Air India, the country’s premier global airline, has introduced eZ Booking, an AI-powered feature that simplifies the flight reservation process, offering a faster, more seamless experience for customers. Available exclusively to members of Air India’s loyalty program, Maharaja Club, this innovative feature allows users to complete their bookings on the airline’s website with just a few simple text or voice commands, reducing the number of screens and steps typically involved.
eZ Booking leverages cutting-edge “Agentic AI” technology, which allows the system to perform complex tasks by mimicking the role of a human travel agent. Using machine learning, natural language processing, and automation, the AI system listens to the customer’s travel needs and generates a customized itinerary without requiring the customer to manually input information on multiple screens.
Streamlining the Booking Process
Traditionally, booking a flight through an airline’s digital platform involves navigating through several screens to provide travel details, make selections, and enter traveler information. eZ Booking redefines this experience by significantly cutting down the steps and clicks required to complete a reservation. Customers can now express their travel preferences in simple natural language, such as “Give me the first flight from Delhi to Mumbai tomorrow,” or “I need to go to Chennai from Mumbai next Thursday and return on Friday.” eZ Booking will then instantly generate a customized itinerary that can be accepted or modified before proceeding to payment.
Key Features of eZ Booking:
- Simple and Minimal Steps: Customers simply need to communicate their travel needs in natural language, similar to interacting with a human travel agent. This eliminates time-consuming form filling and simplifies the entire booking process.
- Voice Input: Customers can now communicate with eZ Booking via voice commands, further enhancing the ease and convenience of the reservation process.
- Quick Modifications: If users wish to alter their itinerary, they can make changes using minimal commands, either through text or voice input. This ability to modify choices quickly, without going back and forth through multiple screens, speeds up the entire booking experience.
“In our pursuit of developing technologies that elevate customer experience, we are excited to launch eZ Booking, initially for our loyal Maharaja Club members. This is a significant step in leveraging emerging ‘Agentic AI’ capabilities across all our digital platforms. We believe that the speed, ease, and convenience of eZ Booking will further enhance the overall experience of our guests,” said Dr. Satya Ramaswamy, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Air India.
Award-Winning Design Concept
Air India’s investment in AI technology for digital customer engagement is already paying off, as evidenced by the company’s recent achievements. The patent-pending design for eZ Booking won the prestigious Red Dot Design Concepts award, an honor that recognizes the best in innovative product and interface design. The concept is now on display at the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore, a testament to the airline’s commitment to user-centric digital experiences.
Building on the Success of AI.g
The launch of eZ Booking follows the success of Air India’s generative AI chatbot, AI.g, which was introduced in May 2023. As the first AI-powered chatbot in the global airline industry, AI.g has already responded to over 7 million customer queries, handling an impressive 97% of them autonomously. The chatbot has helped answer approximately 50,000 queries per day across various customer service issues, with only 3% requiring human intervention. Insights and data gathered from AI.g have been instrumental in the development of eZ Booking, ensuring a seamless, user-friendly experience.
Future Expansion
Currently, eZ Booking is available to Maharaja Club members via the Air India website, but the airline plans to expand the feature to mobile platforms in the coming weeks. This expansion will make it even easier for travelers to access and book their flights on the go, ensuring that Air India continues to lead the way in digital customer experience.
As part of its ongoing digital transformation, Air India is set to deploy further AI-powered innovations across its entire digital footprint, ensuring that its customers enjoy the most convenient, efficient, and enjoyable travel booking experience possible.
How to Access eZ Booking
Maharaja Club members can access the eZ Booking feature by logging into their accounts on Air India’s website, www.airindia.com. The feature will soon be available on both the mobile website and the Air India mobile app.
With the introduction of eZ Booking, Air India is setting new standards for the airline industry by making flight bookings simpler, faster, and more intuitive, all while showcasing the incredible potential of artificial intelligence in transforming customer experiences.