengers, especially first-timers, usually contact call centers for inquiries about booking and cancellations. Call agents have to deal with thousands of such questions daily. This is when AI assistants come in to address these simple, common queries and free up labor for other complicated tasks.

Best of all, these tools can provide tailored answers based on customer data. For complex problems like emergency cancellations, they will direct customers to the proper departments.

Check-in & Boarding

Gone are the days of queuing up and waiting for hours to check in at the airport. Many airlines now implement digital identity programs, such as biometric systems and facial recognition, for a faster, hassle-free, and stress-free boarding experience compared to traditional fingerprint or iris scanning methods. 

A case in point is Delta Airlines, which allows passengers to use facial recognition for the entire check-in process, from checking luggage and clearing security to boarding [The New York Times].

First-time passengers can also rest assured because AI-powered virtual assistants will direct them through key waypoints, such as ticketing counters, security screening, and boarding gates. Additionally, these tools enable passengers to easily access other airport amenities, like dining areas, restrooms, lounges, etc.

Real-Time Updates

Virtual assistants help you stay on top of important updates on flight schedules, baggage location, gate changes, or unexpected delays so you can plan ahead accordingly. 

In case of any changes or emergencies, they will send you a notification almost instantly, all thanks to the lightning speed of AI tools. For example, an AI caption generator can create slideshows or videos to announce passengers within seconds.

Unlike human staff, AI chatbots can work around the clock, answering passengers’ questions promptly and ensuring a seamless experience. 

In-Flight Assistance

Intelligent Climate Control

Intelligent climate control takes customer experience to the next level thanks to its personalized adjustments. In particular, there are sensors to constantly check cabin conditions. Virtual assistants can collect passengers’ feedback on temperatures, airflow, and humidity and adjust them according to their preferences.

Address Common Questions & Requests

In general, two to four flight attendants are in charge of every 50 passengers onboard each flight. If many issues arise at the same time, it’s challenging for the flight attendants to take care of them all at once. 

This is when virtual assistants come to the rescue. Each passenger will have their own AI assistant, which can address simple questions and requests regarding turbulence, dietary preferences, flight status, and other amenities. The virtual assistants also facilitate mutual communication between passengers and the cabin crew in case of emergencies, enhancing comfort and in-flight security.

Language Support

In a flight, especially an international one, passengers come from different countries and speak different languages. This diversity might place a communication barrier between passengers and the cabin crew.

This is not the case with virtual assistants, though. They support multiple languages, allowing for seamless communication. Even better, text-to-speech free and translation tools are also available to help international passengers communicate with confidence.

Post-Flight Assistance

Post-Landing Guidance

For first-time passengers, their airport nightmare doesn’t stop at boarding but extends to the landing process. As all passengers pour out of the plane, some might feel anxious and frustrated about finding their luggage. 

AI assistants can take care of this by offering directions on the luggage’s location and baggage claim. They even go the extra mile by suggesting ground transportation options so passengers can reach their next destination with ease. Better yet, some AI models can handle unexpected circumstances, such as rebooking requests or travel disruption, ensuring a seamless end-to-end experience for passengers.

Personalized Loyalty Programs

AI-powered assistants analyze customer data, such as demographics, behavior, travel patterns, etc., to offer passengers tailored loyalty programs. Some of the perks include personalized incentives and rewards, exclusive lounge access, mileage upgrades, and so on. Thanks to this, customers can make the most of these programs.

Post-Flight Customer Care

Post-flight customer care is key to customer retention. Virtual assistants can be of great help in this task while easing the burden on customer service agents. They can handle a large number of queries and streamline call routing, enhancing efficiency. 

Customer Retention With Engaging Content

Another way AI assistants can help airlines is content creation. Maintaining a consistent online presence is crucial for all airlines, given the fierce competition. Video editing tools greatly facilitate them in this regard. 

Airlines could use voice changer effects in their social media content for engaging and humorous videos, driving more traffic and potential customers. For example, they could create quirky announcement videos or behind-the-scenes glimpses with altered voices.

Will Virtual Assistant Shape the Future of Flight Travel?

We can see a bright future of AI-powered virtual assistants in air travel. Many airlines have pioneered the integration of AI into their customer service. Cases in point are Delta, AirAsia, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. 

Take KLM, for example. This airline leverages BlueBot, an AI chatbot, to assist passengers in booking flights, checking in, and addressing other inquiries. This strategy has cut down the workload of the customer service team by 40%, allowing staff to address complex problems more promptly and efficiently.

In the near future, more AI technologies, like AR and VR, are expected to be integrated into air travel to enhance passengers’ comfort and experience.