Sabre has launched a new customer service chatbot designed
for use by airlines, online travel agencies and travel management companies.
Designed in partnership with conversational artificial intelligence specialist
Mindsay, the "virtual assistant" chatbot integrates directly into
Sabre's global distribution platform, enabling it to automatically resolve a
variety of requests, from simple questions to complex booking modifications,
Sabre said.
The virtual assistant enables airlines, OTAs and TMCs to
resolve up to 70 per cent of customer requests without including a live agent,
thereby "significantly reducing" call and live chat volumes,
according to Sabre. With bots handling the majority of common customer
requests, travel agents can focus on solving the most urgent and complex
requests, Sabre said.
European OTA Kilroy is the first Sabre customer to integrate
the solution, using the chatbot to automate customer requests including
modifying and cancelling flights, qualifying refund requests, providing flight
status, check-in info, and access to boarding passes and answering commonly
asked questions about baggage allowance, travel restrictions and other topics.