FCM Travel is making fundamental changes to Sam, its artificial intelligence (AI) “travel companion”. The new version will go live in more than 90 countries in June.
The travel management company said Sam is set to become the “intelligence layer” at the core of FCM’s proprietary AI ecosystem.
Travel managers can configure precisely how Sam responds to specific query types so that answers reflect their policies and rules of engagement.
For example, a traveller not entitled to fly business class will never receive a recommendation for a premium fare, nor will be shown an out-of-policy hotel as an option.
Spend thresholds, approval workflows and supplier preferences will all be automatically enforced in conversation, giving organisations the benefits of conversational AI while retaining the programme controls that enterprise travel demands.
At launch, Sam will deliver end-to-end trip support across the full traveller journey with real-time programme data intelligence for travel managers through plain-language conversation.
John Morhous, Global Chief Experience Officer at FCM Travel, said: “This is a genuine, game-changing first for the managed travel industry. A lot of our competitors are trying to bolt AI onto existing stacks, but the real power in AI is that the more connected it is, the more you can do with it. Sam is built, not bought – and that compounds over time.”
