Counsellors unveils AI booking tool


Robin Murray TC Conference 2023, Manchester


Travel Counsellors will roll out an AI-powered booking system next year to “save agents time and improve their performance”. The homeworking agency’s chief


technology officer Jon Bauer said TC Co-pilot would be trialled in spring, as he unveiled the system at the firm’s annual conference in Manchester. TC Co-pilot will be integrated


into Travel Counsellors’ existing booking platform, Phenix, and will produce “beautiful results personalised to customers’ needs”, according to Bauer.


“It will save you time, improve


your performance and make your lives a bit easier,” he told delegates, adding: “It will allow you to do what you do best: create memories.” Agents will be able to ask


TC Co-pilot questions, search for content and generate both “simple and complex inspirational journeys at the click of a button”. Its launch forms part of a


£15 million investment in Travel Counsellors’ technology systems for the coming year, Bauer revealed. Addressing the company’s agents,


he stressed TC Co-pilot is “not here to replace what you do”. “We’re a digital business that feels


Branson: Historic SAF-only flight is the first step


Ian Taylor On board Virgin Atlantic Flight100


Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson hailed the first transatlantic flight operated wholly on fuel processed from waste cooking oil, animal fats and plant stalks as “historic” on Tuesday. The carrier’s ‘Flight100’ from


Heathrow to New York was the world’s first commercial flight to use 100% ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF) and no oil-derived kerosene. Branson said: “You have to make


the first step. Until today it was thought long-haul flights would never fly sustainably. We’ve proved that wrong. “Proving this can be done is


4 30 NOVEMBER 2023


the first step. Then it’s a matter of the government and oil companies getting involved. There is a lot of work to be done to produce this fuel at a price that is competitive so it becomes the norm.” Virgin Atlantic chief executive


Shai Weiss pointed out there is only enough SAF produced at present to provide 0.1% of aviation fuel, yet the government is poised to legislate for 10% SAF use by 2030. Weiss said: “We need to multiply


[SAF production] 100 times. We need legislators to provide a price certainty mechanism, just as we had for solar and wind energy.” He warned: “Without such a mechanism we’re going to be left


to buy the fuel [in the US and EU] without the UK getting the benefit and there is going to be a premium. It is going to be two, three, four times the cost of jet fuel.” Branson agreed: “We’re trying


to help the government and fuel companies see a path forward so that one day all planes can be powered like this. The next step is pushing to make sure the government follows through, the fuel companies follow through and other airlines follow. “If you go back 12 months, no


one thought long-haul aircraft would have anything but a bad carbon footprint, that airlines would be last


It will save you


time, improve your performance and allow you to do what you do best: create memories


human,” he said. “We’re a business that augments and nourishes relationships instead of replacing them.” His sentiments were echoed by


chief executive Steve Byrne, who urged agents to “think of AI as a tool that will give you more time to do the things you want to do”. Meanwhile, Tui has confirmed


it will continue to trial the use of artificial intelligence in its MyTui app after “really good feedback”. “AI will offer us all sorts of


opportunities to be more efficient and more effective in what we do with customers,” said chief marketing officer Neil Swanson. “It’s early days and it’s not yet a


case of mass adoption for people wanting to use these sorts of things, but I’m a big believer in testing things and looking at what the results are.” Tui UK and Ireland managing


director Andrew Flintham said AI would be “really powerful in every bit


of the business”. i Conference Report, page 10


Sir Richard Branson


and Shai Weiss prepare to board Flight100 on Tuesday


[to decarbonise]. We’ve proved long-haul aircraft may play a part alongside other sectors.” Branson added: “The great


thing is that we can make this fuel in Britain. The feedstocks for this fuel were waste products from restaurants and plant stalks.” Transport secretary Mark Harper


was among up to 100 observers on the flight and hailed the achievement by Virgin Atlantic and “a consortium of British companies”. But he said the government needs to consult on a price support mechanism and nothing would


be in place before the next election. i Business, back page


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Virgin Atlantic


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