Travel chatbot service shifts focus to travel management companies

30SecondsToFly, maker of the “Claire” chatbot, has pivoted its business strategy. Rather than marketing the product to small- and mid-size businesses, the company is now concentrating on serving travel management companies and travel agencies.

30SecondsToFly, which uses artificial intelligence to automate travel management, was initially designed it to help employers oversee employees’ travel plans and spending and to help them expedite search and booking. Services are available across channels including SMS, Facebook, Slack and the web.

Now the company will update the product to make it more applicable to the needs of TMCs, with a “focus on combining automated user conversations and automated personalized flight curation with the high-touch service of a travel agent.” 

30SecondsToFly says the AI-powered system will help TMCs streamline their operations while also providing the cross-channel chat system to enable more efficient communications with customers.

30SecondsToFly co-founder Felicia Schneiderhan tells PhocusWire that it already has three TMC clients confirmed - one of them a “large global, well-known agency.”

“This TMC pivot was a strategic decision that will catalyze our efforts of bringing an AI-driven corporate travel product to a global market," she says.

"Selling to a few, selected TMCs worldwide will allow us to focus stronger on building an innovative product rather than making sure we have strong customer support that can cover hundreds of small business clients." 

The company plans to keep its existing platform open, but it will not invest in acquiring new customers.

30SecondsToFly was founded in 2015. Investors include JetBlue Technology Ventures, Flight Centre Travel Group and El Al Airlines.