Saturday, November 23, 2024

Google and Sabre unveil AI-driven travel innovations – WiT

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Google and Sabre hosted a virtual event to showcase new developments in their four-year partnership, highlighting advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) aimed at reshaping the travel industry. The event featured key leaders from both companies, who provided insights into AI’s potential to personalise and streamline travel experiences.

 

Why the travel industry is betting on AI

Sundar Narasimham, Sabre’s Senior VP of Labs Technology & Platform, emphasised the growing importance of AI in travel. He cited estimates of AI’s potential to generate over $28 billion in global revenue, noting that 74% of travel organisations are revising their strategies to incorporate AI. He explained that AI is essential to delivering the seamless, personalised experiences travelers increasingly expect, with robust data sets being a key component of effective AI implementation.

Sabre entered into a partnership with Google in 2020 to leverage the latter’s cloud and AI expertise. Together, the companies have focused on using AI to enhance travel experiences, driving the creation of Sabre Travel AI, which powers new solutions like Sabre’s Offer and Order platform, SabreMosaic, and customer care improvements.

 

AI-driven prototypes for the future of travel

The companies previewed several AI-powered prototypes, including:

  • SynXis Booking Engine Concierge.AI: A tool that personalises guest experiences for hoteliers with tailored recommendations.
  • Travel Email IQ: An automation tool that reads customer emails and generates personalised travel recommendations.
  • Schedule Exchange: A predictive tool that helps travel agents identify potential flight cancellations in advance.

Sabre is also utilising Google’s Vertex AI platform to optimise pricing and product merchandising for airlines, with a focus on increasing both internal productivity and external customer benefits.

 

Looking ahead: AI’s impact on travel

Panelists from both companies discussed how AI is expected to radically reshape the industry. Sabre’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Garry Wiseman, emphasised the importance of modular and iterative deployment of AI solutions. He noted that products like Sabre’s Air Price IQ, which has demonstrated a 3% increase in airfare revenue, highlight AI’s value.

Amy Read, VP of Innovation at Sabre Hospitality, said the company is focusing heavily on GenAI for future hospitality solutions. She called AI “the future” of travel, echoing sentiments from Carrie Tharp, VP of Global Solutions & Industries at Google Cloud, who predicted that AI will transform the travel booking process over the next decade.

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