BCD Travel is partnering with AI-powered corporate travel assistant SkyLink, integrating the technology into the travel management company's Travel Commerce Platform, the companies announced.
SkyLink integrates with enterprise chat channels such as Microsoft Teams and Slack so that travelers can, in a conversational style, shop, book, modify and cancel reservations and get answers to questions about their travel, such as those concerning policy. With the integration into BCD's platform, SkyLink can "seamlessly deploy into global travel programs," according to SkyLink co-founder and CEO Atyab Bhatti, and all bookings are standardized and serviceable by BCD agents.
BCD currently is making SkyLink available to its large-scale customers in North America, with plans to later add Europe and other markets, according to the TMC.
"We are addressing traveler demand for efficiency and speed, while also driving cost savings and compliance for customers," BCD SVP of product planning and development Yannis Karmis said in a statement. "SkyLink's integration with our open platform creates a market-leading engagement capability with travelers."
SkyLink was the winner of the Innovation Faceoff at The BTN Group's Innovate conference in 2024, and judges last week at Business Travel Show Europe's Business Travel Innovation Faceoff gave it "highly commended" honors. At the BTS Faceoff, Bhatti demonstrated an upcoming feature for SkyLink in which users can speak to an AI agent, capable of multiple languages, by phone to access the same capabilities available in chat channels.