Airlines Have Lagged in AI – How They Are Using it Now
Photo Credit: Pictured: United Airlines smartphone notification United Airlines
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Airlines have generally taken more time to jump on board the generative AI bandwagon. But that’s changing.
United Airlines is embedding AI throughout the company.
That’s what its CEO, Scott Kirby, told investors earlier this year as he outlined some of the company’s work.
While online travel agencies, travel tech companies, and some hotel brands have been talking about generative AI since shortly after its release in 2022, airlines have generally taken more time to jump on board. But that’s changing. More of them have been releasing customer-facing AI tools and talking about what they’re doing behind-the-scenes.
Below is an outline about what a handful of airlines have shared this year in public comments.
United AirlinesUnited Airlines has posted a couple of announcements about customer-facing AI tools recently, but Kirby said AI is proving to be more impactful in ways that the customer doesn’t necessarily see.
“We have been … using genAI in all kinds of ways that maybe are not as sexy as some of the big high-profile announcements, but are a whole lot more impactful for the airline and operations,” Kirby said.
He described one of the applications he finds most interesting: “We have th
