Swiss tests AI booking via voice command

Simply state your travel preferences and the system will book the appropriate flight for you. What may sound like a futuristic vision is already a reality at Swiss International Air Lines AG, which is currently testing a new AI-based booking assistant called «Swifty».

As reported by the «Blick», a new input field appears on the airline's website for selected users. There, flight requests can be made easily via text or voice – for example, by saying: «Please book me a flight to New York.»

One click on «Search flights with AI» is all it takes – and Swifty takes over. «The digital assistant books a trip in less than two minutes, based on a text or voice message», says Swiss spokesperson Michael Stief.

The system is based on Open AI's GPT language model and is trained to accurately recognize the customer's intention to book. The AI not only guides the customer through the entire booking and payment process, but also sends the travel documents directly to the desired address afterwards.

Swiss tests – Lufthansa is watching closely

Switzerland is once again serving as an innovation testing ground within the Lufthansa Group. The project, developed by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub, was introduced back in 2023—now, Swiss is launching the market trial.

The test phase is expected to last four to eight weeks, with the option to extend. «Whether we introduce Swifty permanently depends on the test results», says Swiss spokesperson Michael Stief.

The focus is primarily on customer acceptance and the conversion rate. Full integration into the airline’s systems would also require additional development work.

Swiss plans to share the results only after the test phase concludes—though, according to the company, initial bookings via the AI assistant are already coming in. If the test proves successful, Swifty could be rolled out to other airlines within the Lufthansa Group in the future.