AI, or Artificial Intelligence is all the buzz, but what do AI, travel and AI for travel have in common? Well for starters there is tons of technology out there to make business trip planning possible and streamlined with the help of artificial intelligence. But what does this all mean?
We will take a look at this technology and how it specifically relates to the travel industry and how companies can use this handy tool to help make trip planning smooth and to better personalize the travel experience while also making travelers more productive on the road. Generative AI can take large quantities of data and repetitive tasks and make it easier so that you can dedicate your time to better doing your job and problem solving.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence (AI) combines computer science and data to enable problem solving and automate processes. It is essentially the simulation of human intelligence by machines. How does it do this? It processes large amounts of data and analyzes it for patterns, which are then used to make predictions about future states. For example, in the case of one of the most prevalent examples of AI, ChatGBT, it is fed examples of text, which it can then learn and generate realistic text through a branch of AI technology called generative AI.
How is AI used for business travel?
AI has the potential to change the way we live, work, travel, and do business. It can automate tasks, including travel planning, customer service, data processing and quality control. It is particularly useful when dealing with repetitive tasks due to the fact that it can process large amounts of data at a time, which would otherwise take days or months for a human to process. All the big companies are using it, Google, Uber, Apple, Microsoft, you name the company, they are using it.
And as an internet user, AI is working all the time to help you resolve queries. AI is central to the Google search engine, which uses natural language processing to understand the nature of a person’s query. For example, if you google, “best hotel in Barcelona”, you might get listicles of articles talking about top 10 hotels in Barcelona. On the other hand, if you google “hotels in Barcelona” you will most likely get results for OTAs and booking sites to book a hotel in Barcelona. Natural language processing helps better understand what it is a user is looking for.
Applications of artificial intelligence for business travel
There are many applications of artificial intelligence for travel and for business travel particularly, such as for business trip planning, to help fulfill your duty of care, making travel reservations and helping you save time and be more productive. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Planning your business trip with AI
Whether you are a small company and have to plan your own business trip, or you are a larger company with a travel manager. Either way, coordinating many legs of a business trip can be tough. This is where artificial intelligence can come in handy. Getting AI to generate the right answers is all about developing the right prompt. Specify the cities you need to visit and how many days you need to spend in each city, and AI can help you generate an itinerary saving you time and energy in trip planning.
For example, a prompt could be: Develop a business travel itinerary using low cost flights to visit Berlin, Barcelona and Paris. Starting from Berlin. Total of 6 nights. These systems can analyze data like flight schedules, hotel availability and transportation opinions to create itineraries that not only meet your requirements but also save you time researching manually.
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2. Booking the best deals thanks to AI algorithms
When you use a business travel platform like GetGoing, you might not know it but artificial intelligence is working in the background to get you the best travel deals and prices. This way you can better assess what fares are right for you, and if you set a price cap in your travel policy you can ensure employees have the tools to make the right decisions about prices. GetGoing’s GoSmart feature relies on AI to help you choose the smartest flight options based on price data.
AI can also help to analyze travel preferences, budgets and historical data to recommend suitable flights, accommodations and itineraries for business travelers.
3. Save time and be more productive
When artificial intelligence is used to automate tasks like searching for the best air fares, car rentals or hotel prices, your team can spend less time with these data-heavy tasks instead of trolling different travel sites for the best deals.
4. Fulfilling your duty of care
When your employees travel often for work, it’s only normal that you want to keep track of them, make sure they arrive safely and arrive in tip top shape so they can do their job the best way possible. Artificial intelligence can help you keep track of your travelers so they are safe and secure, and at the same time ensure you fulfill your company’s duty of care. Technology is making it easier and easier for you to keep employees safe and well.
Fun fact: Did you know? GetGoing’s Go Safe feature helps travelers pick the safest flight route, prioritizing direct flights and connections in lower risk countries first. Learn more
AI can also help businesses to assess potential risks associated with business travel, analyzing data from various sources, including travel alerts and other real-time data that can help ensure the safety and security of travelers.
Want to find out how to fulfill your duty of care?
5. Smart recommendations to make the most out of AI in travel deals
With the help of algorithms from AI, you can analyze travel patterns and preferences and get smart recommendations for flights, accommodations and transportation, allowing you to make informed decisions without having to waste time comparing costs and options.
The benefits of leveraging AI technology in travel planning
By leveraging AI technologies, business travelers can free themselves of time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic activities, which helps enhance productivity and efficiency in trip planning.
Need more help planning your business trips? Get your free demo now to see what GetGoing can do for you.