AT THE RECENT ITM CONFERENCE IN DUBLIN, delegates heard Google’s account manager Damian Lynch talk about how the search giant was “scraping the surface of ‘anticipation’” when refer- ring to virtual assistant technology built on algorithms and data history to anticipate your needs. And while Lynch also said this concept
was “really going to take off”, Amazon has had its eye on the prize for a while. In 2013, it gained a patent for what it called “anticipatory shipping” – in theory it could deliver an item to a customer without them ordering it. Based on pre- dictive analytics, the user’s search history and more data, Amazon would be so confident it was the right product, such as a new DVD box set, the recipient would gladly keep the gift and pay for it. Purchasing goods on the customer’s
behalf, for now, is not common prac- tice, but could the idea set a precedent in business travel? Will travel booking systems soon be tapping into our digital lives and automatically find, then book, the ideal flight, hotel or transport for the next business meeting? Scott Garner, president, data and analytics at Adara, says the concept isn’t actually that new. “Decades ago, one of the earliest forms of this was the book club – they’d send you one, and if you liked it, you kept it,” he says. “But the business traveller would value this – one less thing you have to do on the road is good.” Joakim Everstin, EMEA head of innova- tion and technology evangelist at Sabre, thinks the fact that airlines such as British Airways are already trialling automatic check-in ahead of your flights means we’re not far off. He says: “I don’t have time to scan all the dates and prices. So I’d like a system that could find something below a certain threshold, then reserve it for me, and I can tap and book.” Paul Richer, senior partner at Genesys, believes calendar auto-scanning would
20 BBT MARCH/APRIL 2016
ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE
Predictive technology could revolutionise the way we buy travel – but will we miss the human factor?
appeal, with anticipatory technology searching for the best options. However, he adds: “I doubt whether users would want the technology to commit to paying for a trip without an authori- sation. Where this could work best is for travellers who book full-fare trips which are, of course, refundable. The travel company could see which travel- lers are making regular trips and book these at best price with a click to cancel button if the flights are not required. I can also imagine a system anticipating a car that needs booking, preparing that booking and then triggering an alert to the traveller’s smartwatch with one click to accept and book.” In some sectors, certain companies are
already looking to anticipate custom- ers’ needs. Delta Air Lines’ interactive voice response system, for example, uses technology supplied by Naunce (the voice recognition firm behind Apple’s Siri) to determine what the customer is phoning for, removing the need for options. Sojern’s EMEA managing director, Jim Brigden, notes Uber recently pat- ented taking trip information and then showing a recommended flight, hotel and price to get you from point A to point B all-in-one. “That’s a pretty joined up experience,” he adds.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE While the technology may already exist, there are concerns that creating a system where a ‘real’ decision is never made may be a step too far. John O’Neill, managing director at Traverse Associ- ates, says: “Booking automatically has
some inherent risks of holding inventory that is later cancelled, and then subse- quently can’t be sold, plus all the com- plexity and hassle factor associated with changing bookings.” For Sabre’s Everstin, the main concern
is more ‘human’. “It’s about freedom of choice, he argues. “The decision has to sit with the traveller.” He cites one possible scenario where an employee would be in a hotel, and didn’t sleep well. Via a smartwatch, that information would feed into the hotel’s system, and they could then offer an upgraded breakfast package. “Is the value-add higher than the fact I’m giving up this information,” he ques- tions. “And would that [sleep] information be available to the person’s company, who could then turn around and say ‘your heartbeat’s way too high’? It’s a very intrusive thing. The technology can do that, but I have a humanist approach.” Meanwhile, Katherine Grass, head
of innovation and ventures at Amadeus UK and Ireland, believes if the decision- making process is removed, so is the chance for companies to “inspire” people to travel. “People like looking at different websites to plan their holiday,” she says. “We don’t want to take the magic away from that inspiration.” Toby Guest, global strategic sourcing manager, congress and events at Bayer, says he would be against any system that books travel for you. “If we were to allow [travel companies] to start making assumptions and adding extras they ‘presume’ we would want, I’d be annoyed,” he says, adding travel firms are already prevented from auto-completing
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