AirAsia Taps Ada to Launch New Chatbot
Toronto AI is really taking off.
Earlier this week, AirAsia announced a new partnership with the Toronto-based Ada, to build and launch the AirAsia Virtual Allstar (AVA). The AVA is an always-active self-service chatbot that can help customers in eight different languages.
AirAsia customers can use AVA to access real-time flight updates, update account information, and change a booking, all through an automated platform. More than 80 million guests from 21 countries use AirAsia each year, so one of the primary concerns was to make sure the chatbot was accessible in several different languages and streamlined for ease of use.
The chatbot itself was built by the AirAsia team using Ada’s AI platform. Ada makes it easy for non-technical teams to launch their own chatbots and improve customer interactions.
“As the automation partner selected to lead AirAsia, we are working with the airline as it evolves its support strategy to meet, and exceed, customer expectations,” said Mike Murchison, CEO and co-founder of Ada. “Our technology uniquely positions us to support AirAsia in scaling automated customer experiences with the same high degree of empathy and customization expected from their agents.”
The update is also meant to integrate AVA with BigPay, AirAsia’s financial service. When customers log in they will be able to instantly access deals on flights.
“We are always working to enhance our guest experience, and we will be adding more mobile app features in the months to come so it is no longer just a flight booking platform, but your complete travel companion,” said Aireen Omar, AirAsia’s deputy CEO of digital transformation.
Ada launched from stealth in mid-2017 with a $2.5 million funding round, and very recently raised another $19 million round. Other Ada clients include Telus, Coinbase and Upwork.
