Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine learning capabilities have been added to Corporate Travel Management’s Lightning online booking tool in North America, according to the travel management company.
Joel Bailey – CTM’s chief travel officer for North America states that the tool utilizes multiple algorithms to provide more compatible choices to travelers with a constant increase in the accuracy of predictions as more bookings take place. These algorithms consider factors such as company policies, preferences of travelers, and historical booking data.
During the Global Business Travel Association’s Media Day event held on Sunday, Lehi Mills – CTM’s chief product officer for North America stated that the data comprises not only the historical booking data of a traveler, but also data from millions of transactions to look at the behavior of other travelers in similar scenarios, as well as determining the intention of the traveler such as whether they are preferring for the most economical, eco-friendly, or comfortable option.
For instance, an environmentally conscious traveler booking an electric vehicle for the first time may be unaware of the need for charging stations, and the tool can alert the traveler to choose a hotel with a charging station and provide selections of hotels that have them, according to Mills.
A team of data specialists has been working on the project for the last three years, and after its launch in North America, the capability will be rolled out to other global regions in the coming year. Meanwhile, CTM is looking for other uses for the technology, according to Mills.
We believe that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are truly future-proofing technology, he said. Why not risk mitigation, with tools and systems smart enough to recognize possible issues, rather than risk management?
