Flight Centre Travel Group has unveiled AI-powered chatbot Sam to the Australian market.
Sam took its bow at the btTB GBTA conference in Sydney, giving business travellers a first look at the mobile travel assistant app which blends artificial intelligenceand integrated travel advisor support.
Sam is now available for use to clients of FCTG brands and FCM Travel Solutions, and student travel provider Campus Travel.
"By downloading Sam, our customers won’t miss a thing. Sam’s messages are intuitive, helpful and include practical information and advice that is based on context, relevance and a traveller’s personal preferences," said Fligt Centre’s corporate division executive general manager, James Kavanagh.
Sam goes well beyond simply providing the usual travel management functions, says Kavanagh.
It tracks each traveller’s location in real time and provides updated traffic and flight information and details of any gate changes as they happen.
"Sam will even give you information about what carousel your luggage is on and allows you to book an Uber ride within the app," Kavanagh said.
FCTG also said it will roll out the world’s first ‘chatbot assisted community.’
"Sam Community acutely focuses on the experience of the traveller and how to enhance that traveller’s situation then and there. By providing locally relevant and personalised advice that’s consistently up to date, the entire traveller experience is going to be safer, easier and more enjoyable," said FCM Travel Solutions general manager Melissa Elf.
