Tourexpi
The national carrier of the State of Qatar has
broken new ground at ITB Berlin 2024 with the successful launch of its
holographic virtual cabin crew, Sama 2.0. Qatar Airways is the world’s first
airline to develop the Artificial Intelligence powered digital human cabin crew
to assist its passengers in designing curated travel experiences.
Sama, meaning ‘sky’ in Arabic, has taken centre
stage at the new Qatar Airways stand during ITB Berlin. The biggest travel and
tourism trade event saw the revolutionary showcase of Sama, who continues to
interact with both visitors and media alike. Enabled by industry-leading
conversational AI, she will continue to learn and develop over time to improve
responses through passenger interactions.
Sama 2.0 is ready to answer questions in real time
such as Qatar Airways FAQs, destinations, support tips and more, and will be
accessible through QVerse, Qatar Airways’ immersive digital platform, as well
as through the Qatar Airways app.
Sama is developed by Qatar Airways in partnership
with UneeQ, a leader in AI digital human technology. This collaboration between
Qatar Airways and UneeQ harnesses UneeQ’s innovative platform to enhance the
digital travel experience and sets new standards in the aviation industry. The
one-of-a-kind cabin crew is also poised to create benchmarks for personalised
and functional service interactions in air travel.
Qatar Airways Vice President Marketing, Babar
Rahman, said: “Sama 2.0 represents our relentless pursuit of innovation, and
embodies Qatar Airways’ values of exceptional service and hospitality. This is
a monumental point in spearheading the successful synergy between technology
and human connection – not only for Qatar Airways, but also for the industry at
large. Qatar Airways affirms its commitment to leading and collaborating with
innovation experts to create pioneering products and services for its customers.”
UneeQ Chief Executive Officer, Danny Tomsett, said:
“Sama embodies UneeQ's commitment to blending technology with empathy and
personalisation, providing an innovative solution that aligns with Qatar
Airways’ reputation for world-class service. She's a testament to the endless
possibilities of AI, capable of delivering personalised and engaging
interactions that mirror human conversation.”
Owing to its marked success in introducing and
implementing the latest technologies to enhance passenger experiences, Qatar
Airways has been continually lauded for its innovative efforts, with the latest
recognition received from the World Travel Tech Awards for the World’s Best
Airline Website.
Qatar Airways recently also unveiled its Generative
AI experience for hassle-free and personalised travel planning at the Web
Summit Qatar. The experience utilises comprehensive visual interactions and an
interactive 3D map to understand customers' travel preferences, thereby
eliminating the need for manual searches. Customers can thus seamlessly receive
suggestions for their dream journeys across Qatar Airways’ network of over 170
destinations.
To interact with Sama 2.0 during ITB Berlin and
discover Qatar Airways’ world of digital innovation, visit the new Qatar
Airways exhibition pavilion 102, Hall 4.2, until 7 March 2024.
Image
Credit: © Qatar Airways
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