CTM Enhances Lightning with AI, Machine Learning

Corporate Travel Management has added artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities into its Lightning online booking tool in North America, the travel management company announced.

The enhanced tool uses multiple algorithms to “serve up more relevant options to travelers with prediction accuracy continuously increasing as more bookings are made,” according to CTM chief travel officer for North America Joel Bailey. Those algorithms work with such variables as company policies, traveler preferences and historical booking data.

The data includes not only a traveler’s historical booking data but also data across millions of transactions to see what other travelers in similar situations have done, also while determining the intention of the traveler—such as whether they are looking for the most economic, eco-friendly or comfortable option, Lehi Mills, CTM chief product officer for North America, said during the Global Business Travel Association’s Media Day event on Sunday.

For example, an eco-minded traveler who is booking an electric vehicle for the first time might not realize the need for charging stations, and the tool can alert the traveler to pick a hotel with a charging station and surface selections of hotels that have them, Mills said.

A team of data specialists has been working on the project during the past three years, and following its North America launch, the capability in the next year will roll out to other global regions. In the meantime, CTM is looking for other applications of the technology, Mills said.

“Artificial intelligence and machine learning for us is really future-proofing the technology,” he said. “Instead of risk management, why not risk mitigation, having tools and systems smart enough to identify potential issues?”

Michael B. Baker www.businesstravelnews.com