EasyJet holidays has reported a growing preference among its customers for artificial intelligence-powered assistance, with its online chatbot receiving higher satisfaction ratings than traditional telephone customer service.
The travel company disclosed that customers using its AI chatbot recorded satisfaction scores eight percentage points above those of holidaymakers who contacted human representatives by phone.
The development was announced at the ABTA Travel Convention, a major gathering of travel industry stakeholders held earlier this month in Madeira, as the company explores ways to improve customer support while expanding its operations.
According to easyJet holidays, its chatbot now resolves approximately 45 per cent of enquiries from customers already on holiday without requiring assistance from a human agent. The company also reported a 10 per cent reduction in service costs, even as the volume of its holiday business increased by 22 per cent.
Chief Operating Officer Matt Callaghan explained that the technology was introduced to help the company maintain personalised customer service while responding to increasing demand. He said the challenge was to ensure customers could obtain assistance more quickly and conveniently as the business continued to grow.
The chatbot uses customers’ holiday and booking details to deliver more relevant answers, including information about airport transfers and other travel arrangements. EasyJet holidays has also upgraded the system to make it easier to locate and improve its ability to respond to different types of enquiries.
Beyond routine questions, the company says the technology can provide updates during emergencies such as wildfires, drawing on live developments to help affected travellers. Customers who require more complex assistance can still be transferred to staff through telephone calls or online chat.
In a further move towards digital travel services, easyJet has introduced ChatGPT integrations that allow users to search for flights, package holidays and current flight-status information within their conversations on the platform.
The expansion comes amid increasing interest in artificial intelligence for travel planning. A survey commissioned by easyJet found that 51 per cent of respondents had already used AI to organise a trip, while another 17 per cent said they were considering using it. Among those who had adopted the technology for travel planning, ChatGPT emerged as the most popular platform, attracting 62 per cent of users surveyed.
The findings highlight how airlines and holiday operators are turning to AI to streamline customer service, reduce operating expenses and offer travellers more convenient ways to organise trips. However, human support remains available for situations that demand personal judgement or more specialised intervention.
