American Express Global Business Travel yesterday said it acquired 30SecondsToFly, a technology startup specializing in artificial intelligence. It allows users to book travel through its virtual assistant, called Claire, on Facebook Messenger, Slack, Skype and SMS.
The company 30SecondsToFly says firms can automate their customer conversations by routing chats to Claire, which either completes the task or transfers to live consultants “for the finishing touch.”
This latest announcement in the corporate travel sector follows Corporate Travel Management’s acquisition of Travel and Transport at the end of last month.
Artificial intelligence developers at 30SecondsToFly will join Amex GBT’s team of technology experts as part of the acquisition.
With fewer travel consultants on the horizon, this latest step towards artificial intelligence could become a growing trend. In November 2018, Lola, which combines augmented chat with artificial intelligence and access to travel consultants and customer service specialists, entered into a five-year partnership with Amex GBT.
“The 30SecondsToFly technology will enhance the travel experience for GBT’s clients’ travelers by increasing the number of service options available to them throughout the trip lifecycle,” Amex GBT said in a statement. “In addition to live chat via the Amex GBT Mobile App and Apple Business Chat, travelers will be able to initiate automated servicing requests from their favorite messaging service.”
With this purchase, Amex GBT may also gain an edge over some rivals who already offer 30SecondsToFly to their clients.
The company is used by FCM Travel, part of Flight Centre Travel Group, and Adelman Travel. In August 2018, FCM integrated Claire into its mobile travel assistant SAM, to give business travelers more capabilities to self-book.
