Gatwick introduces chatbox, called Gail
Gatwick Airport has launched a ‘chatbot’ on Facebook Messenger, called Gail, to help passengers access flight information, alerts, and information on airport shops, restaurants and other facilities.
For example, passengers can ask ‘Which restaurants have vegetarian options?’ and will be presented with a list of options.
Currently only available in English, Gatwick plans to offer the service in different languages next year.
It was developed in partnership with Lyon-Saint Exupery airport in France, which launched its chatbot in October 2017.
This allowed Gatwick to identify what the chatbot could be used for, questions passengers might ask, and the value of features such as ‘quick response’.
Currently, the Gatwick chatbot understands and answers about 80% of the questions it receives and within a year the chatbots of both Lyon-Saint Exupery and Gatwick aim to reach a 95% level of understanding by actively learning from interactions with users.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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